Dance Fest Hits the Stage at Centenary

The Centenary Stage Company (CSC) has announced a major dance initiative that will take place later this month, running for a full week.

The following information is from a press release provided by the CSC.

A major dance initiative will launch later this month when the Centenary Stage Company presents “Dance Fest”,  a week-long celebration of dance with multiple performances by some of New Jersey’s premier professional companies, as well a kick-off performance by nine –time Tony Award winning Broadway performer Tommy Tune. Dance Fest will also include several workshops led by guest artists, which will be open to the public.  

Running March 24 thru April 1, Dance Fest will feature Tommy Tune’s “Steps in Time” with the Manhattan Rhythm Kings on March 24 at 2 and 8 p.m. The  Lustig Dance Theater will perform on March 29 at 7:30 p.m., Moe-tion Dance Company on March 30 at 8 p.m., and the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company on April 1 at 4 p.m., all on the Sitnick stage in the David and Carol Lackland Center at 715 Grand Ave., on the campus of Centenary College.  

Lustig Dance Theatre (LDT) was established in 2010 by internationally recognized choreographer and director, Graham Lustig. The company is recognized for their high artistic quality imbued with virtuosity, energy, dynamics, and humanity, with a company of dancers known for their strength, grace, and powerful storytelling. Artistic Director Graham Lustig danced with the Dutch National Ballet and the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet before embarking on a  choreographic career that has encompassed more than sixty works over four continents. 

In 1999 he was appointed the Artistic Director of the American Repertory Ballet and its affiliated school, the Princeton Ballet School,  a position he held for eleven years, making him the longest serving Artistic Director in the company’s thirty-one year history. Lustig’s choreography has been hailed by the New York Times as “never less than eye-riveting,” said Anna Kisselgoff. 

The Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company has been acclaimed for its artistic excellence and range, as well as for its elegance and power, technical ability, versatility, and “inner fire.” Critic Sheila Abrams stated that Dorfman’s work “frequently stands out for its cerebral underpinnings,” and went on to say that Dorfman’s artistry was “a reason for Garden State dance aficionados to stand up and cheer.” (Observer Tribune). 

Drawing on elements from the flowing lines of Chinese calligraphy to the thundering motion of the martial arts, Nai-Ni Chen is one of the few established Asian- American choreographers who melds the dynamic freedom of American modern dance with the stoic discipline of the Chinese classical arts. Chen received intensive training in the disciplines of Peking Opera, martial arts, ballet, modern dance, music, and visual arts at the Chinese Cultural University. The dances of Nai-Ni Chen and the company fuse the dynamic freedom of American modern dance with the grace and splendor of Asian art. The Company's productions are designed to take the audience beyond cultural boundaries to where tradition meets innovation and freedom arises from discipline. The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company  has  received more than twelve awards from the National Endowment for the Arts and numerous Citations of Excellence and grants from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. In the First China International Dance Festival in Kunming, Yunan, the China Dance Association presented to the Company its most prestigious honor for companies not based in China, the Golden Lotus Award.  With over seven international tours, Ms. Chen’s work has been presented by such acclaimed international festivals as the Silesian International Contemporary Dance Festival and the Konfrontations International Dance Festival, the Chang Mu International Arts Festival in Korea and the China International Dance Festival.

Also performing as part of the festival will be the young Moe-Tion Dance Theater, established in 2007 under the artistic direction of Maureen Glennon.  The company is dedicated to experimenting and creating new forms of expression. The company has established a reputation for their diverse repertory and site-specific work, and has performed at numerous festivals, showcases and venues throughout the tri-state area.

Several classes and workshops will also be offered to the public during the festival,  ranging in style from the popular Zumba Dance (combining African, Brazilian and hip-hop dance styles), to a workshop taught by members of the Nai –Ni Chen Dance Company. The fee for any one of the classes or workshops will be $10, which may be deducted from the price of a ticket for all performances during the festival, with the exception of Tommy Tune.  

Space is limited and all workshops and classes require advance reservations.     The workshops offered to the public will be Yoga for Dancers*, March 26 from 6 to 7:15 p.m.; Modern Dance (beginner level), March 29 from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m.; Nai Ni Chen workshop, Mar 31 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; and Zumba, April 1 from noon to 1 p.m. To register for a workshop or for additional information about the festival, contact the Centenary Stage Company at 908-979-0900. 

Tickets for the festival are as follows: Tommy Tune, $35 in advance, $40 day of performance (with discounts for seniors and students); Nai Ni Chen Dance Company,  Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company,  Lustig Dance Theatre, and Moe-tion Dance Theater tickets are $15 each. A special Dance Fest “Flex-Pass” is available for all performances, with the exception of Tommy Tune, for only $35. Tickets may be purchased through the CSC box office at 908-979-0900 or online at www.centenarystageco.org, or at the Lackland Center Box Office at 715 Grand Avenue in Hackettstown.