Celebrating the art of dance with Annual Dance Fest

HACKETTSTOWN — Centenary Stage Company celebrates the art of dance in the Sitnik Theatre with a weekend full of performances by accomplished professional dance companies and individuals. This year’s annual Dance Fest will feature the talents of Moe–tion Dance Theatre, Nai–Ni Chen and Claire Porter on March 26, 28 and 29.

Kicking off CSC’s, 2015 Dance Fest is Moe – tion Dance Theatre on Thursday March 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Sitnik Theatre.

Moe-tion DanceMoe–tion Dance is a contemporary modern dance company dedicated to experimenting and creating new forms of expression. It seeks to promote an inclusive vision of the arts through the language of modern dance, painting, sculpture, photography, literature and live music creating productions that expose the community to multiple art forms in one event.

Creator Maureen Glennon is reinventing a piece dedicated to her grandmother who suffered from dementia. Originally a solo for Glennon, Betty will be a three section dance, representing phases of her grandmother's life. Moe-tion dance will also reprise their popular piece "Passages To..." with original Music by Glen Fittin. Set Design and Fabrication by Angus Clayton. Choreography by Maureen Glennon.

Nai–Ni ChenSaturday, March 28 at 8 p.m. in the Sitnik Theatre Nai–Ni Chen returns to CSC.

The dances of Nai-Ni Chen fuse the dynamic freedom of American modern dance with the grace and splendor of Asian art. The Company's productions take the audience beyond cultural boundaries to where tradition meets innovation and freedom arises from discipline.

Claire PorterClaire Porter wraps up the annual Dance Fest with "Prepositions on a Piano: A Celebration of Music as Dance" on Sunday March 29 at 5 p.m. in the Sitnik theatre.

"Prepositions on a Piano" celebrates Claire Porter’s merging of music, dance, language and humor. In five vignettes, Porter mines the humanity of her characters as each confronts a particular everyday situation.

"In Falling for Prepositions," soprano Marla Berg joins Porter and composer Mary Ellen Childs to celebrate "Songs of the Preposition." Supported by a Live Music for Dance Grant and a Residency at The Baryshnikov Arts Center, “It had the audience in stitches”, Mark Horning, Arts & Exhibits Newsletter, Cleveland OH. Also on the program are Piano, a concert pianist enacting what she would do if her piano had only arrived, and Homestretch, in which a homeowner is being swallowed up by invasive plants and their sounds.

Porter is an American choreographer/comedienne known for blending comedic monologues with dance movement.

Tickets for all CSC Dance Fest 2015 events are $20 for adults with discounts for seniors and students and $10 for children under twelve. As with all concerts, jazz and special events ticket orders increase $5 on day of performance.

For additional information, a full listing of all CSC events or to purchase tickets visit www.centenarystageco.org, call the box office 908-979–0900 or stop by the David and Carol Lackland Center at 715 Grand Ave. on the campus of Centenary College. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m.