This September, American Repertory Ballet and Princeton Ballet School will be participating in community events throughout Central Jersey: Cranbury Day in Cranbury, Septemberfest in Hamilton, the Hub City Sounds Festival in New Brunswick, and Highland Park’s Arts in the Park.
Cranbury Day is an annual event held on Main Street in the heart of historic downtown Cranbury. This year, Cranbury Day will take place on September 12. Every year, American Repertory Ballet Workshop (ARBW) students perform in Princeton Ballet School’s Cranbury studio at 29 N. Main Street. Additionally, American Repertory Ballet takes part in the Cranbury Day festivities out on the street with a setup in front of the Princeton Ballet School building. This station will feature giveaway items, chances to win free tickets to an upcoming performance, and fun photo opportunities.
American Repertory Ballet Workshop (ARBW) is a performance group made up of pre-professional Princeton Ballet School students, including members of the American Repertory Ballet Trainee program. ARBW Juniors dancers are advanced Princeton Ballet School students. This year, the performance will include excerpts”Waltz of the Flowers” from ARB’s Nutcracker , ARB Resident Choreographer Mary Barton’s Once Upon a Summer’s Day and a work by ARBW Juniors Ballet Master cheryl Whitney, Call and Response. Performances will be at 1:30pm and 2:30pm in Studio A. Performances are free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Seating is first come, first served.
As part of New Brunswick’s city-wide Hub City Sounds summer arts series, American Repertory Ballet’s international Trainee dancers and George Street Playhouse actors will present ““Be Unstoppable: Celebrating Healthy Kids in the Arts.” This interactive day of theater, dance, food and family activities at George Street Playhouse will begin at 10:00am on September 19, 2015. The performance portion will be at 12:30pm. After George Street Playhouse’s Educational Tour Program "Austin the Unstoppable" takes the stage, ARB’s dancers will perform Grumpy Bird, a children's ballet choreographed by Matthew Keefe, is based on the children's book by Jeremy Tankard and set to music by Mozart, and Mary Barton’s Once Upon a Summer’s Day. This performance is appropriate for ages 2 and up. The performance will include opportunities for participation and Q&A with the dancers. “Be Unstoppable: Celebrating Healthy Kids in the Arts” is free and open to the public.
On September 13, American Repertory Ballet and Princeton Ballet will be at Septemberfest - an annual fall festival at Veterans Park in Hamilton, NJ. Septemberfest runs from 10:00am to 5:00pm. On September 20, ARB will have a table at Highland Park’s Arts in the Park, where dancers will also present Grumpy Bird. Attractions at both Septemberfest and Arts in the Park will include crafters, vendors and organizations, fair games, and more. Visitors to the American Repertory Ballet/Princeton Ballet School tables will receive giveaway items and an opportunity to enter to win free tickets to an upcoming ARB performance.
"Community events are such an important part of what we do, as they give us the opportunity to connect with our neighbors and share what’s happening on stage, in the studios, and in the schools," said Lisa Beth Vettoso, ARB's Director of Educational and Community Programming. “Working directly within the communities we serve is such a fulfilling aspect of our work as an NJ arts organization.”
Photo by Leighton Chen
