(SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- Carolyn Dorfman Dance will appear in a virtual gala performance and benefit on Saturday, April 24 presented by SOPAC. The evening, entitled “Thrive,” will feature three works by the 10-member Company plus interview footage of Artistic Director and Choreographer Carolyn Dorfman speaking with dance writer and critic Robert Johnson. The performance begins at 7:30pm with a pre-glow event for company and donors starting at 6:30pm.
Tickets are available for purchase online. Supporters of the dance company can purchase gala tickets and virtual ads securely online here.
The evening begins with “Facets Redux,” a collage of excerpts from dances about love, which includes some of the company’s most memorable and favorite works. “Keystone (Part 1)” which premiered in 2012, uses the music of Rufus Wainwright. This duet features extraordinary dancers Jacqueline Dumas Albert and Louie Marin as videotaped by Nel Shelby Productions.
The program then moves to an excerpt from “Cercle d’Amour,” which critics praised as “compelling” when it premiered in 2010. Redone by Carolyn for this performance and taped at SOPAC by PCK Media, the dance features Quinton Guthier, Nina Chong-Jimenez and Brandon Jones, including Dorfman’s favorite additions to her dances, the use of props. This piece includes the use of brilliant red hula hoops.
Drawing on the bittersweet love songs of Patsy Cline, Carolyn created “Love Suite Love” in 1992. This excerpt utilizes Cline’s hit “I Fall to Pieces” danced by Carolyn Dietz, Lara Friedman-Kats, and Kaila Moses.
“Facets Redux” also includes a section from Carolyn’s newest work “PRIMA!” taped to the Louis Prima hit “I Want You to Be My Baby” sung by Gia Maione Prima. This selection is part of a larger piece set to several of Louis Prima classics, commissioned by Ocean County College, underwritten by the Gia Maione Prima Foundation in celebration of the opening of the 400-seat Gia Maione Prima Foundation Studio Theatre at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts at Ocean County College in Toms River. Unfortunately, the pandemic has put the official opening of the theatre on hold.
“Facets Redux” concludes with an excerpt from the 2012 dance, “Narcoleptic Lover,” by guest choreographer Doug Elkins who used his signature eclectic style to set this section to the music of Sinead O’Connor. This blend of new and vintage performances features Katlyn Waldo, Mica Bernas, and Louie Marin in the work which the Star-Ledger called “rowdy” and “zany.”
The program then transitions to excerpts from “WAVES,” a dance created by Carolyn in 2015. The piece explores the movement connections between the dancers, the dance and the music which was commissioned to include cello, recorder and beatboxing. Using the SOPAC stage and videography by PCK Media, the company adhered to CDC Covid 19 guidelines in a reimagined section of the dance followed by the extraordinary final movement which was filmed in 2019 by Francesco Cordaro.
The virtual performance concludes with the filmed version of the premiere of “Snap Crackle Pop,” a groundbreaking collaboration between Carolyn Dorfman and Renee Jaworski, co-artistic director of PILOBOLUS. This premiere is also significant because for the first time in the history of Pilobolus, a collaborative work is a part of their touring repertory.
“We are so grateful to SOPAC for presenting the company as part of their 2021 dance series,” said Carolyn Dorfman. “ This presentation has allowed us to use this opportunity as our annual benefit gala fundraiser entitled ‘Thrive.’ Since it is still impossible to have live performances, but maintaining our company and operations during the pandemic requires funding. We need everyone’s support more than ever to help us ‘Thrive’ beyond this year. We deeply appreciate this opportunity to showcase the company and the work. I want to thank everyone in advance for supporting Carolyn Dorfman Dance.”
The Company retains ten dancers including Jacqueline Dumas Albert (the Associate Artistic Director), Samantha Altenau, Jarred Bosch, Nina Chong-Jimenez, Caroline Dietz, Lara Friedman Kats, Quinton Guthier, Brandon Jones, Kaila Moses, and Katlyn Baskin (formerly Waldo.) The hard-working office staff includes Anita Thomas, Executive Director, Anna Shaffner, Communications/Development Manager, Stephanie Byrnes Harrell, Company/Production-Stage Manager, Flora Attardi, Financial Administrator, and Selena Alvarez, Digital Marketing Assistant.
Under the leadership of Acting Executive Director Dee Billia, SOPAC has a particular interest in presenting dance and is focusing on the work of women choreographers.
Carolyn Dorfman Dance connects life and dance in bold, athletic and dramatic works by Carolyn Dorfman and nationally renowned choreographers. The company’s 10 multi-ethnic and stunning dancers present high-energy and technically demanding dance that unleashes the powerful storytelling and imagery of its visionary creator. This distinctive combination takes audiences on intellectual and emotional journeys that ultimately illuminate and celebrate the human experience. The highly acclaimed ensemble is known for emotional resonance and artistic excellence in both performance and its interaction with audiences, students and community. Carolyn Dorfman Dance appears at major theaters, dance festivals, universities, schools, museums and galleries regionally, nationally and internationally.
Since 2006, SOPAC has been serving as a premier performing arts center in the region. SOPAC offers innovative artistic and cultural experiences for diverse audiences in an intimate, inviting environment. The arts center hosts a variety of live performances, community events and education programs for all ages. SOPAC is home for Seton Hall University Arts Council’s performances, including Classical Concert Series, Jazz ‘N the Hall performances and Seton Hall University Theatre productions. SOPAC programs are made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. The South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Photo courtesy of Vandy Photography
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