(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Dance on the Lawn, Montclair, NJ’s free outdoor dance festival, will return to the front lawn of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 73 South Fullerton Avenue, on Saturday, September 8 from 3:00pm-5:00pm. Celebrating it’s fifth year, Dance on the Lawn 2018 will feature performances by more than 13 New York and New Jersey dance companies and schools.
The Festival’s fifth anniversary celebration will also include work from the three consecutive winners of Dance on the Lawn’s Emerging Commissioned NJ Choreographer award, Robert Mark Burke, Kyle Marshall and Lauren Connolly, and a special showcase presentation of “Tap Dance in New Jersey,” featuring top tap talent Maurice Chestnut, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards and Jason Samuel Smith.
Dance on the Lawn was founded by Montclair resident Charmaine Warren in 2014, hoping to increase New Jersey’s exposure to dance by bringing professional and emerging companies, plus students of dance from around the state, together to perform in a community setting. In addition to offering presentation opportunities, Dance on the Lawn created an “Emerging Commissioned New Jersey Choreographer” and mentor program to help support young, emerging artists.
*The 2018 Dance on the Lawn LINEUP:
NEW FOR 2018
New Jersey School - Unique Performance Arts Center (Lisa Batchelor/Director), New Jersey Professional - MeenMoves - (Sameena Mitta/Artistic Director), New York Professional - Barkha Dance Company - (Barkha Patel/Director), 2018 "Emerging commissioned New Jersey Choreographer" - Javier Padilla & The Movement Playground (Javier Padilla)
RETURNING FOR 2018 (New Jersey)
NJ Schools - Sharron Miller's Academy for the Performing Arts' (SMAPA) - (Sharron Miller/Director), DanceWorks & Co. (Kathy Costa/Director), New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble (NJDTE) (Nancy Turano/Director), NJ Professional - Freespace Dance (Donna Scro/Director)
A premiere showcase and mentoring Launchpad for NJ and NY’s finest choreographic talent, Dance on the Lawn offers Montclair residents and neighboring communities a sneak peek at emerging and established artists from NJ and the NY area.
Charmaine Warren is winner of the Dance NJ’s JETÉ AWARD, in honor of founding the Dance on the Lawn Festival. Dance NJ is the service organization committed to advocating the excellence of dance and dance education in the state. Ms. Warren, together with Laura Marchese, DOTL Managing Director, are the guiding force behind "Dance on the Lawn: Montclair's Dance Festival.” Ms. Marchese is a recipient of a NJ Governor's Arts in Education Distinguished Teaching Artist Award.
The New Jersey State Arts Council has given four awards to Dance on the Lawn artists: Nancy Turano, Artistic Director, NJ Dance Theatre Ensemble, DOTL artist since 2014; Kyle Marshall, DOTL 2016 "Emerging Commissioned New Jersey Choreographer" recipient; Lauren Connolly, DOTL 2017 "Emerging Commissioned New Jersey Choreographer" recipient; and Hillary-Marie, Choreographer/Director FutureSTEP Tap Company, who participated in DOTL 2017 for the first time.
*Banner photo credit – (L) Whitney Browne; (R) Tony Turner Photography