(MONTCLAIR, NJ) --Dance on the Lawn, Montclair, NJ’s 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 its fifth anniversary year, Dance on the Lawn 2018 will feature performances by more than 13 New York and New Jersey dance companies and schools. Admission is free.
The 2018 Festival 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. In October, Kyle Marshall will receive the 2018 “JURIED BESSIE AWARD,” the dance world’s most coveted honor. His work, according to the citation, is notable “for exploring important ideas around race and sexuality in dances that embody rather than illustrate complicated issues,” and “for drawing on a variety of movement styles.”
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 New Jersey and the New York area.
*The 2018 Dance on the Lawn Lineup includes the following companies who are new for this year: 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); and 2018 "Emerging commissioned New Jersey Choreographer" - Javier Padilla & The Movement Playground (Javier Padilla). The following companies are returning to the festival: 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), and NJ Professional - Freespace Dance (Donna Scro/Director).
This year’s Dance on the Lawn Festival will also include a special showcase presentation of “Tap Dance in New Jersey,” featuring top tap talent Maurice Chestnut and Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, both from New Jersey. Joining them will be New York tapper Ayodele Casel and mentee, Andre Imanishi. Read, “Ayodele Casel is Having Her Moment” – NY Times.
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.
Charmaine Warren is a recipient of a 2017 Bessie Award for "Outstanding Performance," as part of The Skeleton Architecture Collective. She is also 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. In 2018, Ms. Marchese received national recognition as a Master Teaching Artist in Dance by Young Audiences Arts for Learning.
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.
*Program subject to change.
Photos by Tony Turner Photography
