NEWS | FEATURES | PREVIEWS | EVENTS

originally published: 04/04/2018

(SUMMIT, NJ) --  New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble (NJDTE) will celebrate its 49th anniversary season and its third year in Summit at its downtown home on Springfield Ave. In June 2015, NJDTE opened its new 9000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility in Summit and has been expanding its renowned programming and visibility as a top training ground for serious pre-professional dancers in the New Jersey and Metro-New York Area. 

Nancy Turano, NJDTE Artistic Director is entering her 24th year leading this acclaimed New Jersey non-for-profit organization. Ms. Turano is a NJSCA Governors Award recipient for Dance Education and in 2017 she was one of four artists to receive the highest award from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the Individual Artistic Fellowship for Excellence in Choreography. 

“These past three years in our new Summit home have been an incredible time of focused expansion,” says Ms. Turano. “We continue to provide our excellent core, pre-professional training, and with our new home we have been able to expand our mission to be a hub for innovative, contemporary dance programming in New Jersey.”

NJDTE is committed to creating innovative programming, bringing contemporary masters to Summit in AiR® residencies series and classes, as well as to the INKUBATE® performance series in collaboration with the Reeves Reed Arboretum now in its third year,” says Ms. Turano. “We have created a bridge with the local community with performances at the Summit Free Public Library, at the YMCA and Sr. Citizens Center, and at Summit Downtown, Inc’s Arts & Cars Festival as well as offering master classes for the Performing Arts High Schools in the area. We have also partnered with Summit local businesses including Vita Organics, the Grand Summit Hotel, Hat Tavern Restaurant, the Meathouse, Lululemon, and Liss Printing to name a few.”

In January 2018, renowned business development expert Barbara Carocci was named NJDTE Executive Director. Ms. Carocci is determined to create a strong infrastructure to support Artistic Director Nancy Turano’s longstanding vision for the Ensemble. Ms. Carocci plans to “turn that vision into action that will deliver real value to the New Jersey arts community and beyond.” By implementing effective business strategies and cohesive branding, Ms. Carocci is already making waves with her international “savoir faire.”

 

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Nancy Turano reflects on her youth growing up in New Jersey with dreams to be a professional dancer and travel the world. After a 43-year international career based out of New York City, she is committed to providing the training with master teachers and choreographers that will make that same dream a reality for other young artists. “The proof is in the success rate,” says Ms. Turano. “85% of our graduates move on to this country’s top universities for dance, many with huge scholarships and we have a tremendous number of dancers becoming professional dancers and choreographers in some of the most renowned international dance companies. These are difficult odds so we are confident we are providing them with the tools, technique and professional skills to succeed in a challenging climate.”

What is next for New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble?

NJDTE is preparing for spring repertory performances including, “i Balli di Primavera” for its 49^th anniversary season at Montclair State University with world premieres by NJDTE Artistic Director Nancy Turano, Princess Grace Award-winning choreographer Loni Landon, former Parsons Dance Associate Director Elizabeth Koeppen-Kalosieh, New York-based choreographer Breton Tyner-Bryan and Alexandra Gonzalez. We are also gearing up for our four Summer Dance Intensives in New York and New Jersey including: Young Dancers Program (YDP) ages 7-13, Summer Dance Intensive (SDI), ages 13-18 in Summit and our internationally acclaimed MOVEMENT INVENTION PROJECT (MIP®) ages 18-23 at the Baryshnikov Arts Center and MIP2® at Ballet Hispanico in NYC.

Turano’s 2017 NJSCA fellowship work entitled “Shadow of Truth” will be premiered at South Orange Performing Arts Center on May 4, 2018.

The Ensemble will appear at Memorial Auditorium at Montclair State University, 1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, NJ for one performance only, on Saturday, May 12, 2018 at 3pm. Tickets are $35 for adults and $25 for children, students & seniors, and are available at www.njdte.tix.com or by calling 908-273-5500.

PHOTO BY ANTHONY JOHNSON