(BRANCHBURG, NJ) -- Raritan Valley Community College’s (RVCC) Arts & Design department will present DanceWorks, an evening of student and faculty dance, Wednesday and Thursday, December 7 and 8, at 7:00pm. The event will be held in the Edward Nash Theatre at the College’s Branchburg campus.

The concert is being produced by Professor Loretta Fois, Director of RVCC’s dance program.

Eight student pieces were chosen for the concert and include choreography by Gianna Bovino (North Plainfield), Nathan Forster (Warren), Matthew Maxcy (Bradley Beach), Mark Negron (Somerset), Emily Stecher (Berkeley Heights), Cedric Thomas (North Plainfield), and Destiny Williams (Plainfield). Dance genres in the concert range from Hip-hop to modern, from acro-dance to jazz. The student choreography is the culmination of a semester of classwork as the students created and rehearsed the new works to be performed.

In addition to the student works, the concert will feature “And still, we go on,” a collaborative piece created by the dancers under the guidance of adjunct faculty Marissa Aucoin. The cast was led through a series of choreographic tasks to create and develop movement material in the hopes that a unifying vision or intent would reveal itself. Through this process, a dance emerged that explores themes of connection, resilience, and support in the aftermath of tragedy.

Many dancers in the performance are also members of the Raritan Valley Dance Ensemble (RVDE). Under the direction of Loretta Fois, RVDE performs at local schools, senior centers, and community groups each semester, as well as at campus events. For information about scheduling a lecture/performance for a school, senior center, or community group, contact Fois at lfois@raritanval.edu.

General admission tickets to DanceWorks cost $12 each, $8 for students and seniors. For tickets, call 908-725-3420. For additional information, call 908-218-8876.

Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, New Jersey.

PHOTOS: Cedric Thomas of North Plainfield in “Call me Simone.” Photo by Mia Sabers