(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Jersey City Theater Center presents Cancer, Choreographed, a cathartic and participatory emotional journey into life, death, and dance, on Wednesday, April 26 at 6:00pm. Created by Romanian choreographers Cosmin Manolescu and Cristina Lilienfeld and based on an original text written by Cătălina Florescu, the dance is an exhilarating experience in the last moments of a man dealing with breast cancer. The audience is welcomed into a special birthday celebration. The whole story unfolds into a series of performative episodes framed by an original soundtrack by Sabina Ulubeanu, a stunning visual projection by Cinty Ionescu, and live DJ-ing by Alexandros Raptis. 

Cancer, Choreographed will have its international premiere at Jersey City Theater Center on April 26 at 6:00pm, followed by a second performance at the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York on April 28th. Tickets are available are available for purchase online.  Performed and an homage to International Dance Day, celebrated worldwide on April 29th, Cancer, Choreographed is a unique affirmation of the present moment as we deal and dance with (breast) cancer. This interactive experience encourages participants to send us their favorite song to info@jctcenter.org. 

 "As the executive producer of JCTC, I strongly believe that the arts should be a platform for all voices, regardless of background or circumstance,” said Olga Levina. “We are committed to creating a space that is truly inclusive, where individuals from diverse communities, including those affected by cancer and disability, can come together to share their stories and experiences through the transformative power of the arts. We believe that by embracing diversity, we can create a more vibrant and compassionate world, and we are proud to be at the forefront of this movement."

About the Choreographers

CRISTINA LILENFELD studied choreography and psychology, constantly looking for the meeting point of these two disciplines. In recent years she has collaborated and continues to work with various choreographers and dancers and with a series of visual artists and musicians as part of several interdisciplinary artistic groups.

Her performances “Lay(ers), “They’re Not All Heroes”, “Valiant Deeds “,” Really – show for children “,” Moving Fields”, “Eighty Five Percent Of What You Remember” as well as numerous shows in which she dances: “Alienation or the Desire for Intimacy” by Benno Voorham, “A Truth, A Lie And A List Of Possibilities” by Andreea Novac,“ Group Choreography” by Mihaela Alexandra Dancs, “The Great Scheme of Things” – concert / performance by Fierbinteanu, or which she choreographed: “In Body” (chamber opera) on music composed by Diana Rotaru, “Dancer In The Dark” – The Hungarian Theater Timișoara, etc. continue to be presented on stages in Bucharest, nationally and internationally.

In 2016 she was part of the Dance Roads program through which she traveled to five European countries presenting the show Lay(ers). She has collaborated in a multitude of projects with choreographers such as: Cosmin Manolescu, Mihaela Alexandra Dancs, Benno Voorham, Mădălina Dan, Andreea Novac, Andreea Belu, Smaranda Găbudeanu, Virginia Negru etc., with visual artists: Dilmana Yordanova, Mihaela Kavdanska, Alina Ușurelu etc., musicians: Diana Rotaru, Irinel Anghel, Vlaicu Golcea, Kamer Art, LeVant, Fierbinteanu etc., writers: Răzvan Țupa, Andra Rotaru, as well as with numerous actors and directors.

COSMIN MANOLESCU is a choreographer, curator and artistic director of Serial Paradise Company/ Gabriela Tudor Foundation based in Bucharest (Romania). His artistic work was successfully presented in important festivals and venues in New York, San Diego, Paris, Lyon, London, Dublin, Porto, Rome, Florence, Catania, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Malmo, Luxemburg, Barcelona, Bremen, Riga etc. He played an important role in the development of contemporary dance in Romania and in the creation of National Dance Centre in Bucharest. His artistic work was awarded several grants and prizes among which Sadco Prize (Bucharest, 2001), Grand Prix for Serial Paradise awarded by “Atelier” Experimental Theatre Festival (Sf. Gheorghe, 2003), SACD and Sogeda Awards for the project Don’t Ask The Blond (in collaboration with Kira Riikonen, Roberto Casarotto – Monaco Dance Forum, 2004), “Nouveau Talent Choregraphie” (SACD Paris, 2005).

Manolescu is currently interested in cross-cultural exchange, artistic collaboration with foreign artits, experiment and artistic innovation, creating performances that challenge the audience. His latest projects include: “Room 1306 (I Am Myself)”, especially created for a hotel room, and extensively presented in Romania, as well as in festivals in Stockholm, Riga, Plymouth, Bucharest, Alba-Iulia and Timisoara; “Hi Bye”, a collaboration with Italian choreographer Gabriella Maiorino, “Piece with limited responsibility” performed together with Mihaela Dancs, premiere on November 8, 2013 in Bucharest. . In summer 2015 we will premiere and tour a new international production called [Fragile] developed in collaboration with Giselda Ranieri (IT), Tanja Andreeva (NO) and Cristian Nanculescu that will include performances in secret location and stage in venues and festivals in Luxembourg, Riga, Porto and Bucharest.

In 2012 he was awarded with the The Saison Foundation Fellowship to visit Japan and make contacts with Japanese artists and producers. One year later, in collaboration with Stefania Ferchedau, he developped Eastern Connection, a long-term platform of exchanges and artistic collaboration involving several artits, dance writers and producers. Part of this platform, in November 2015 he will premiere in Bucharest – the kite – a new performance created and performed in collaboration with Kyoto based choreographer Zan Yamashita. He is currently the artistic director of the “E-Motional: rethinking dance” european dance developed with key parteners in Latvia, Portugal and Luxemburg. In December 2014 Cosmin Manolescu was awarded with an excellency award of the National Dance Center in Bucharest for the contribution giving to the contemporary dance in Romania.

Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) is located at 165 Newark Avenue in Jersey City, New Jersey. It is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) arts organization committed to inspiring conversations about important issues of our times through the arts. Co-founded by Executive Producer Olga Levina, an immigrant from Belarus, Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) produces and presents universal yet locally relevant works, emphasizing social justice and human rights.  Since 2006, JCTC has provided a platform for all artistic voices to be heard in Jersey City, with the aim of sparking meaningful cross-cultural dialogue that helps build a greater understanding, mutual respect and better communities in New Jersey. 

Programming made possible by numerous supporters, including the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development, Hudson County, the City of Jersey City, and the Office of Cultural Affairs.