The New Jersey Ballet, the state’s largest dance company, is expanding yet again, this time adding two central New Jersey theaters to its long list of venues at which the company’s dancers can entertain people.
Maria Kowroski, the company’s artistic director, sees the expansion to two more theaters, the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center and the Two River Theater, in Red Bank, as more than just a growth in the number of theaters hosting the ballet, though.
“Our plan is to expand our artistic reach... as well as give the dancers additional performances. We have invested in this incredible new repertory and would like the dancers to have the opportunity to grow artistically with the hope that we gain a new audience as well,” she said.
Ms. Kowroski thinks that the extra performances at these two theaters will help the company earn more money, but there is a greater goal. “(We want) to grow our audience,” she said.
The New Jersey Ballet has, over the years, appeared at more and more places in order to set itself up as a statewide dance company that travels from county to county, town to town, to provide artistic entertainment for the residents of the state. “It would be wonderful... to make the residents of this beautiful state aware (of us) right at their doorstep,” said Ms. Kowroski.
“The state will recognize their own world class ballet company.”
Ms Kowroski has no ‘grand plan’ to build audiences through these two extra venues.
”We are just hoping to get more people enthusiastic about the company and returning to see the new programs we produce,” she said.
The dance troupe’s expansion with these two new theaters is not a brand new idea. David Tamaki, the ballet’s managing director, said over the years many people have approached dance officials with requests to have the company perform at different sites in the state. “The New Jersey Ballet listens to feedback from the community as well as our new partner venues,” said. Tamaki “We have had a number of individuals tell us there are communities where we should perform.”
Isn’t all of this a lot more work for everybody?
No.
“Finding the resources to expand our programing is challenging, but that comes with the territory,” said Tamaki.
The ballet company has the staff to handle the additional work of performances at the two new theaters.
“The staff wears many hats, but we certainly have adequate personnel to handle the additional performance venues. We have been making strategic investments to grow our support staff. The company has been planning the upcoming, extended season for months,” said Tamaki.
These two new venues will increase the overall impact of the dance company, according to Tamaki. “This expansion will allow more people to see these extraordinary dancers and the repertory the company has assembled for the upcoming season, as well as learn about an institution that has been impacting the communities in New Jersey for sixty five years,” said Tamaki.
Ms. Kowroski said that everybody connected to the company is excited about the expansion.
“The dancers are thrilled to have new audiences where they can showcase their talent and perform the amazing repertoire that is planned for the upcoming season. Providing the dancers more opportunities to perform is important for their artistic growth,” she said.
The audiences at both new theaters will see a new program, “A Night On the Town,” that has something for everybody.
Both Ms. Kowroski and David Tamaki are hopeful that these two central New Jersey Theaters, that have been successful with theater and music programming, will be just as successful with the ballet.
