RVCC dance students Gianna Bovino, Dina Grinis, Cassidy Feskanin, Mariella Klinger-Seamon, and Arianna McLean rehearse “The Hive,” a new piece choreographed by Loretta Fois.

(BRANCHBURG, NJ) -- Raritan Valley Community College's (RVCC) Arts & Design department will present DanceWorks, an evening of student and faculty dance, on Wednesday and Thursday, December 4-5, 2024. The event will be held in the Edward Nash Theatre at the College's Branchburg campus. Performances take place at 7:00pm each night.

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

The concert includes two Chinese dance pieces by Jia Chen (Branchburg); a new solo, “On Going,” by Nathan Forster (Warren); and “Used to Know” by Gianna Bovino (North Plainfield), performed by her students at Rising Stars Studio of Dance in Middlesex. The student choreography is the culmination of a semester of classwork as the students create and rehearse the new works to be performed.

In addition to the student work, the concert will feature three faculty pieces. “Wherever you go, there you are” is a collaborative piece created by adjunct faculty Marissa Aucoin (Edison). Loretta Fois (Branchburg) will present “Gestural Jam.” Originally choreographed in 1991 for her company, Puppendance, it incorporates high-energy movement and athleticism. Fois also will premiere “The Hive,” a sextet that embodies hive mentality, conformity, and groupthink.

Many dancers in the performance are also Raritan Valley Dance Ensemble (RVDE) members. 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 [email protected].

General admission tickets to DanceWorks cost $12 each, $8 for students and seniors, and $5 for RVCC alumni. 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.