BWW Reviews: Jersey Moves Dance Festival is Eclectic and Exciting

Jersey Moves Festival of Dance was performed at New Jersey Performing Arts Center's Victoria Theatre on Saturday. Six New Jersey companies were represented in an evening that featured extraordinary talent and the diversity of dance repertoires in the Garden State. The program was well selected by guest curators Macada Brandl, Executive Director of Dance New Jersey, Randy James, Associate Professor of Rutgers University, and Robert Johnson, independent dance critic.

The evening opened with a lovely, classic pas de deux, Flames in Paris, performed by New Jersey Ballet dancers Gabriella Noa-Pierson and Albert Davydov. The piece is an exciting showpiece of bravura technique set in the time of the French Revolution. The Second Company on the program, SoulJerz Dance Entertainment, performed Latin Rocks; the six men in the troupe thrilled the audience with break dance athletics, hip-hop technique and unique, lively choreographies. The first half of the program concluded with Lustig Dance Theatre's Six Pianos. The thoughtful choreography by Graham Lustig was one of contemporary elegance, presenting three male and three female dancers perfectly paired for the dance, which was alternatively peaceful and energetic. The dancers accomplished intricate lifts with grace and style.

The second half of the program opened with 10 Hairy legs. Their piece, Together We Stand, showcased the passion of the all male troupe and displayed their agility and strength. The theme that "the group is always stronger, more impressive, more powerful than isolated individuals" was well developed by choreographer Manuel Vignoulle. 10 Hairy Legs was followed by Claire Porter Dance Company's piece, Interview, which was originally commissioned by the 92^nd Street Y's Harnkness Dance Festival. Interview, as both a monologue and movement piece, was brilliantly performed by Claire Porter, and served as a humorous, yet thoughtful reflection of a woman's trials when presenting herself as a job candidate. Rounding out the NJ Moves program was the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, performing an excerpt of their piece, Narcoleptic Lovers. The nine member troupe's versatility and expressive talents prove why the company is rapidly becoming one of the premiere contemporary dance companies in the area.

The audience that attended Jersey Moves Festival of Dance at NJ PAC was able to gain an appreciation for the excellence that is making New Jersey an exciting venue for both performers and dance enthusiasts. Jersey Moves will have another presentation at NJ PAC on Saturday, April 27th with a diverse program of works from the Garden State including Bani Ray, Nimbus Dance Works and American Repertory Ballet.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center is conveniently located in the Arts District of Newark, NJ. NJ PAC features a complete schedule of artistic performances to suit many tastes and interests. Tickets for all performances may be purchased by calling 1-888-GO-NJPAC (1-888-466-5722), in person at the NJPAC box office located at One Center Street in downtown Newark, or online at www.njpac.org.

Photo Credit: SoulJerz Dance Entertainment Company

To post a comment, you must register and login.