Carolyn Dorfman Dance to Kick Off 35th Season at White Eagle Hall

Nothing less than our shared human experience is the subject of an exclusive afternoon of dance and movement in Jersey City.

Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) presents Under the Umbrella of Movement at White Eagle Hall on October 22, which kicks off the 35th performance season of one of the leading and longest established dance companies in New Jersey.

Ambitious, engaging and unforgettable, Under the Umbrella of Movement features Carolyn Dorfman Dance, a Garden State-based critically acclaimed dance company who has appeared at major theaters, dance festivals, universities, schools, museums and galleries regionally, nationally and internationally, with special guest, Grigory Gurevich, a multitalented artist and who will be performing classic pantomime. Under the Umbrella of Movement is the latest collaboration between these two artists - who first worked together in 1999 - and incorporates, modern dance, mime and movement to reveal universal truths about our human condition.

"Under the Umbrella of Movement features contemporary dance and movement that inspires audiences to think, feel, laugh, and engage," said Carolyn Dorfman. "We are thrilled to have our debut performance at White Eagle Hall during our 35th anniversary season and sharing the stage with one of our long-time collaborators, Grigory Gurevich. Even though Carolyn Dance Company tours nationally and internationally, our roots are in New Jersey and it is incredibly meaningful for us to open our new performance season at this historic, important New Jersey venue."

Under the Umbrella of Movement is both a new collaboration and a select-retrospective of the esteemed dance company's repertoire. The afternoon dance concert features a repertory selection of audience favorites, including Keystone, set to songs by Rufus Wainwright, Louis Armstrong, and Jamie Randolph, this duet explores the endurance of relationships in a world embracing digital communication unaligned with the human pulse and true intimacy; WAVES - sonically eclectic and audience-interactive, WAVES creates very new, very visceral movement connections between audiences, dancers, the music and the dance, and The Klezmer Sketch, an exuberant, joyful and soulful exploration of Dorfman's Jewish roots - set to the vibrant sounds of Klezmer- utilizing distinctively Jewish gesture, expression, ritual and character to portray both the uniqueness of the Jewish experience as well as the extraordinary universal connections Judaic culture embodies.

The Klezmer Sketch also uses props and masks-custom-made and form-fitted to the faces of each dancer - by Grigory Gurevich, a Jersey City-based visual artist and also a movement artist and pantomime, who trained under Marcel Marceau. Gurevich will be performing UMBRELLA and CHARACTERS, pantomime that reveals "nothing in the world is eternal" and "the hidden characters inside us all." These two pieces, created by Gurevich, were first staged in Russia in 1966.

Under the Umbrella of Movement is a family friendly production - both Dorfman and Gurevich also work as dance and art educators - possessing beautiful, often poignant messages of the human spirit and our connections to each other. "JCTC takes great pride in presenting Carolyn and Grigory at White Eagle Hall," said Olga Levina, Artistic Director, JCTC. "These are two incredible artists who really live through their art, and are both devoted to their craft. This is dance and movement at the highest level of professionalism, an honest and expressive search for truth filled with a genuine playfulness."

Under the Umbrella of Movement kicks off Carolyn Dorfman Dance performing season, which runs through April of 2018. For 35 years the company - under the leadership of Carolyn Dorfman- has created dance works connecting life and dance in bold, athletic and dramatic works. Dorfman is renowned for creating contemporary dance that moves audiences to think, feel, laugh, cry and engage. The company's 11 multi-ethnic and stunning dancers tap their unique talents to present high-energy and technically demanding dance that unleashes the powerful storytelling and imagery of its visionary creator and nationally renowned choreographers. This distinctive combination takes audiences on intellectual and emotional journeys that ultimately illuminate and celebrate the human experience.

Gurevich first studied movement and pantomime in ? before emigrating to the U.S. from Russia. In addition to creating and performing pantomime works, Gurevich is also known as sculptor, painter, photographer, graphic artist, printmaker, art book creator, and inventor. He has been featured in more than 400 exhibitions worldwide, has won numerous awards and his works are part of public and private collections in Russia, Switzerland, France, Croatia, Germany, Slovakia and the United States. His bronze, life-sized figures -The Commuters"- is a permanent installation in Newark Penn Station.

Originally constructed in 1910, the newly restorEd White Eagle Hall is an impressive new venue for arts and entertainment, including concerts, theater, performances and other events in the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. White Eagle Hall features complete food & beverage service, with two bars on the mezzanine level and one on the balcony level. The restoration enhanced the intimacy and charm of this historic venue while adding the latest in sound and lighting technology, creating a distinctive and memorable audience experience.

Jersey City Theater Center, Inc. (JCTC) presents programming at Merseles Studios and White Eagle Hall. JCTC is a nonprofit, 501c3 arts organization committed to inspiring conversations about the important topics of our times through innovative and progressive performing and visual arts that celebrates diversity, bringing communities closer together and enhancing the quality of life.

IF YOU GO:

Under the Umbrella of Movement

Sunday October 22

Doors: 3:30/ Show: 4:00 PM

Tickets: $15 - $30 (Student & Senior Citizens discounts available with valid ID)

For tickets, visit: jctcenter.org

Performances will be followed by a Talk-Back with audience.

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