NJPAC Announces 2022-23 Season of Dance Including Premieres, Company Anniversaries, and Jazz Collaborations

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) today announced its upcoming 2022-23 season of dance including several anniversary celebrations and world premieres. The fall season begins with two shows melding dance and jazz music: famed Newark-born tap artist and dancemaker Savion Glover collaborates with jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater (Nov 12) followed by new works by New Jersey-based Carolyn Dorfman Dance featuring a live performance by renowned jazz violinist Regina Carter (Nov 16). Two internationally acclaimed institutions celebrate anniversaries on the NJPAC stage: Riverdance turns 25 and Pilobolus turns 50. In addition, NJPAC welcomes back long-standing fan favorite events including the Mother's Day Alvin Ailey weekend series, Lunar New Year festivities with Nai-Ni Chen Dance, two performances by the State Theater of Ukraine, and the festive Hip Hop Nutcracker. For everything else, visit NJPAC.org/dance.

Dee Dee Bridgewater and Savion Glover: Interpretations

Sat 11.12 @ 3:00 p.m. + 7:30 p.m.
Dee Dee Bridgewater (vocals)
Savion Glover (tap)
TBA (band)

Icons Dee Dee Bridgewater and Savion Glover come together in both solo sets and together for an evening of jazz, dance, and improvisation like you've never seen before.

Over the course of a multifaceted career spanning four decades, Grammy and Tony Award-winning jazz giant Dee Dee Bridgewater has ascended to the upper echelon of vocalists, putting her unique spin on standards, as well as taking intrepid leaps of faith in re-envisioning jazz classics. Ever the fearless voyager, explorer, pioneer and keeper of tradition, the three-time Grammy-winner most recently won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album for Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee. Bridgewater's career has always bridged musical genres. In 2017 she was the recipient of an NEA Jazz Masters Fellows Award with honors bestowed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In December 2017, Bridgewater was presented with the ASCAP Foundation Champions award acknowledging her charitable contributions. In 2018, Bridgewater received the prestigious Doris Duke Artist Award. 2019 brought her induction in the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in recognition of her contributions to music and in celebration of her CD Memphis, Yes...I'm Ready.

Savion Glover is a Tony Award-winning choreographer and legendary hoofer, whose career has spanned nearly four decades. He began his Broadway stage career as The Tap Dance Kid, and continued with Black and Blue, Jelly's Last Jam and his award-winning Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk, which garnered him a Tony Award for Best Choreography. He has performed worldwide with jazz legends including McCoy Tyner, Roy Haynes and Jack DeJohnette.

Film credits include Tap, starring Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis, Jr.; Spike Lee's Bamboozled and George Miller's Happy Feet and Happy Feet Two. Serving as dance advisor for NJPAC and as a member of its board of directors, he is dedicated to furthering arts education programming with Summer Intensives, established to help youth explore artistic expression. Tix: $59-$69 @ Victoria Theater.

Regina Carter and Carolyn Dorfman Dance

Wed 11.16 @ 7:00 p.m.
Jazz Legends and The Power of Now! world premiere (NJPAC commission)
Regina Carter (violin)
TBA (band)

NJPAC welcomes back the acclaimed New Jersey-based dance troupe, Carolyn Dorfman Dance. This performance features the world premiere of Jazz Legends and The Power of Now! (co-commissioned by NJPAC) choreographed by Carolyn Dorfman and Juel D. Lane set to a live performance by jazz violinist extraordinaire Regina Carter and the vibrant jazz recordings of trumpet legend Louis Prima. Carter is the Artistic Director of NJPAC's Geri Allen Jazz Sumer Camp for young women and was recently awarded a 2023 NEA Jazz Master. With virtuosity, speed and depth, these artists take you on a heart-pounding roller coaster ride of life's journeys-resulting in pure joy. According to Limón Dance Company, Carolyn Dorfman Dance is "musical, magical, and full of surprises." Tix: $30 & $45 @ Victoria Theater.

The Hip Hop Nutcracker

Sat 12.17 @ 2:00 p.m. + 7:30 p.m.

A holiday mash-up for the whole family, The Hip Hop Nutcracker returns to the stage for its eighth season on tour. Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, this contemporary dance spectacle is a re-mixed and re-imagined version of the classic, smashing hip hop dance and Tchaikovsky's timeless music together into a heart-stirring and inspirational holiday event. The Hip Hop Nutcracker is brought to life by a powerhouse cast of a dozen all-star dancers, a DJ, a violinist, and MC Kurtis Blow, one of hip hop's founding fathers, who opens the show with a short set. According to CBS, "it turns The Nutcracker on its head, in the coolest possible way!" "Hip Hop Nutcracker brings a generous dose of contemporary spirit, sure to heat up even the most restless and wintry of souls." (The New York Times) Tix: $25-$75.

The Nutcracker: State Ballet Theater of Ukraine

Sun 12.18 @ 3:00 p.m.

In what has become an annual NJPAC tradition, the State Ballet Theater of Ukraine returns with the beloved holiday favorite The Nutcracker. Set to Tchaikovsky's classic score and featuring brand new choreography and productions by Andrey Litvinov, the State Ballet Theater of Ukraine premiered this revised version of The Nutcracker in Dnipro, Ukraine, in 2020. Choreography and design lasted for many months with the pandemic constantly disrupting the process. Fortunately, this new interpretation of a timeless classic still managed to be completed. The company is recognized as one of the most prestigious institutions of classical ballet in Ukraine. With no fewer than 55 of Ukraine's finest performers, this esteemed ensemble has performed to the delight of audiences worldwide. Tix: $39-$89.

Sleeping Beauty: State Ballet Theater of Ukraine

Sun 1.15 @ 6:00 p.m.

Sleeping Beauty is one of the worlds most beloved ballets and one of Tchaikovsky's most captivating masterpieces. The tale of a princess cursed to sleep for 100 years comes to life with The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine, whose dancers perform dazzling choreography adapted from the legendary Marius Petipa. Tchaikovsky himself declared Sleeping Beauty his best work, and audiences of all ages will enjoy the colorful costumes, festive music and charming fairytale love story. Tix: $39-$89.

Nai-Ni Chen: Year of the Black Water Rabbit

Sat-Sun 1.21-22 @ 2:00 p.m.

For two decades, NJPAC has hosted a fantastic Newark celebration of the Lunar New Year with performances and festivities by the Jersey-based company, Nai-Ni Chen Dance. In Spring of 2023, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company celebrates the Year of the Black Water Rabbit. It's a spectacular experience for all ages, combining traditional Chinese dance with modern flair. The Red Lions dance to a hip hop beat. The Golden Dragon brings good luck and fortune for the coming year. Dancers, acrobats and musicians perform in dazzling red and gold costumes. Tix: $27-$35.

Riverdance: 25thAnniversary Show

Fri-Sat 3.10-11 @ 8:00 p.m. + Sat 3.11 @ 3:00 p.m. + Sun 3.12 @ 2:00 & 7:00 p.m.

Fall in love with the magic of Riverdance all over again. A powerful and stirring reinvention of the Irish phenomenon, celebrated the world over for its GRAMMY® Award-winning score and the thrilling energy and passion of its Irish and international dance. Original composer Bill Whelan has rerecorded his mesmerizing soundtrack while producer Moya Doherty and director John McColgan have completely reimagined the ground-breaking show with innovative and spectacular lighting, projection, stage and costume designs. Immerse yourself in the extraordinary power and grace of its music and dance-beloved by fans of all ages. Tix: $41-$81.

Pilobolus Big Five Oh!

Sun 3.12 @ 7:00 p.m.

For 50 years, the feisty arts organization Pilobolus has changed the way the world sees modern dance. As vibrant as ever, Pilobolus puts the "Oh!" in ​BIG FIVE OH!​, turning its traditions sideways and bringing its past into the future with works dynamically reimagined for a never-before-seen experience. This performance includes a mix of pieces ranging from the vintage and visionary to the fresh and electrifying. Come see why The Wall Street Journal calls Pilobolus "proverbial light bulbs of inspiration."
Tix: $59-$69.

Taj Express - Bollywood Jukebox

Sat 3.18 @ 3:00 p.m. + 8:00 p.m.

Bollywood comes to life in this vibrant stage extravaganza! Taj Express - Bollywood Jukebox takes audiences on a journey through modern Bollywood music and dance, featuring Bollywood hits with a mix of traditional, classic, modern, disco and retro songs. The story revolves around a young composer named Shankar and his foray into the Bollywood film industry-but that's just the beginning. Patrons will be wowed by the talented performers, mesmerizing costumes, joyful choreography, thrilling music and bombastic energy. Tix: $69-$79.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Fri-Sat 5.12-13 @ 8:00 p.m. + Sun 5.14 @ 3:00 p.m.

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's extraordinary dancers return to NJPAC with premieres and repertory favorites for three magical performances that each inspires with a finale of Ailey's signature masterpiece, Revelations, which is lauded by The Washington Post as "one of the simplest and most perfect dances ever made." The Ailey company has earned a reputation as one of the finest international ambassadors of American culture, promoting the uniqueness of the African American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of American modern dance. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is the Principal Resident Affiliate of NJPAC and has made frequent appearances dating back to the opening celebration. The Company is led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, who accepted in 2014 from President Obama the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, on behalf of the late Alvin Ailey, a trailblazing artist who is now the subject of the acclaimed documentary Ailey now streaming on Hulu. Complete programming for these performances to be announced at a later date. According to The New York Times, "watching Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater can change your life." Tix: $25-$94.

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