World Premiere of Randy James' THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE Set for NJPAC, 1/30-31

Randy James' all male dance company, 10 Hairy Legs, and invited female guest artists will dance the World Premiere of James' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at The New Jersey Performing Arts Center on January 30 at 2:00 and 5:00 pm and Sunday, January 31, 2016 at 2:00 pm. These performances are part of NJPAC's Jersey Moves! Festival of Dance. Tickets are $39 and $29: http://www.njpac.org/events/detail/the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardrobe-jersey-moves-festival-of-dance or by calling the Box Office at 973-642-8989.

C. S Lewis' beloved and magical novel comes to life through dance. The classic story, set in the fictitious Narnia, features Lewis' characters - the heroine Lucy and her brother Edmund, The White Witch, The Wolf, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, Nymphs, a host of Angry Birds, The Giant and of course Aslan The Lion. The dance is set to a score comprised of works of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, including his renowned Davidde Penitente.

Featured dancer Monica Gonzalez, a New Jersey native who portrays Lucy, stated, "I saw Randy James' original The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when I was eight years old. When I was younger, seeing performances like this were hugely inspiring to me. The artistic qualities of professional dancers seemed like greater-than-life feats, and would spur me to work harder than ever in my next dance class. To perform the role of Lucy now feels incredible! I have the opportunity to invigorate others, the way I once was." James created a version of the work in 1998 for his former company, Randy James Dance Works.

Presented in one act, this dance performance is suitable for families and children ages 4 and older. Large print programs available upon request from NJPAC Guest Services one week in advance. NJPAC is a barrier-free facility.

Randy James, Founding Artistic Director of 10 Hairy Legs, has made a significant impact in the field of dance for more than three decades locally, regionally, nationally and internationally as a highly regarded dancer, choreographer, teacher, guest lecturer, panelist and staunch advocate of the arts. His impact in the field led The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation to cite him as "The Patron Saint of New Jersey dance" in 2010. As a choreographer, James has created more than 40 works on his own companies and on 16 other professional companies throughout the United States, garnering positive reviews from The New York Times and The Village Voice. The New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State honored him three times with Choreography Fellowships in 1995, 2002 and in 2014, and in recognition of his artistic excellence named him "Distinguished Teaching Artist" in 2014. As an Associate Professor of Dance, James has been a member of the dance faculty at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, since 1998.

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