Culture in brief: Dance on the Lawn returns in September
For the fifth year, the free “Dance on the Lawn” performance will return to Montclair on Saturday, Sept. 8, 3-5 p.m., on the front lawn of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 73 South Fullerton Ave.
More than 13 New York and New Jersey dance companies and schools will participate. The Festival will include work from the three consecutive winners of Dance on the Lawn’s Emerging Commissioned NJ Choreographer award: Robert Mark Burke, Kyle Marshall and Lauren Connolly.
In October, Marshall will receive the 2018 “Juried Bessie Award,” the dance world’s most coveted honor.There will be a special showcase presentation of “Tap Dance in New Jersey,” and new choreographic work by Javier Padilla, winner of 2018 Dance on the Lawn “Emerging Commissioned NJ Choreographer.”
A showcase and mentoring launchpad for NJ and NY’s choreographic talent, "Dance on the Lawn offers Montclair residents and neighboring communities a sneak peek at emerging and established artists from New Jersey and the New York area.
The 2018 Dance on the Lawn LINEUP:
NEW FOR 2018:
New Jersey School - Unique Performance Arts Center (Lisa Batchelor/Director)
New Jersey Professional - MeenMoves - (Sameena Mitta/Artistic Director)
New York Professional - Barkha Dance Company - (Barkha Patel/Director)
2018 "Emerging commissioned New Jersey Choreographer" - Javier Padilla & The Movement Playground (Javier Padilla)
RETURNING FOR 2018 (New Jersey):
NJ Schools - Sharron Miller's Academy for the Performing Arts' (SMAPA) - (Sharron Miller/Director), DanceWorks & Co. (Kathy Costa/Director), New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble (NJDTE) (Nancy Turano/Director),
NJ Professional - Freespace Dance (Donna Scro/Director)
Charmaine Warren is a recipient of a 2017 Bessie Award for "Outstanding Performance," as
part of The Skeleton Architecture Collective. She is also winner of the Dance NJ’s JETÉ AWARD, in honor of founding the Dance on the Lawn Festival. Dance NJ is the service organization committed to advocating the excellence of dance and dance education in the state. Warren, together with Laura Marchese, DOTL Managing Director, are the guiding force behind "Dance on the Lawn: Montclair's Dance Festival.” Marchese is a recipient of a NJ Governor's Arts in Education Distinguished Teaching Artist Award. In 2018, Ms. Marchese received national recognition as a Master Teaching Artist in Dance by Young Audiences Arts for Learning.