NJPAC Hosts Eclectic Celebration of Kwanzaa This Weekend

Honoring the rich heritage of Newark's vibrant African-American population, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) is proud to announce the schedule for our 2015 Kwanzaa celebration, featuring a fun-filled day of FREE activities and performances for the entire family today, December 19 from noon to 5:00 pm.

The festivities will include a variety of programming that rejoices in the African diaspora's traditions of family, community and culture, including an array of no-experience-necessary workshops exploring African dance and music, storytelling, jewelry making, drumming and more for both adults and children. Our Arts and Crafts Village will be open all day to let one's creativity and imagination flow; and the Artisan Marketplace will be also be open offering one-shop shopping for all your holiday gift-giving needs.

And what's a party without live music? NJPAC will present a lively line-up of performances from talented area youths singing seasonal classics, rousing marches and gospel, including appearances by The NJPAC Youth Chorus, The NYC Marching Cobras, The Cicely Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts Middle School Concert Choir and The National Liturgical Dance Network.

Other highlights of NJPAC's Kwanzaa festivities include our annual Tribute to the Elders, honoring three pillars of the Newark community: Earl "Street Doctor" Best, founder of Street Warriors Inc.; Deborah Smith Gregory, retired Newark Public School teacher and NAACP Newark Chapter President; and Stanley Terrell, former Star-Ledger editor, author and journalist. The day will also feature two performances at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm in NJPAC's Victoria Theatre from the acclaimed Forces of Nature Dance Theatre, joined by their special guest, the acclaimed poet and author Sonia Sanchez.

Junius Williams, the chair of Newark Celebration 350 and the Director of the Abbott Leadership Institute at Rutgers University, says, "Kwanzaa is an African-American tradition that focuses on family, so we are understandably excited to be able to invite you and your family to join us at NJPAC for a Kwanzaa Celebration that serves as part of Newark's 350th Anniversary Celebration. We look forward to spending our holidays with you!" To learn more about the ongoing celebration that commemorates Newark's rich 350-year history, visit: www.newarkhappening.com/newark-celebration-350.

Schedule of Events:

Kwanzaa Children's Festival
Saturday, December 19 - Noon to 5:00 pm
FREE ENTRY
At NJPAC's Center for Arts Education (24 Rector Street in Newark)

Artisan Marketplace
Friday, December 18
Saturday, December 19 - 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Sunday, December 20 - Noon to 10:00 pm / 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Prudential Hall Lobby

FREE Performances in Prudential Hall Lobby

12:15 pm - 12:45 pm NJPAC Youth Chorus led by NJPAC Faculty, Pastor Chantel Wright

1:15 pm - 1:45 pm NYC Marching Cobras led by Director Terrel J. Stowers

2:15 pm - 2:45 pm Folilaye African Drum & Dance Company; Foluso Mimy, Artistic Director

3:15 pm - 3:45 pm Cicely Tyson Community School of Performing and
Fine Arts Middle School Concert Choir directed by Jean James

4:15 pm - 4:45 pm National Liturgical Dance Network

Forces of Nature Dance Theatre: Kwanzaa Celebration with special guest, poet Sonia Sanchez

2:00 PM & 7:30 PM in NJPAC's Victoria Theatre

Celebrate Kwanzaa with this daringly theatrical company, which combines the element of modern dance, traditional West African dance, ballet, hip-hop, and even martial arts. Visually inventive and creatively brilliant, the multi-ethnic dancers and drummers of Forces of Nature Dance Theatre perform one-on-a-kind programs that are "sizzling...nothing short of sensational, " says The Washington Post. For tickets: call 888.GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722); online at njpac.org; or in person at the NJPAC ticket office, One Center Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is among the largest performing arts centers in the United States and is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey - where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state's and the world's best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted more than 9 million visitors (including over 1.5 million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.