Carolyn Dorfman Dance Debuts World Premiere at Gala Performance Tonight

Carolyn Dorfman Dance, whose bold and dramatic works connect life and movement, hosts its annual gala at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), tonight, March 13, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. The ensemble of 10 dancers will present the world premiere of WAVES - Dorfman's newest collaborative work with three virtuoso musicians that is both sensation-based and exploratory. Klezmer Sketch an excerpt from Dorfman's epic and personal work Mayne Mentshn, and Under My Skin will also be presented during this celebratory evening. The legendary Bucky Pizzarelli Trio returns to play during the gala reception, beginning at 6pm.

Two major annual awards will be given during the gala. Max Kleinman (Executive VP/CEO, Emeritus, Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ) will receive the 2015 Encore Award and Laura Aden Packer (Executive Director Howard Gilman Foundation) the 2015 Keystone Award. Educational Partnership awards will also be presented to Jeffrey Lesser (East Brunswick School District), James DeWorken (New Brunswick School District) and Dr. Scott Rubin (East Hanover School District, former Principal of Union County Vo Tech Academy of Performing Arts).

Dorfman's newest work, WAVES, investigates the innate connection between capturing sound and embodying it as it unequivocally constructs a rich dialogue. In this sensation-based exploration, the sound waves and vibrations are stretched to symbolize movement in tone, breath, sound and more. Within the piece a solo dancer explores call and response, a duet is blown together or apart by the breath of both instrument and voice, and a trio is carefully woven together in body and movement as the musicians create an aural tapestry.

"What makes this new work, WAVES, so exciting for us is the eclectic and unusual grouping of artists," remarks Carolyn Dorfman, Artistic Director and choreographer of Carolyn Dorfman Dance. "Within the interactive creative process, the visceral movement connections of the dancers (waves) work in tandem with the musicians composing alongside them, in real time-and it's a constant source of inspiration."

Dorfman has selected musical collaborators who have a passion for pushing the boundaries of their art forms and use a unique blend of instruments and vocals. The composer/musicians for this project include award-winning classical, contemporary and pop/rock cellist Jessie Reagen Mann, human beat boxer and vocal percussionist Pete List, and Daphna Mor, classically trained recorder player in western music as well as Middle Eastern and North African traditional sounds.

WAVES is made possible, in part, by grants from New Music USA and The O'Donnell-Green Music and Dance Foundation, with generous support from the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Gala patron tickets start at $200 and includes an 8:00 p.m. performance, with light dinner and cocktails preceding at 6:00 p.m. General admission tickets are almost sold out at $29 ($32.80 with fee). Tickets are available for purchase online, http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/00004CACDD895A3A?brand=njpac&camefrom=cfc_njpac_NJPACWebsite.

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center's Victoria Theater is located at 1 Center Street in Newark, New Jersey. The theater is accessible by NJ Transit Newark Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast or Raritan Valley line trains, AMTRAK Northeast Regional trains or PATH rains to Newark Penn Station.

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