Centenary Stage Company to present DANCE FEST: XY DANCE PROJECT

Centenary Stage Company honors the art of contemporary dance with the XY Dance Project on Saturday, March 18 at 8pm in the Sitnik Theater of the Lackland Performing Arts Center.

Under the artistic director of Nijawwon Matthews, the mission of the XY Dance Project is to change lives by generating clear and deliberate connections between artists and audiences. XY Dance Project crafts thought provoking work that allows the audience to question and think about their own view on the human experience through the lens of others. They are committed to presenting works that reflect on current social issues through a unique movement style that blends contemporary dance, the spiritual rhythms of African dance, the grace and peace of Tai Chi and the heart of street dance. Their vision is creating an inviting environment that will show versatility in each dancer by breaking gender stereotypes through performances and by fusing male and female qualities artistically, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Nijawwon Matthews, artistic director of XY Dance Project is a resident teacher/choreographer for The Joffrey Ballet School based in New York City, as well as a resident teacher at Broadway Dance Center in NYC. Matthews is also a faculty member and dancer for TOKYOTHECOMPANY under the direction of Kevin "Tokyo" Inouye & Alisha Lorraine Captain. As a dance educator and choreographer, Matthews has travelled nationally and internationally to instruct master classes for a host of academic schools, dance studios, and professional companies, as well as, institutions in the British Virgin Islands, Germany, South Africa, China and Taiwan.

There will also be an accompanying dance workshop led by Nijawwon Matthews March 18th from 10AM- 11:30AM. The workshop is open to all level of dancers. Admission to the workshop is FREE with ticket purchase to the evening performance of the XY Dance ProjectConcert. Regular admission to the workshop without ticket purchase is $15.00.

Tickets for the XY Dance Project performance are $20.00 for adults and $15.00 for children under the age of 12 in advance. As with all concerts, jazz and special programming ticket prices increase $5.00 day of the event. Centenary Stage Company is also offering a Dance Fest Flex pass which grants admission to ANY THREE Dance Fest events for $37.50.

Centenary Stage Company's annual Dance Fest continues in the Sitnik Theater of The Lackland Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 26 at 4pm with Moe-tion Dance Theater.

For more information or to purchase tickets visit centenarystageco.org or call the Centenary Stage Company box office at (908) 979-0900. The box office is open Monday- Friday from 1pm- 5pm and two hours prior to every performance. The CSC box office is located in the Lackland Performing Arts Center in residency on the campus of Centenary University at 715 Grand Avenue Hackettstown, NJ. Centenary Stage Company can also be found on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Like and follow to receive the latest in Centenary Stage Company news and special offers.

The 2016- 17 season of performing art events at the Centenary Stage Company is made possible through the generous support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ Sate Council on the Arts, the Shubert Foundation, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, the Sandra Kupperman Foundation, and CSC corporate sponsors. These include Premier Season Sponsor Heath Village Retirement Community, Silver Sponsor Hackettstown Medical center, Home Instead Senior Care (Washington), The Holiday Inn in Budd Lake, Fulton Bank of New Jersey, as well as Centenary Stage Company members and supporters.