Mosaic Dance Theater Company Presents TALES FROM THE ARABIAN NIGHTS, 11/1-2

Mosaic Dance Theater Company's Tales from The Arabian Nights at Westminster Arts Center in Bloomfield, NJ November 1 & 2, 2014

Three magical tales adapted from Scheherazade's thousand and one Arabian nights will be presented in the award-winning Mosaic Dance Theater Company's new production of Tales from The Arabian Nights. The program will be presented at Westminster Arts Center at Bloomfield College, 449 Franklin Street, Bloomfield, NJ 07003. Performances are scheduled for Saturday, November 1, 2014 at 8:00 PM and Sunday, November 2, 2014 at 3:00 PM, and are free to the general public. Advance reservations are suggested.

Retold and directed by Morgiana Celeste Varricchio, MDTC's Producing Artistic Director, with choreography by Samara Adell, the Company's Artistic Director for Dance, Tales from The Arabian is presented in the Company's signature style of dance/story theater. The Fisherman and The Djinni opens the program, in which an unsuspecting fisherman uncorks a brass bottle and releases a djinni bent on revenge. Ubar, The Lost City of Brass, a dark and unusual tale is full of timely symbolism and poses as an eerie parable for our current times. The Ebony Horse completing the trio of tales, is full of derring-do, with an heroic prince, a beautiful princess and a magical, mechanical, flying horse. The production features MDTC Company members Morgiana Celeste Varricchio, Samara Adell, Nina Brewton, Kendra Dushac, Mary Susan Sinclair-Kuenning, with Guest Dancers Erin Pellecchia and Carlos Fittante. In addition, the program will include a special performance of Bharanatyam dance, the classical dance of Southern India, by Guest Artist Ramya Ramnarayan and her Nrithyanjali Dance Company.

Based in Glen Ridge, NJ, MDTC is dedicated to the dance and folkloric traditions of the Mediterranean region. The Company's original dance, theater, and educational programs celebrate the rich diversity of cultures of the lands of North Africa, the Middle East, Turkey, Greece, Italy and Spain. The dances and music, the stories and myths, and the history and legends of this fascinating area form the wellspring of inspiration for MDTC's creative vision. Founded in 2003, this critically acclaimed company is known for its artistry and authenticity, not only in creating the original works that comprise its repertory, but also in faithfully researching their origins to ensure cultural integrity. The Company is the recipient of the 2013 Sunshine Award for its contribution to the performing arts. MDTC tours nationally to performing arts venues, schools and universities, and is on the roster of artists for Lincoln Center's Meet the Artist programs, as well as Young Audiences of New Jersey/Eastern Pennsylvania, and Hartford Performs.

The program is presented free of charge, and reservations are strongly recommended. Reservations can be made online at www.BrownPaperTickets.com/event/758176, or call 1-800-838-3006. For additional information, visit www.MosaicDanceTheaterCo.org.

This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and administered by the Essex County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs.