Nine Award-Winning NJ Choreographers to be Presented in Two-Day Showcase At SOPAC

Choreographers are a rare breed of innovators. Moving dancers through space with humor, passion, elegance and power is their specialty. Now, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and South Orange Performing Arts Center proudly present Artists Who Innovate: A Celebration of New Jersey Choreographers, two spectacular evenings of performances from nine New Jersey choreographers on May 4 and 5 at 8 p.m. These award-winning choreographers have recently been granted fellowships by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for their excellence in choreography. The May 4 performance features the work of Claire Porter, Nancy Turano, Stephanie Nerbak and Kyle Marshall. On May 5 choreographers Hillary-Marie, Loretta DiBianca Fois, Lauren Connolly, Samuel Pott and Keith Thompson will be featured.

The New Jersey Individual Artist Fellowships are competitive awards to New Jersey artists in 12 different disciplines granted solely on independent peer panel assessment of work samples. The anonymous process is focused on artistic quality, and awards may be used to help artists produce new work and advance their careers. This program is carried out in partnership with the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.

"This two-day celebration is going to be exceptional," said State Arts Council Interim Executive Director Allison Tratner. "SOPAC is the perfect place to bring together this impressive, diverse line-up of choreographers for an eclectic, inspiring and entertaining experience, and the Council is proud to help make it possible."

Recipient Hillary-Marie is the Artistic Director of FutureSTEP Tap Company, Sole Music Collective and Grooves Unlimited Dance Studio, and the only tap dancer to be honored this year. Ms. Marie states "My current work challenges the notion that tap dance is a dying, underground, indigestible art form. I've thrown aside the top hat, tuxedo and cane of vaudeville to bring to life my definition of the modern day tap dancer because I believe that rhythm is a universal language and tribal instinct that all of us understand."

Kyle Marshall has worked with many prestigious companies throughout the region, but since 2014 has devoted himself to his own company, Kyle Marshall Choreography. He conducts annual education outreaches throughout New Jersey and has taught master classes at DeSales University, Muhlenberg College, Ailey/Fordham University and Montclair University. Kyle's work, WAGE, premiered at the Center for Performance Research in Brooklyn, NY. "Art is an opportunity to empathize with other human beings. I see the dancing body as a celebration of an agile beauty, a container of history and an igniter of social disruption," Mr. Marshall noted.

Stephanie Nerbak creates dance pieces that reflect the beauty of human life. She says about her work," I find purpose in the making and sharing of choreographic art as a physical and theatrical expression of lived humanness. My current dance-making processes stem from my own socially conscious responses to our world. Through a multi-disciplinary and imaginative approach, I craft dances that investigate the complex relationship between inner human landscapes and social, political, and economic environments. I draw on the beauty of that complexity to challenge myself as an artist and to inspire a connection with viewers.

Samuel Pott founded Nimbus Dance Works in 2005 drawing on a deeply held personal belief in the value that the arts can play in bringing people and communities together. Under his direction the company has grown each year adding new repertory, programs, community initiatives, and performances at venues including NJPAC, Jacob's Pillow and BAM. As a soloist with the Martha Graham Dance Company, his repertoire included iconic roles in many of Ms. Graham's classic works. Mr. Pott's artistic vision states "I strive to create a meaningful, personal exchange between performers and audiences/communities, leading all participants forward in self and collective awareness, unity, and health."

These four choreographers, along with fellow choreographers Claire Porter, Nancy Turano, Loretta Di Bianca Fois, Lauren Connolly and Keith Thompson¸ each have a unique vision of the human body as it moves through space that makes their work meaningful, challenging and beautiful. Using dancers as their palette, they collaboratively create a moment in time that is like no other, and has deep meaning for them. Audiences are enchanted by the montages of form and motion that evolve throughout the original works.

Artists Who Innovate: A Celebration of New Jersey Choreographers will be presented at SOPAC, One SOPAC Way, South Orange NJ on May 4 & 5 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at https://www.sopacnow.org/dance-showcase/ or by calling the box office at (973) 313-2787.

Since 2006, SOPAC has been serving as a premier performing arts center in the region. SOPAC offers innovative artistic and cultural experiences for diverse audiences in an intimate, inviting environment. The premier arts center hosts a variety of live performances, community events and education programs for all ages. To further expand its offerings, SOPAC has a partnership with the Juilliard School of Music to present Juilliard @ SOPAC-a series featuring upcoming musicians from the acclaimed conservatory. SOPAC is home for Seton Hall University Arts Council's performances, including Classical Concert Series, Jazz 'N the Hall performances and Seton Hall University Theatre productions. SOPAC also presents performances by its theater company in-residence, American Theater Group. For more information, visit SOPACnow.org