While Carolyn and her ensemble of dancers tendu and leap their way through final rehearsals leading up to the annual gala celebration tonight, it takes a small army to bring this special performance and event to life led by a hardworking Gala committee and office staff! From the immediate tasks of seat selections (making sure the right people are seated next to the right people), final design of the Virtual Ad Journal, selling the few remaining theater tickets to selecting the menu, securing auction items and volunteers for the evening, we also look towards the individuals who have made a significant and/or long-term commitment to the Carolyn Dorfman Dance organization. Their contributions are honored each year with special awards given by the company recognizing their talents and commitment to the arts!
Here is one of the three 2017 recipients:
Meet Horacee Arnold, one of the best-known jazz fusion drummers in the world, who will receive the Keystone award on Friday evening. Not only has he performed and recorded with Charles Mingus, Bud Powell, Stan Getz, Alvin Ailey, Chick Corea and Return to Forever, he is also the composer of TWO works on our gala program, Dance/Stories and Sextet. Although Arnold gained recognition while recording and touring with Chick Corea during the late 1960s, it was his two critically acclaimed releases – Tribe (Columbia, 1973) and Tales of the Exonerated Flea (Columbia, 1974) that earned him five-star ratings from critics and a loyal following of fans. In the late 1970s, with drummers Billy Hart and Freddie Waits, Arnold formed the performance-based jazz ensemble, Colloquium III, which led workshops at the New York Drummers’ Collective. In the early 1990’s Horacee began his relationship with Carolyn Dorfman Dance, and composed two works that highlight energy, rhythm and power both in music and dance.
Photo by Whitney Browne
Premiered in 1994, Sextet challenges the dynamic and technical range of the dancers. With images of quick darting actions and suspended moments at its core, the work follows an accumulation form, progressing from duet to trio, quartet, quintet and finally, the full ensemble.
Two years later, Horacee returned to the studio to help Carolyn Dorfman create Dance/Stories, which premiered in 1996. This work integrates a selection of folk tales from around the world—the narrative, movement, and composition by Arnold illuminate our common humanness, weaving together image and metaphor to create an enchanting and interdisciplinary work.
Photo by Whitney Browne
Thank you Horacee for helping to bring our vision to the stage.
“The truest expression of a people is in its dance and in its music. Bodies never lie.”- Agnes deMille
See you Tonight!
You allow us to maintain and grow our educational programming: we are entering our 14th year as the modern dance company in residence for the New Brunswick Public Schools; 8th year as the dance company in residence at the National Blue Ribbon schools – Union County Vo Tech Academy of Performing Arts and East Brunswick School district; and 3rd year as the lead dance company in residence for the arts education program at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC).
NJ SummerDance 2016 welcomes guest artist Juel D. Lane, dancer with Camille A. Brown & Dancers, choreographer, and former Carolyn Dorfman Dance company member.
NJ SummerDance 2016 welcomes guest artist, Tiffany Rea-Fisher. Tiffany is the newly appointed Artistic Director of Elisa Monte Dance, a New York City based company.
Expressions that illuminate any stage, precision marked with pizzazz and all the enthusiasm of a Broadway production! Theatrical Jazz distinguishes itself from the more familiar jazz dance forms. Drawing inspiration from Bob Fosse and encouraging the truest form of self-expression from each dancer will be the goal of this summer’s Theatrical Jazz master class.
Rasaan “Talu” Green is a musician and actor who was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. His parents provided him with a musical foundation at a very young age. At 5 years old, Talu traveled to West Africa where he adopted the Djembe drum as his chosen instrument. It moved him to continue honing his skills, affording him the opportunity to perform with top percussion and dance companies such as Calabash Drum and Dance, Ayoluwa Drum and Dance, Vision In Peace, Indoda Entsha, Creative Outlet and Bambara Drum and Dance. Talu received his BFA in Music with Honors from Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus.
Danielle Conner received her BFA from the University of the Arts. After performing professionally for 15 years, Danielle became certified in Pilates. In 2007, Danielle became the resident Pilates instructor for Cirque du Soleil working predominately on injury prevention and recovery. In 2009, Danielle moved back to New Jersey and opened up Pilates Design Studio where she continues to work on the Cirque du Soleil shows and with clients who suffer from chronic pain and injury. Danielle recently became licensed in BioCored Corrective X and Suspension X as a Master Trainer and Teacher Trainer to other instructors.
Julie Tice grew up in Petersburg, Illinois and danced with the Springfield Ballet Company. She graduated with a BDA from the University of Michigan with honors where she was later awarded an Emerging Artist award in 2007. She joined Taylor 2 in 1999 and then went on to dance with the Paul Taylor Dance Company from 2000-2010. She has toured and performed all over the world including 15 different countries and all fifty states. Julie can be seen on the PBS and BBC live recording with the Paul Taylor Dance Company titled ”Acts of Ardor.” She can also be seen as one of the dancers in the book “Meet the Dancers” by Amy Nathan. Julie has been a guest artist at the University of Michigan and Illinois State University. She continues to choreograph and teach master classes and workshops at universities and festivals throughout the U.S. She is also a certified Pilates instructor and has her own practice in New York City. She earned her MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she was awarded a Distinguished Graduate Fellowship.
Working professionally for over 25 years, Eddie Stockton received his formal training as a student of the (Alvin) Ailey and Martha Graham Schools, and NYC’s High School of Performing Arts. He would continued his studies at the Theater and Musical Theatre Department’s of Alabama State and Howard Universities. He joined his first dance company, (NJ)Center Dance Collective, while only a junior in high school. His career has since been enriched with the experience of working for several companies and choreographers including Philadanco, Kevin Iega Jeff, Dwight Rhoden, DC Shakespeare Theatre, Bill T. Jones, Nai-ni Chen, Nathan Trice, and many more. Teaching dance since a teenager, Eddie is now a 15 year instructor at The Ailey School (Jazz & House) and 9th year founding member of Brooklyn’s Puerelements (Modern/Jazz/Ballet). The desire to share information has drawn him across the country and the globe doing residencies, workshops, and occasional performances. He’s worked in Greece, Poland, France, and makes regular visits to Germany and Italy. He is proud to have twice been invited to sit on the panel at Guadeloupe’ Regional Dance Competition and once for ‘Expression’ National Dance Competition in Florence, Italy. As a choreographer, Eddie’s ability to instruct almost any level dancer allows him to set choreography in many capacities. He has set works for young school kids and dance groups, college and off Broadway musicals, and professional dance companies. His most recent contribution was as guest choreographer for 2014′ 5th Annual Stars Of New York Dance. In 2009, along with partner Sarah Collins, Eddie started MIXTape, a choreographer’ showcase. The next two years produced three successful MIXTape’s before both taking a hiatus to pursue other endeavors. One of those endeavors will be the debut of his own contemporary dance company, “dance es” in 2015. He is grateful to have his passion as his profession and looks forward to continuing to share his choreographic vision, music, and dance all over the world.
