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“Dance on the Lawn” celebrates dance in New Jersey and aims to increase exposure to dance by bringing professional and emerging companies, plus students of dance from around New Jersey together in a community setting that is free and open to the public. Since our inception in 2014 we have presented New Jersey School Performing Groups, New Jersey Professional Companies including 10 Hairy Legs, Maurice Chestnut’s Dance Therapy, Freespace Dance and Carolyn Dorfman Dance, plus New York Professional Companies including Seán Curran Company, Janice Brenner and Dancers, works by Troy Powell (Artistic Director, Ailey II), Ballet Hispanico Dos, DanceGrandMoultrie, Keigwin & Company and Stephen Petronio Company. Additionally, each year we select and support an “Emerging Commissioned New Jersey Choreographer” with performance opportunities guided by a mentor. Robert Mark Burke was chosen in 2015, Kyle Marshall in 2016, Lauren Connolly in 2017, Javier Padilla in 2018, Oluwadamilare ‘Dare’ Ayorinde in 2019, Amber Sloan in 2020/2021, and William Ervin in 2022. Laura Marchese served as Managing Director for 9 years. Charmaine Warren is the guiding force behind “Dance on the Lawn: Montclair’s Dance Festival.”
ROW 2 – DOTL’S “EMERGING COMMISSIONED NEW JERSEY CHOREOGRAPHERS: Robert Mark Dance (2015/Hoboken); Kyle Marshall (2016/Hoboken); Javier Padilla (2018/Jersey City); Amber Sloan (2020/2021/Jersey City); William Ervin (2022/East Orange)
ROWS 3 & 4 – NEW JERSEY COMPANIES: Alborada Spanish Dance Theater (2017/Fords); Carolyn Dorfman Dance (2016/Union); Freespace Dance (Montclair/2014-2018); Inimois Dance (2021/Scotch Plains); Jason Samuels Smith (Jersey City); Maurice Chestnut (Newark -2014-2022); Maxine Steinman (2022/Montclair); MeenMoves (2018/Jersey City); Mignolo Dance (2019/Metuchen); Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company (2021/Fort Lee) & Megan Chu (2021/Scotch Plains)
ROW 1 – NEW JERSEY SCHOOLS: BHAARAT NRITYA ACADEMY (Bridgewater); KATHY COSTA’S DANCEWORKS STUDIOS (Montclair); & SHARRON MILLER’S ACADEMY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS’ PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP ENSEMBLE (Montclair)
ROW 2 – NEW JERSEY COMPANIES: MAXINE STEINMAN and DANCERS (Montclair); Nai-Ni Chen and Company (Fort Lee); & Maurice Chestnut (Newark)
ROW 3 – NEW YORK COMPANY: MORISATO & FORCES OF NATURE DANCE THEATRE
DOTL’s seventh recipient, William Ervin will create a new work for final presentation at “Dance on the Lawn: Montclair’s Dance Festival (DOTL)” 2022.
On being chosen as DOTL’s 2022 recipient William says: “Receiving this award means many things. It means paying dancers, it means the continuation of my art, it means me doing what I love, it means another opportunity to showcase my choreography to the world. It means staying on track with my mission of spreading love, equity, and empathy on and off stage. I thank the Dance of the Lawn team for their efforts and appreciate their generosity.”
BIO: William Ervin is an east coast native. He earned his BFA in dance from Montclair State University (May 2017). Before and while at MSU, he trained in popping, waving, vogue, and house dance forms with Eric Samson at the Funktion Dance Complex. Under the tutelage of Tempest Revlon, Eric Flores, and Milly Versace, he attended ballroom functions to practice vogue. At MSU, he performed works by Camille A. Brown, Jose Limon, Kevin Wynn, Sean Curran, and Earl Mosley. He has also trained with Joffrey Ballet, Rennie Harris, and Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet. Ervin has performed at Alexander Kasser Theatre, the Joyce Theatre, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music with the Hearts of Men ensemble. He has presented his own choreography at Dumbo Dance Festival, Equilibrium Choreographer Showcase, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, and was a semifinalist in the Jacob’s Pillow Chance to Dance contest. He graduated with an MFA in dance from the University of Illinois in May 2020. Since graduating, he’s interned with American Ballet Theatre’s Major Gifts Department and was selected for Camille Brown’s young artist fellowship. He has presented his own choreography at the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) Digital Dance Festival, Battery Dance Festival, Brooklyn Center for the Arts Digital Showcase, and the Joyce Theatre in partnership with Future Dance Festival, 92st Y, and The Martha Graham Dance Company. He will be presenting his own choreography as an Eryc Taylor Emerging Artist Grantee, Dance on the Lawn Emerging Artist, and Mixtures Creation through the General Consulate of Spain. He is currently the Co. Director of Dance at Brooklyn Center for the Arts and Resident Choreographer of Judah International Dance Theatre.
MORE ABOUT William:
www.williamervin.com
ROW 1 – NEW JERSEY SCHOOLS: MOVEMENT ARTS PROJECT/DANCE FOR JOY (Brielle); KATHY COSTA’S DANCEWORKS STUDIOS (Montclair); SHARRON MILLER’S ACADEMY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS’ PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP ENSEMBLE (Montclair); & MAURICE CHESTNUT/DANCE THERAPY (Maurice Chestnut/Artistic Director/Newark)
ROW 2 – NEW JERSEY COMPANIES: NAI-NI CHEN DANCE COMPANY (Fort Lee); MEGAN CHU (Scotch Plains); & MAURICE CHESTNUT (Newark)
ROW 3 – NEW YORK COMPANY: Nicole Philippidis & Chalvar Monteiro and Jacquelin Harris – Courtesy of The Merce Cunningham Trust
Amber Sloan Photo: Hope Davis
On being chosen as DOTL’s 2020 (*2021) recipient Amber says: “I am incredibly honored to be selected as this year’s NJ Emerging Commissioned Choreographer. I am grateful for this opportunity to immerse myself in the New Jersey community, meet local artists, build new relationships, and develop and perform my work for the Dance on the Lawn audience.”
BIO: Amber Sloan is a choreographer, performer and teacher whose work has been presented by Roulette Theater, Dixon Place, Soaking WET at the West End Theatre, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Spoke the Hub, 92Y, Green Space, Danspace Project, Stuffed at Judson Church/Bailout Theater, Dance Safari, EstroGenius Festival, as well as an 18 year commissioning relationship with DanceNow NYC. She was a 2015 Schonberg Resident at The Yard on Martha’s Vineyard and has received space grants from organizations including Gibney Dance Center, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Spoke the Hub and Mana Contemporary. As a performer, Sloan has been a member of The Bang Group since 2002, appearing in several prestigious theaters and festivals in both Europe and the United States. She has performed in works by Keely Garfield, Doug Elkins, James Waring, Sara Hook, and Stephan Koplowitz. She teaches dance composition at the Ailey School, serves on the board of Dance Omi International Collective, and co-directs Women in Motion NYC. Sloan holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she was honored with the Beverly Blossom/Carey Erickson Alumni Dance Award.
MORE ABOUT Amber:
www.ambersloan.com
ROW 2 – NEW JERSEY COMPANIES: MIGNOLO DANCE (Charly & Eriel Santagado/Metchun); FREESPACE DANCE (Donna Scro – Artistic Director/Montclair) & MAURICE CHESTNUT/DANCE THERAPY (Maurice Chestnut/Artistic Director/Newark); &10 HAIRY LEGS (Randy James -Artistic Director (Highland Park)
ROW 3 – NEW YORK COMPANIES: Sofia Forero, The Heraclitus Project & Stefanie Rae Williams (courtesy of Dance Theatre of Harlem)
On being chosen as DOTL’s 2019 recipient – “I participated in the past with Kyle Marshall Choreography as a dancer and can attest to how Dance On The Lawn gave a sense of community and mentorship that wove its way into the dance itself. I am excited to deepen relationships as I present new work in New Jersey. I am grateful for the support to continue my creative research from a place that values dance, community, joy and how they intersect. In spaces like this you can release into the push and pleasure of your work.”
BIO: Oluwadamilare (Dare) Ayorinde is a Nigerian American freelance dancer and maker living in New Jersey. After graduating from Rutgers University, where he received The Marjery J. Turner Prize for Choreography. He has worked with Colleen Thomas, Bill Young, Netta Yerushalmy, Company SBB, Kayla Farrish, Douglas Dunn, The Trisha Brown Dance Company and his dear friends Kyle Marshall and Miriam Gabriel + Carlo Antonio Villanueva. He has taught workshops at Recess, Teaneck High School and assisted teaching for Kyle Marshall Choreography at Desales University and Mulhenburg College. He finds inspiration in the artistic markings and dancing of Myssi Robinson.
MORE ABOUT “Dare”:
Website: https://www.oluayorinde.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oluwadamilareayorinde/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oluwadamilare.ayorinde
ROW 2 – NEW JERSEY COMPANIES: FREESPACE DANCE (Donna Scro – Artistic Director/Montclair) & MEENMOVES (Sameena Mitta/Artistic Director/Jersey City)
ROW 3 – 5th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF DOTL’S “EMERGING COMMISSIONED NEW JERSEY CHOREOGRAPHERS”: Robert Mark Burke (2015/Hoboken); Kyle Marshall (2016/Jersey City) & Lauren Connolly (2017/Jersey City)
ROW 4 – NEW JERSEY TAP CELEBRATION: Maurice Chestnut (Newark) & Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards (Teaneck)
ROW 5 – NEW YORK COMPANIES: Barkha Dance Company (Barkha Patel/Artistic Director) & Ayodele Casel
Javier Padiella’s The Movement Playground Photo: Christopher Duggan
Javier Padilla/The Movement Playground
His choreographic work has been presented at venues such as Dixon Place, Open Source Gallery, The Secret Theater, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Triskelion Arts, The Salvatore Capezio Theater, The Ailey Studios, Judson Memorial Church and the Inside/Out Stage at Jacob’s Pillow. Javier is currently a Polestar Pilates Teacher in Training under Kim Gibilisco and will be a PMA®-CPT (Pilates Method Alliance-Certified Pilates Teacher) this September.
The 2017 LINEUP! (CLICK PHOTOS TO GO DIRECTLY TO COMPANY WEBSITES):
ROW 1– NEW JERSEY SCHOOLS: HILLARY-MARIE’S FUTURESTEP TAP COMPANY (Livingston); KATHY COSTA’S DANCEWORKS & COMPANY (Montclair); SHARRON MILLER’S ACADEMY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS’ PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP ENSEMBLE (Montclair) & NANCY TURANO’S NEW JERSEY DANCE THEATRE ENSEMBLE (Summit)
ROW 2 – NEW JERSEY COMPANIES: FREESPACE DANCE (Donna Scro – Artistic Director/Montclair); “DANCE THERAPY” (Maurice Chestnut – Artistic Director/Newark); 10 HAIRY LEGS (Randy James – Artistic Director/Highland Park), Alborada Dance (Eva Lucena – Director/Fords) & Robert Mark Dance (DOTL’s 2015 “Emerging…NJ…” recipient – Robert Mark Burke)
ROW 3 – NEW YORK COMPANIES: New Work by TROY POWELL (Artistic Director – Ailey II); PROJECT 44 Dance (Gierre J. Godley – Artistic Director); & Stephen Petronio Company (Stephen Petronio – Artistic Director)
Connolly & Co. Photo: Mike Esperanza
Lauren Connolly, Artistic Director of Connolly & Co., is a choreographer and dance educator from New Jersey. She is a recipient of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship Award as well as the Dance on the Lawn 2017 Emerging Commissioned New Jersey Choreographer. Lauren has shown her work throughout the New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and New Jersey area including New Jersey Performing Arts Center as part of Jersey (New) Moves! Emerging Choreographer Fellowship, The Koresh Come Together Dance Festival, New York Live Arts, Reverbdance: Echo Tours, Dance Teacher Summit, Rutgers University, Your Move, Dixon Place, Salvatore Capezio Theatre, Grounds for Sculpture and George Street Playhouse. Connolly & Co. is invested in how dance can initiate physical, intellectual, emotional, and spatial transformations. Her work has been described as “sublime…full of surprises, admirably original ….and engaging…” In 2017, Connolly & Co. joined forces with Robert Mark Dance to create the first of many evenings that will celebrate the art of collaboration. Lauren serves a board member of Dance New Jersey and Curator of coLAB Arts’ Motion: New Danceworks Choreography Residency in New Brunswick, NJ.ceworks Choreography Residency of coLab Arts in New Brunswick NJ.
The 2017 LINEUP! (CLICK PHOTOS TO GO DIRECTLY TO COMPANY WEBSITES):
ROW 1– NEW JERSEY SCHOOLS: HILLARY-MARIE’S FUTURESTEP TAP COMPANY (Livingston); KATHY COSTA’S DANCEWORKS & COMPANY (Montclair); SHARRON MILLER’S ACADEMY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS’ PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP ENSEMBLE (Montclair) & NANCY TURANO’S NEW JERSEY DANCE THEATRE ENSEMBLE (Summit)
ROW 2 – NEW JERSEY COMPANIES: FREESPACE DANCE (Donna Scro – Artistic Director/Montclair); “DANCE THERAPY” (Maurice Chestnut – Artistic Director/Newark); 10 HAIRY LEGS (Randy James – Artistic Director/Highland Park), Alborada Dance (Eva Lucena – Director/Fords) & Robert Mark Dance (DOTL’s 2015 “Emerging…NJ…” recipient – Robert Mark Burke)
ROW 3 – NEW YORK COMPANIES: New Work by TROY POWELL (Artistic Director – Ailey II); PROJECT 44 Dance (Gierre J. Godley – Artistic Director); & Stephen Petronio Company (Stephen Petronio – Artistic Director)
Connolly & Co. Photo: Mike Esperanza
Lauren Connolly, Artistic Director of Connolly & Co., is a choreographer and dance educator from New Jersey. She is a recipient of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship Award as well as the Dance on the Lawn 2017 Emerging Commissioned New Jersey Choreographer. Lauren has shown her work throughout the New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and New Jersey area including New Jersey Performing Arts Center as part of Jersey (New) Moves! Emerging Choreographer Fellowship, The Koresh Come Together Dance Festival, New York Live Arts, Reverbdance: Echo Tours, Dance Teacher Summit, Rutgers University, Your Move, Dixon Place, Salvatore Capezio Theatre, Grounds for Sculpture and George Street Playhouse. Connolly & Co. is invested in how dance can initiate physical, intellectual, emotional, and spatial transformations. Her work has been described as “sublime…full of surprises, admirably original ….and engaging…” In 2017, Connolly & Co. joined forces with Robert Mark Dance to create the first of many evenings that will celebrate the art of collaboration. Lauren serves a board member of Dance New Jersey and Curator of coLAB Arts’ Motion: New Danceworks Choreography Residency in New Brunswick, NJ.ceworks Choreography Residency of coLab Arts in New Brunswick NJ.
THE 2016 LINEUP – (CLICK ON PHOTOS TO GO DIRECTLY TO COMPANY WEBSITES):
ROW 1 – NEW JERSEY SCHOOLS: GROOVES UNLIMITED DANCE STUDIO (Livingston); KATHY COSTA’S DANCEWORKS & COMPANY (Montclair); SHARRON MILLER’S ACADEMY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS’ PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP ENSEMBLE (Montclair) & NANCY TURANO’S NEW JERSEY DANCE THEATRE ENSEMBLE (Summit)
ROW 2 – KYLE MARSHALL – “DANCE ON THE LAWN’S 2016 “EMERGING NEW JERSEY COMMISSIONED CHOREOGRAPHER” (Jersey City)
ROW 3 – NEW JERSEY COMPANIES: FREESPACE DANCE (Donna Scro – Artistic Director/Montclair); “DANCE THERAPY” (Maurice Chestnut – Artistic Director/Newark); 10 HAIRY LEGS (Randy James – Artistic Director/Highland Park) & CAROLYN DORFMAN DANCE (Carolyn Dorfman – Artistic Director/Union)
ROW 4 – NEW YORK COMPANIES: New Work by TROY POWELL (Artistic Director – Ailey II); ZEST Collective (Gentry George – Artistic Director); & Keigwin + Company (Larry Keigwin – Artistic Director)
Kyle Marshall currently dances with Doug Elkins Choreography Etc, Tiffany Mills Company and 10 Hairy Legs. Kyle created Kyle Marshall Choreography in 2014 to help support his dance-making process. He is curious how histories, cultural movements and personal experiences dictate how people create social groups and interact with their environments. Kyle’s dances have been performed at the Dumbo Dance Festival, Movement Research at Judson Church, Dixon Place, Triskelion Arts, Greenspace, Upstart Festival at BAX, STUFFED, AUNTS, Rutgers University and the Dance+ Festival in Portland, OR. He has also received residencies from the Jamaica Performing Arts Center and CoLab Arts. He excited to be the 2016 “Dance on the Lawn” emerging commissioned choreographer and will present a new work September, 10th in the Montclair Dance Festival in New Jersey. Kyle graduated Magna Cum Laude from Rutgers University with a BFA in Dance.
Since presenting a “work-in-progress” of the final work on Saturday, May 14, 2016 @ St. Luke’s Episcopal Church’s Assembly Hall, Kyle also presented teasers at SummerStage (NYC), Freespace Dance “Emerging Choreographer’s Showcase” (Montclair), Newark Riverfront Revival (Newark). The final version will be presented during “Dance on the Lawn” 2016, Saturday, September 10, 2016 @ on the lawn of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.
THE 2015 LINEUP
ROW 1 – NEW JERSEY SCHOOLS: KATHY COSTA’S DANCEWORKS & COMPANY (Montclair); SHARRON MILLER’S ACADEMY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS’ PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP ENSEMBLE (Montclair); ANDREA KRAMER’S BALLET FORTE (Chester); & NANCY TURANO’S NEW JERSEY DANCE THEATRE ENSEMBLE (Summit)
ROW 2 – ROBERT MARK BURKE – “DANCE ON THE LAWN’S FIRST “EMERGING NEW JERSEY COMMISSIONED CHOREOGRAPHER” (Hoboken)
ROW 3 – NEW JERSEY COMPANIES: DONNA SCRO’S FREESPACE DANCE (Montclair); MAURICE CHESTNUT’S “DANCE THERAPY” (Newark); & RANDY JAMES’ 10 HAIRY LEGS (Highland Park)
ROW 4 – NEW YORK COMPANIES: Solo by TROY POWELL (Artistic Director – Ailey II); JANIS BRENNER & DANCERS; DARRELL MOULTRIE’S DANCEGRANDMOULTRIE; & BHdos: The Second Company Of BALLET HISPANICO
Robert Mark Burke is a dancer, choreographer and teaching artist. Robert is co-curator and co-producer of the 12 by 12 Dance Initiative, an ongoing choreographic program based in Hoboken, NJ, and has shown his work throughout the United States including the wild project, Dixon Place, Paramount Theater (Boston), Hofstra University, Rutgers University, Rider University, and Dance New Amsterdam. Robert recently served as assistant to choreographer Brian Brooks for Julie Taymor’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Polonsky Theater in Brooklyn, NY. Robert has apprenticed for Doug Elkins, and has worked with Freespace Dance, Lustig Dance Theatre, Yin Yue Dance, and currently dances with Randy James’ 10 Hairy Legs, Meagan Woods and Company, and Zella Dance. Robert is on faculty at the Rutgers High School Musical Theatre Academy and has been Guest Teaching Artist at the Atlantic Theatre School (New York, NY), as well as many high schools throughout the tri-state area. He graduated cum laude with a BFA in Dance from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University in 2013, following a year-long tour with the North American production of “Cats.” In 2015, Robert Mark Burke was awarded the Emerging Choreographer’s Commission for “Dance on the Lawn” (Montclair, NJ), was selected to present work in the Jersey (New) Moves! at New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and will present work created through the CoLab-New Brunswick Space Grant.
Row 1 – NEW YORK: Seán Curran Company & Brice Mousset’s Oui Danse
Row 2 – NEW JERSEY (state-wide): Maurice Chestnut (Newark), Donna Scro’s Freespace Dance
(Montclair) Randy James’ 10 Hairy Legs (Highland Park) &
Nancy Turano’s New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble (Madison)
Row 3 – NEW JERSEY (Montclair): Sharron Miller’s Academy for the Performing Arts’ Performance
Workshop Ensemble & Kathy Costa’s DanceWorks & Company
WINTER IS COMING! Our new chiller arrives the morning of Friday 5/16. We plan to open at noon.
