(HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) – Under the artistic direction of Maureen Glennon Clayton, moe-tion dance theater will present an afternoon of work as part of the Centenary Stage Company’s season at Centenary University on Sunday, June 4, 2023 at 3:00pm.
Maureen Glennon Clayton will premiere two small works; When I Fall, a trio signifying the potential need to provide others and oneself with stability and safety and Us, a duet created with the dancers inspired by their own personal stories of where they are presently in their lives. Both works serve as examples of the virtues and intrinsic traits of endurance, empathy, generosity, and integrity that women uphold.
Maureen Glennon Clayton will present, Broken Planes, a piece she choreographed in collaboration with her dancers in 2018. The concept and original music for the piece is by Glen Fittin with violin arrangements by Sana Nagano. Set & Fabrication design is by Angus Clayton. Broken Planes is a piece that explores touch, sound and the planes of motion, in which we move. Four dancers travel on and around panels which are framed with a creative backdrop of panels, creating an illusion of a closed, more intimate space.
moe-tion dance theater has invited choreographers Heather Warfel Sanders and Meagan Woods to present their new duet, Nobody Sews Anymore. Warfel Sanders and Woods state, “Nobody Sews Anymore is the title of our piece, and it’s also not true. Because we do, in this duet that explores making and moving. It's about piecing things together using subtle skills that require attention, carefulness, and collaboratively locomoting parts. We welcome the unpredictability of multitasking and look forward to joining the audience in discovering how it all comes together, and apart.”
Another guest choreographer is company member Alexandra Williamson who will perform her solo The Hancock Jig with music composed by Caitlin Warbelow and Chris Ranney. This dance was made possible by the Wrangell Mountains Center in McCarthy, Alaska. Inspired by a machine in the old Kennicott Mill, the Hancock Jig separates copper ore from limestone in a rhythmic over and under motion, much like a dancer moving and carving through space. The frantic mill and machines juxtapose the ever steady, slow, relentlessly moving glacier beside it.
For this concert, Glennon Clayton had an idea for a new group work and posted on social media, asking the following questions, “Are you a dancer and just and just want to dance? Are you a dancer who hasn’t danced in a while? Are you a person who has always wanted to be on stage but was never given the opportunity? Well, here is your chance to be part of my new piece, MOVE.” Glennon Clayton is thrilled to bring 30 plus participants on stage for this premiere, with everyone invited to contribute their own personal movement choices as part. MOVE is a dance that represents the beauty in every simple movement, every simple breath, allowing us to look at life with grace and gratitude.
Maureen Glennon Clayton, who resides in Flemington, is a well-known dancer, choreographer, and dance educator in NJ. She holds a full-time teaching position at Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School and is co-founder of Outside the Lines, a site-specific dance series, founded with Lea Antolini- Lid, professor at Centenary University. Maureen is a graduate of Montclair State University, where she earned her BFA in Dance and County College of Morris, where she earned her AS in Recreation & Leisure / Dance. This past December 2022 Maureen earned her MA in Dance Education at University of Northern Colorado. Her modern dance theater company, moe-tion dance theater is dedicated to experimenting and creating new forms of expression. Known for their diverse repertory, and collaborative work, they have performed at numerous festivals, showcases and venues throughout the tri-state area. Glennon Clayton’s mission is to create an atmosphere of individualistic contribution, allowing her dancers, collaborators, and audiences to explore their own thoughts, interpretations and ideas of the subject matter presented.
Order tickets online at www.centenarystageco.org or call Centenary Stage Company at (908) 979-0900. Ticket prices are $20.00 Adult, $15.00 Children Under 12.
Centenary Stage Company is located at 715 Grand Avenue in Hackettstown, New Jersey.
Photos courtesy of moe-tion Dance Theater
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