Rider Dances Everywhere on March 8 and 9

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of its dance program, Rider University’s Westminster College of the Arts will present a program titled “Rider Dances Everywhere” Saturday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday March 9, at 2 p.m. in the Bart Luedeke Center on the campus of Rider University in Lawrenceville.

The program will feature students performing works by choreographers from previous Rider Dances programs, Rider alumni choreographers and faculty members Kim Chandler Vaccaro and Brea Heidelberg. They will be performed at four different locations in Rider’s Bart Luedeke Center, and each has been choreographed to take advantage of the performance venue. Audience members will rotate among three sites for 20-minute performances in each location: the Pub, the Fireside Lounge and the Cavalla Room.  They will unite for the final portion of the performance in the Bart Luedeke Center Theater. 

In addition to Kim Chandler Vaccaro and Brea Heidelberg, the program will feature works choreographed by Cherilyn Barbone, Christine Colosimo, Angela Cusumano, Laney Engelhard, Michelle Figueiredo, Jennifer Gladney Danielle Marchant, and Audrey Yeager. ’Til Further Notes, a Rider student a cappella ensemble, will perform with the dancers in the Cavalla Room.

Artistic Director Kim Chandler Vaccaro became a professional dancer and teacher while earning a bachelor’s degree in Choreography and Performance from the University of California at Santa Barbara, a Master in Dance Education from the University of California at Los Angeles, and a Doctor of Education from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa. During this time she performed in numerous modern dance companies, choreographed and produced her own work, and taught dance at colleges on both east and west coasts. In addition to lecturing nationwide on dance education, Dr. Vaccaro often leads workshops for dance and public school teachers, both for American Repertory Ballet and around the state with various arts organizations.

Dr. Vaccaro is the author of Jazz Dance Today with Lorraine Person Kriegel, the editor for Dance In My Life, and she was a contributing editor to the award-winning Core Collection in Dance. Her current research investigates the relationship of mindfulness to dance teaching.

Brea Heidelberg holds a Ph.D. in Art Education and a master’s degree in Arts Policy and Administration from the Ohio State University, as well as bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and International Area Studies from Drexel University. Her areas of expertise are performing and visual arts management, public policy and the arts and program development and evaluation. Before joining the faculty at Rider University's Westminster College of the Arts she held teaching positions at The Ohio State University.

Rider University’s dance performances have been recognized for their creative and innovation programs that showcase the work of students, faculty and guest artists. Rider’s relationship with the Princeton Ballet School, a studio with a national reputation for excellence in dance training, offers students the opportunity to participate in advanced studio dance classes.

Admission for the performances is $20 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased at the door, through the box office at 609-896-7775 or online at www.rider.edu/arts. All tickets will be held at the door. Assistance will be available to audience members moving between performance venues in the Bart Luedeke Center.