Office of Public Relations

Pomona, NJ  08240

 

Dancers from Stockton College Selected for National Festival at Kennedy Center

 

Stasia Botis, Jaclyn Taylor selected to appear in Final Gala Concert

 

For Immediate Release  

Thursday, April 01, 2004

Contact:   Tim Kelly

                  Stockton Public Relations

                  (609) 652-4950

 

 

GALLOWAY TWP., NJ The Richard Stockton College of New Jerseys dance program was selected to perform in the 11^th National College Dance Festival, June 1-3 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.

 

Its a great honor, of course, and a great way to inaugurate the celebration of the 25^th anniversary year of the Stockton Dance Company, said Associate Professor, Henry Van Kuiken, whose stylized duet The Locket will be performed by students Stasia Botis and Jaclyn Taylor at the festivals Gala Concert.  Van Kuikens choreography was inspired by 18^th century illustrations of mores and manners and was selected as one of only five works to represent the Mid-Atlantic region.

 

Botis is a senior Dance/Biology double major from Cinnaminson, NJ.  Taylor, a senior from Lincoln Park, NJ, majors in Speech Pathology and is pursuing a minor in Dance,

 

The American College Dance Festival Association sponsors the National College Dance Festival.  A biennial event, the National Festival showcases works selected from each of nine regional festivals for presentation on gala concerts at the Kennedy Centers Terrace Theatre.

 

The Stockton Dance Program attended the Mid-Atlantic Regional Festival where 28 colleges and universities submitted 49 works for adjudication by a nationally recognized panel of dance professionals.  The Judges chose both of Stocktons entries, The Locket and Cybil for the regional festivals Final Gala Concert performance of 10 works.  Cybil was choreographed and danced by Stasia Botis.  Gala recognition for this piece is a great testament of the high level of student work produced at Stockton. Colleges and universities from the 280-institution ACDFA membership attended festivals in nine regions across the nation.  When you consider that the nine festivals adjudicated a total of 419 works choreographed by undergraduate and graduate students, guest artists and faculty, and that 31 were invited to the National, you have some idea of the winnowing process involved, Van Kuiken said.  To have both of our works chosen to be among the ten selected for the Regional Gala is noteworthy.  That one of those two should be part of the final five for the Nationals is a great honor for Stockton, its dance program and its dancers.  We are looking forward to representing the college at the National Festival.