Community Engagement in Rahway, NJ

BALLETS WITH A TWIST

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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Ballets with a Twist is a project of The Loris Bend Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization.

SHIRLEY TEMPLE AND FRIENDS HOST A SPOOKY SOIREE FOR RAHWAY’S YOUNGEST DANCE FANS

Welcome!

On the following pages, you will find a summary of the wide variety of activities that Ballets with a Twist has undertaken in Rahway, New Jersey, during its seasons in residence at the Union County Performing Arts Center’s Hamilton Stage. Through its efforts to engage entire communities in its performances, the company aims to establish a common ground between dancers and audience members of all demographic backgrounds, reinvigorating the art form by energizing and enlightening long-time fans and first-time viewers alike.

For more information, or to request a hardcopy of this booklet, please send an email to management@balletswithatwist.com or call 212-732-1813.

FALL 2012 •Two months before Ballets with a Twist’s debut at the new Hamilton Stage, the company invited young local dancers to audition for roles in the dance “Mint Julep.” Eight of these children joined the professional dancers on stage at Hamilton and during one of the company’s community outreach activities in October.

•The company performed at the Union County Performing Arts Center during Rahway’s first annual Culture Crawl, an evening of arts and artistic entertainment produced by Rahway Arts District in support of the city’s cultural renaissance.

•As an artistic affiliate of Hamilton, the company was invited to perform before the New Jersey State Council on the Arts in celebration of the federal Our Town grant awarded to Rahway by the National Endowment for the Arts. NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman and New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno were in attendance at the meeting on creative placemaking that followed the performance, and both leaders expressed enthusiasm for Rahway’s emergence as “the poster child for how the arts can revitalize a community” (Landesman).

•The dancers gave a sneak peek of Cocktail Hour to the Rahway community during rush-hour at the Train Station Plaza. Young Twisters, children selected at the company’s summer audition, played prancing ponies in “Mint Julep.”

•Company members visited the Rahway Senior Citizens Center with a performance of the classic, jazzy dance cocktail “Gimlet.” Members of the center were offered a special discounted ticket rate for all Hamilton Stage performances.

•On Ballets with a Twist’s opening night at Hamilton, fully-costumed dancers rode through the city in a locally-owned vintage Cadillac — a relic of Rahway’s cherished classic car culture — further enlivening the community around the company and the new theater.

•All ticket holders were invited to treat themselves to a complimentary cocktail at local establishment Aria Bistro and Bar, located inside Hotel Indigo, anytime on the day of the show.

•After each performance, VIP ticket holders mingled with the dancers in the Hamilton green room, where Luciano’s Ristorante and Lounge provided a champagne bar and hors d’oeuvres. Non-VIP attendees also enjoyed post-show champagne served in the Hamilton lobby each evening.

•After the company’s Saturday performance, Cocktail Hour’s Shirley Temple hosted a spooky post-performance Halloween soiree in the lobby of the theater. Attendees were treated to drinks — Zombies for the adults and Shirley Temples for the kids — courtesy of Patria Restaurant and Mixology Lounge. Shirley also held a children’s costume contest, the winner of which received two tickets to Ballets with a Twist’s spring season at Hamilton Stage.

•Throughout its stay in Rahway, Ballets with a Twist connected with local businesses that sponsored the company’s performances. To ease the strain of late rehearsal and performance nights, Hotel Indigo generously donated rooms for the Cocktail Hour cast.

Aria Bistro and Bar, Luciano’s Ristorante, Patria Restaurant and Mixology Lounge, and the Waiting Room also pitched in to provide meals, drinks, and discounts for the company throughout its stay in Rahway. In return, Ballets with a Twist provided program and website advertising space to the businesses.

SPRING 2013 •The company returned to Hamilton Stage with the Rahway High School Marching Band, which provided live musical accompaniment for the dance cocktail “Brandy Alexander” on opening night. The high school’s own band director prepared an arrangement of the original composition to suit his award-winning ensemble.

•Some of New York City’s finest musicians added another exciting element to the Cocktail Hour experience, providing a live soundtrack for much of the show.

•Once again, young and talented local dancers auditioned for the production, spent several weeks rehearsing intensively, and joined the professionals on stage. The New Jersey dancers also benefited from the participation of several of Artistic Director Marilyn Klaus’ long-time students from New York, who travelled to Rahway to assist during rehearsals and to perform with the company.

•Ballets with a Twist offered a special performance of selections from Cocktail Hour during Hot Rods and Harleys, an annual event of over 15,000 attendees held at Rahway’s Train Station Plaza.

•Rahway’s Cubanu joined the list of area establishments supporting the company’s stay in the city. Returning sponsors included Luciano’s, Patria, the Waiting Room, and Hotel Indigo.

•RSI Bank, under the direction of president Russell Taylor, graciously funded the high-quality lighting design and rental package necessary to bring Cocktail Hour to life at Hamilton Stage.

The company teams and Mixology Lou durin

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ANCERS LEARN TO PRANCE LIKE ROFESSIONALS IN "MINT JULEP"

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THE AWARD-WINNING RAHWAY HIGH SCHOOL MARCHIN LENDS A NEW TWIST TO THE DA "BRANDY ALEXANDER"

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AMSON STEINMAN POSES WITH COMPANY MEMBERS AT THE NTY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Twist soloists pay a visit to local legend Liberty Harley - Davidson in preparation for a preview performance during Rahway's 11th Annual Hot Rods and Harleys

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