Your holiday spirits will soar this December when NJDTE brings its acclaimed full-length production of "The Nutcracker" to a beautiful new venue, the Memorial Auditorium at Montclair State University. Choreographed by NJDTE Artistic Director Nancy Turano and set to Tchaikovsky's classic score, this colorful and captivating production features 55 dancers ages 7-18 from across New Jersey and renowned professional guest artists from Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Ballet Hispanico and more.

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by Corey Bliss

​One of the cornerstones of NJDTE's mission is to provide its dancers with firsthand experiences with dancers and choreographers from some of the most prestigious companies in the world, including Parsons Dance. NJDTE is proud to have had several current and former Parsons Dance members on its faculty for over ten years. This summer, two Parsons alumnae - former Associate Artistic Director Elizabeth Koeppen and Kate Skarpetowska - joined the modern faculty for NJDTE's first Summer Intensive program in its new state-of-the-art facility in Summit, NJ. 

As inspiring as it is for the NJDTE dancers to work with incredible artists like Koeppen and Skarpetowska, it is the dancers' passion, talent and dedication that in turn inspires them to keep coming back as mentors and long-term faculty members at NJDTE:

This summer, Koeppen staged excerpts from David Parsons' seminal work "Nascimento" on Levels 3A, 3B and 4: "The work was premiered in the late 1980s and is one of our most classic pieces of repertory. It gives the dancers some of the purest form of the Parsons technique. My goal was for all levels to get the truest essence of the piece, which is airborne, carefree, and explosive! And they did it!"

After seven years with Parsons Dance, Kate went on to perform with Lar Lubovitch Dance Company. This summer, she staged large group versions of two Lubovitch solos for the NJDTE dancers. Level 3A performed the fun and energetic "Do You Be," set to the idiosyncratic music of Meredith Monk. Kate selected this work for Level 3A "because of its playfulness. We had some great laughs in the studio learning it!" Level 3B/4 performed the expressive "Pardon My Affection," to music by Mozart. Kate chose this particular piece for the older dancers to "challenge their performance skills and the ability to speak through gesture."

Koeppen was thrilled to be one of the first faculty members to teach in NJDTE's new home, which features 4,700 square feet of dance space. "It was an absolute pleasure teaching at the new facility in Summit. The studios have state-of-the-art sprung floors and a fantastic sound system. They are spacious and bright, and are very inviting in facilitating a creative atmosphere. The sky lights are a nice touch!" Skarpetowska adds, "The new space is truly inspiring! With surroundings so beautiful and well-designed, it gives the artists a place where they can be at their most creative."

This year, Koeppen takes on a new role as a full-time NJDTE faculty member, teaching advanced modern at NJDTE during its expanded weekday programming. Excited about the opportunity to work regularly with the dancers, Koeppen aims to develop them into "extremely strong and confident performers...[who] never lose their individuality and always let their personalities shine." 

A prolific choreographer and in-demand repetiteur, Skarpetowska teaches Ensemble Company classes on Sundays periodically throughout the year. During the next 6 months alone, Skarpetowska will create two new commissioned works for Parsons Dance and Owen/Cox Dance Group, and will travel to Germany to set Lubovitch's "Marimba" on the Oldenburg State Theater. 

Check out NJDTE's feature in the June 2015 of Dance Magazine, which highlighted Skarpetowska as an NJDTE faculty member: