Dance Academy

Summer Academy

The Summer Academy is a high school pre-college program for rising grades 9-12. The program is held as two one-week intensives in July. Courses are taught by Centenary University Professors. 

The Structure

Each program offers overnight accommodations in air-conditioned residence halls with three meals and evening activities. Commuters are provided lunch daily and may also sign up for a dinner plan if they intend to stay for evening activities. Click here to see the schedule and pricing information about the programs offered. Courses are held Monday through Friday from 9-4 pm, with orientation on Sunday for both commuters and residential students. Residential students arrive on Sunday and depart on Saturday morning. Evening activities begin after dinner at 7 pm. Commuters are welcome and encouraged to attend. 

For more information on the schedule, housing, and structure of the program, visit the Summer Academy webpage.

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

Modern Dance Class

Modern Dance explores the mind and body as a creative instrument. Its history is based on individual and authentic voices of choreographers and creative voices from the 20th Century to the present day. During technique classes, students will develop an understanding of the art form, technique, and philosophy behind this unique movement style.  Through the lens of various modern dance techniques, space, time and energy will be explored as elements of movement. There will be an underlying emphasis on alignment, strength, flexibility, and kinesiological sound movement patterns.  Classes cover movement combinations in the center and across the floor.

Ballet

The class focuses on barre work, center exercises, and across-the-floor combinations. Students learn technique and placement while emphasizing musicality. Combinations to strengthen the legs, feet, and ankles are introduced.

Jazz

This course is designed to introduce the student to the fundamentals of Jazz Dance techniques which include different time eras from the early 20th century to the present.  It will consist of a synergy of traditional/classical and contemporary forms of Jazz Dance. The class will begin with standing floor work, sitting floor work, stretching, and strengthening exercises that prepare the body for movement in the Jazz style. These principles will be applied to across-the-floor and center-floor work through variant combinations. Individuals who are progressing at a faster rate will be allowed to modify movements/exercises/assignments as the instructor sees fit, to meet the individuals' level.

Choreography /Improvisation

This is a practical course providing students with fundamentals of improvisation and choreography. Improvisation and composition are an integral part of a dancer's education. A study of the basic elements of dance, improvisation, and composition will lead to the creation of a movement product. The ability to structure process, conceptualize, comprehend, plan, collaborate, and execute dance will be explored in this course. These practices will develop the ability to communicate ideas using the body as the instrument of expression.  Methods used in this class will be a mixture of individual and group movement improvisation. Questions of dance construction and content will be explored.

Yoga for Dancers

No matter what kind of dancer you are you can derive huge benefits from taking yoga classes. No matter if you have tight hips, inflexible back, or hamstrings that refuse to give you a higher extension, yoga can help open your tight areas while maximizing stability in other areas that are already flexible. Yoga is not just about flexibility. It is a unique blend of stretching and strengthening. In this class, the focus will be on proper alignment of the spine in yoga postures, joint stability, core strength, and upper body strength.

Limon Technique

Limón technique emphasizes the natural rhythms of fall and recovery, conscious use of breath, and the interplay between weight and weightlessness. It provides dancers with an organic approach to movement that easily adapts to a range of choreographic styles.

Dance forMusical Theater

This class focuses on the development and execution of dance and performance skills as they relate to musical theater dance style and using dance as a method of storytelling as it relates to musical theater. Students gain a better understanding of how dance and choreography create and bring dramatic elements to life. Students will be led through a center warm-up including stretches, isolations, and corestrengthening, followed by across-the-floor technique and choreography.

Dance Intensive Summer2023 at Centenary University With Moe-tion Dance Company

Established in 2007, Moe-tion Dance Theater is a modern dance theater company based in New Jersey. Under the artistic direction of Maureen Glennon Clayton, the company is dedicated to experimenting and creating new forms of expression. The company enjoys collaborating and creating new work that speaks to each one of the dancers. Maureen is honored to have a company of dancers who are dedicated, creative, funny, inspiring, and willing to do anything that she asks!

Moe-tion dance theater, known for its diverse repertory and site-specific work, has performed at numerous festivals, showcases, and venues throughout the tri-state area including DUMBO Dance Festival, Cool NY DanceFestival, Dixon Place/Virtual Exposure, Mason Gross Summer Series, NJ HighSchool Dance Festival, SWEAT Outdoors Festival, Outlet Dance Project at Grounds for Sculpture, NJ Arts Collaborative at George Street Playhouse, Jersey CityArts Extravaganza at Canco Lofts, Show Up & Dance at Rutgers University andTwo Rivers Theater, Hatch Series at Jennifer Muller The Works Studio/NYC, Garden State Dance Festival, Mix It Up Festival, Silk City Arts Festival &the Merce Cunningham studio in NYC. The company performed "ComicalTwins...ACTIVATE!!" a collaborative dance evening with Pascal Rekoert'scompany, Flexicurve, at the Gershwin Hotel in NYC. Maureen's choreography has been presented extensively throughout the tri-state area and her work has been commissioned by Montclair State University, Beyondance!, County College ofMorris, Centenary University, Ballet Forte, Dance Innovations, the Arts AccessProgram at the Matheny Educational and Medical Center and Steffi Nossen School of Dance in White Plains, NY. Her piece, "Ants" was commissioned by NJ ArtsCollaborative, for their production of The Butterfly Project, which was performed at NJPAC. moe-tion dance theater has been presented by many colleges throughout NJ, including the County College of Morris, Union County College, Montclair State University, and Centenary University. Maureen and the company have also been guest performers at the Russ Berrie Theatre/Ramapo College, Raritan Valley Community College, County College of Morris, the Pingry School, theDance in Education Fund Showcase at SUNY Purchase Dance Theater Lab, and the Robert Schonhorn Arts Center. In addition to performing and choreographing, Artistic Director Maureen Glennon Clayton is a dance educator. She has been teaching dance since the age of sixteen and continues to share her love of dance with a new generation of dancers. Maureen and the company have performed lectures/demonstrations at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, Raritan Valley Community College, and have taught residencies at Morris County School of Technology, Rosa Parks Performing Arts High School, and Bridgeton School.

Bios of Teachers

MaureenGlennon Clayton is a dancer, choreographer, and dance educator.  Her choreography has been presented extensively throughout the tri-state area and American College Dance Festivals, National High School Dance Festivals, the High School Dance Festival, County College of Morris, Montclair State University, Mason Gross Summer Series at Rutgers University, Dance Fest Centenary University, and at A Taste of NY in Nicosia, Cyprus. Maureen's work has been commissioned by Montclair State University, Beyondance!, County College of Morris, Raritan Valley Community College, Centenary University, Ballet Forte, and Think Pink! Cause a Co*Motion, Arts Access Program at Matheny Medical and Educational Center, numerous high school dance departments throughout NJ, and Steffi Nossen School of Dance in White Plains, NY.  Maureen's choreography has also been seen on the Musical Theater stage.  She was the choreographer for Coming of Age, an original musical, by Jon Provan, which was chosen to be presented at the 2014 New York MusicalTheatre Festival, and in 2015 she was the choreographer for Spring Awakening, which was produced by Porch Light Productions. Maureen has danced and choreographed professionally with Freespace Dance(1997-2004), where she is an original co-founder.  She has also danced with Beyondance!, Umoja Dance Company, and has performed as a solo artist. Her first professional dance gig was performing with Nicholas Rodriguez and Dance Compass, with whom she toured nationally.  Maureen has taught at many private and public schools in New Jersey as a visiting artist and has been a guest teacher for many American College and High School Dance Festivals throughout the United States.  In 2008 & 2010, she was invited to teach abroad at A Taste of NY, a three-week Dance Intensive in Cyprus. Maureen was the recipient of a 2011 Dance Education Fellowship at the BatesDance Festival in Maine.  For three weeks she participated in classes, lectures, performances, and roundtable discussions on education trends and challenges. Maureen holds a full-time teaching position for the Gifted & Talented Honors Dance Program at Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School in Bridgewater and is an Adjunct Professor at Centenary University.  She has previously been on faculty at College of Morris, where she earned her AS in Recreation & Leisure/Dance at Montclair State University, where she earned a BFA in Dance.  Maureen is an active board member of Dance NJ, where she previously served as president.

Sabrina Olverieri started her formal dance training in high school, graduating from Somerset County Votech's Gifted and Talented Dance Honors Program in 2016. Post-high school graduation, Sabrina was the recipient of the Governor's Award in Artistic Excellence in Dance. Following high school, she graduated from County College of Morris, with her associate in dance. While in county college, she was a scholarship student at the Paul Taylor School for two years, as well as a scholarship student training with Carolyn Dorfman for many summers.  Her choreography has been selected and performed in numerous Dance New Jersey Events, Jennifer Muller's Hatch Presenting Series, and ACDANortheastern Adjudicated Concerts(2017 & 2018).

After graduating from CCM, Sabrina was a scholarship student in the Limón institutes trainee program in the spring of 2020. Later that year, Sabrina was selected as one of the Dance Training + Arts Management interns for the 2020 - 2021 season. Here, she worked in the administrative offices of TheLimón Foundation and danced as a trainee in the institute's programs. Sabrina was asked to be a founding member of the foundation's second company, Limón2 for their 2021-2022 season. Since then, she has been a guest artist performing with the Limón Dance Company in their 2021 Bryant Park Summer Series performance of TheWinged, and in their 2022 Joyce Theater season performing in Psalm. Over the years, she has worked with Carolyn Dorfman, Gregory Dolbashian, NinaWatt, Risa Steinburg, Ruth Andrien, and Mike Esperanza to name a few.

While dancing with the Limón Dance Company, Sabrina graduated cum laude with her Bachelor of Science in psychology from Montclair State University. Currently, Sabrina resides in New Jersey, where she is teaching/choreographing within the tri-state area. She is also pursuing her Masters in Mental Health Counseling at Montclair State University.

Lea Antolini -Lid (CSCProducing director of Summer Next Stages Festival / Education TourDirector associate Professor ofTheater/Dance Centenary University)) received her BMA in classical voice from the University of the Arts and her MFA in acting from Brandeis University where she also had the opportunity to teach movement for the actor under the tutelage of Susan Dibble.  Some of her recent acting credits include  Cinderella ( the stepmother) Working, The Last Five Years, The Fantasticks! (Women's Theater Company  of NJ PeterPan , Christmas Carol , The Ladies Man, Mary Poppins(Centenary StageCompany ) 400 Parts Per Million, Lying  (Blessed Unrest Theater Co.  NYC) Recent Directing /choreography credits include  Godspell, Spelling B, IntotheWoods, Avenue Q, Head over Heels,  YoungFrankenstein(Centenary University)  Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Forever Plaid, Rent and  the world premiere of Turning by Darrah Cloud ( Centenary Stage Company.)  Lea has also worked alongside the Artistic Director of CSC Carl Wallnau as assistant director/ choreographer on  numerous CSC production over the past 18 years.   Lea has received various honors including"Best Actress in a Professional Musical" (broadwayworld.com), "Best Featured Actress in a Musical "(Star-Ledger 2006), "Best Comedian in a Musical "(DailyRecord 2007),  and" Hardest Working Actress in NJ" (Daily Record, 2006).  Best Actress in a Play ( Daily Record 2015)  and the Jete Award in 2014 for outstanding contributions to the dance world in NJ.  Lea is a full-time professor of theater/dance at Centenary University in NJ, where she has choreographed and directed numerous productions over the past 13 years. Recently, Lea traveled to China with the international dance company Nai NiChen Dance, to teach dance at a prestigious festival held at Kunming University.

Lea is a member in training with BlessedUnrest Theater Company in NYC, a professional not-for-profit theater company dedicated to creating and devising new works. She is also a proud member of the Moe-tion Dance Theater and co-founder of Outside the Lines site specific Dance project with Maureen Glennon.

Students will refine their dance performance skills and technique in Modern Dance, Limon Technique, Jazz dance, Dance for Theatre, Yoga for Dancers, Choreography, and improvisation. 

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EACH ACADEMY ACCEPTS 20 STUDENTS AND IS CURRENTLY LIMITED TO 13 OVERNIGHT STUDENTS. EARLY REGISTRATION IS CURRENTLY OPEN TO THOSE MAKING PAYMENTS BY CHECK. CREDIT CARD PROCESSING WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

SPACE IS NOT GUARANTEED UNTIL WE RECEIVE YOUR DEPOSIT PAYMENT.

DEPOSITS OR FULL PAYMENT CHECKS CAN BE MADE TO:

CENTENARY UNIVERSITY

MAIL TO:

CENTENARY SUMMER ACADEMY

CENTENARY UNIVERSITY

400 JEFFERSON STREET

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ 07043