Montclair State’s Dance Students Receive Recognition at ACDF’s 2014 National Festival

The University’s Dance majors represented the Northeast region during the American College Dance Festival’s (ACDF) National Festival at The Kennedy Center, in Washington, D.C., from June 5-7, 2014.

Theatre and Dance professor and Director of Dance Lorraine Katterhenry said dancers performed Oh My Love, choreographed by dance faculty member Earl Mosley. The piece was tapped to be one of three works to represent the Northeast at ACDF’s regional event, held March 12-16 at The College at Brockport, Brockport, N.Y., that Katterhenry and 19 student dancers attended. Katterhenry is quick to note that it is not the first time the University has been so honored.

“We have been selected to perform nine times out of the last 12 National Festivals. It’s a tremendous honor to represent our region at the Kennedy Center,” she said.

Oh My Love, a work for eight dancers, is set to a suite of torch songs by Cyndi Lauper.

The other work University Dance majors presented for adjudication by a panel of dance professionals at the March regionals was Save Me, choreographed and performed by dance major Mark Willis, who received his BFA in January. Both works were selected for inclusion in the festival’s closing Gala performance, and Montclair State was the only school to have both its entries selected.

Dance adjudicators viewed more 500 works at 11 regional festivals and selected 31 dances to be presented at the National Festival.

“The students performed brilliantly and had a wonderful time. We are all delirious with exhaustion and happiness,” said Katterhenry.  .

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