2018 American College Dance Association Northeast Regional Conference held at Montclair State

Montclair State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance hosted the 2018 American College Dance Association (ACDA) Northeast Regional Conference on March 15 – 18, 2018.  Approximately 600 students and faculty members, from 32 colleges and universities throughout the northeastern and southern portions of the United States, arrived on the Montclair State campus to participate in a four day immersive dance experience which included over 90 classes, workshops, lectures and dance on film events.  

Montclair’s vibrant campus community welcomed our out-of-town guests to kick and twirl through the beautiful new dance facilities, and of course to take in the incredible views of the New York City skyline. The Department of Theatre and Dance with the support of students, faculty and staff produced ten performance events featuring the dance works of the participating schools. During the course of the conference, student choreographers and performers, as well as guest choreographers were provided valuable feedback from an adjudication panel comprised of three of today’s most influential members of the international dance community – Gerri Houlihan, Gerald Casel and James Sutton. These three dance artists were also charged with selecting three pieces of choreography to represent the Northeast Region at the American College Dance Association National College Dance Festival in Washington, DC.  The national festival is a biennial event that showcases works selected from each of the thirteen ACDA regional conferences for presentation at the national festival. Students from our BFA in Dance program were selected and will be given the extraordinary opportunity to perform at the Kennedy Center in this year’s festival, performing the modern dance masterpiece To Have and To Hold, choreographed by esteemed artists Danial Shapiro and Joanie Smith.  Also known as The Bench Piece, it was one of three dance works selected by the adjudicating panel to be performed as part of the National Festival at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on June 6 – 9 2018.

The American College Dance Association is a not-for-profit organization whose primary focus is to support and promote the wealth of talent and creativity that is prominent throughout college and university dance departments.  ACDA’s sponsorship of regional conferences and the national dance festival provides the venue for students and faculty to engage in four days of performances, workshops, panels, and master classes taught by instructors from around the region and country.

Learn more about the Department of Theatre and Dance

Learn more about the College of the Arts at Montclair State University

Learn more about the American College Dance Association