The Dance Education Program with Dancentral presents "Songbook" at Welte Auditorium and via livestream at ccsu.edu/dance. Admission is free. Donations are accepted to support dance program scholars.
The performance is a one-show-only dance event that blends the timeless elegance of the Great American Songbook with the infectious energy of contemporary pop classics. Set against iconic jazz standards and chart-topping hits, the show celebrates music's universal power to connect and uplift. Whether it’s the smooth sophistication of a Gershwin ballad or the catchy pulse of a modern pop anthem, the performance will represent a range of choreography that spans classical ballet elegance and cutting-edge street styles.
In addition to Central Connecticut State University’s dance faculty and scholars, notable professional guest companies include:
• Jennifer Muller/The Works is a New York-based dance company that earned global recognition for its dynamic theatricality, virtuosity, and humanity, touring 39 countries on four continents.
• Island Reflections Dance Theatre is a dance company that aims to education communities about Caribbean Folk, Ballet, Modern Contemporary, African, and other world dance forms.
Guest choreographers include:
• Garet Wierdsma, artistic director of Garet & Co, a professional contemporary dance company based in Connecticut. Her work has been presented at celebrated dance venues, like Jacob's Pillow, Symphony Space, and Ailey Citigroup Theatre.
• Emily Bufferd, the producer of The Young Choreographer's Festival, an annual event presenting some of the most up-and-coming 18- to 25-year-old young choreographers in all genres of dance
• Christine Sessa, co-owner and artistic director of Morlock School of Dance in East Hartford has become “a powerhouse in the dance world” - CTPublic.org.
Guest performing arts high schools include:
• Norwich Free Academy is a liberal arts education-focused institution that prepares young scholars for post-secondary education through specialty programs and the visual and performing arts.