October 21, 2011 - Sneak-peak of LDT’s performance at Middlesex County College on October 23rd.

November 18, 2011 – Introduction of the LDT Ensemble, our newly formed junior performance company.

February 17, 2012  – Preview of Graham Lustig’s new work!

March 16, 2012 – LDT Ensemble

May 18, 2012 – TBA

In New Jersey, tap dancers staged a delightful retrospective, and Lustig Dance Theatre made a splashy, local debut…”

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/arts/index.ssf/2010/12/dance_scene_celebrated_the_old.html

Nikki Bogardus brings a wide range of experience, both theatrical and business, to the LDT Board of Trustees.  Born in England and trained in all aspects of dance and acting, her early career was primarily as a dancer in musicals and TV in the UK and Scandinavia.  Her business career included marketing and strategic development positions in the cosmetic and fragrance industries.  Her later career has included choreography for Ridge High School’s annual musical and Trilogy Repertory Company’s ‘Plays in the Park’ productions in Basking Ridge.  She firmly believes that her love of dance, and the training she had as an aspiring dancer, influences every aspect of her daily life.

Cherie Forchette is founder and principal of Genesis Consulting Associates, Inc., providers of new product and lifecycle management consulting services to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry.  She holds an MBA and MS degree from Rutgers University and worked in biologic research, pharmaceutical development, global and US therapeutics marketing for over 20 years. Her love of the arts and dance in particular was fostered early in her life.  She was one of the first classical ballet students of Sharon Dante, Artistic Director and Founder of the highly regarded Nutmeg Ballet where Cherie was one of the original company members.  She served previously on the Board of American Repertory Ballet, under the Artistic Direction of Graham Lustig and is thrilled to continue to support Graham in his new endeavor with Lustig Dance Theatre.

Marie Leithauser holds the position of Executive Director of Business Operations for Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Research organization.  She has served on the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research and as a member of the State Theater’s Education Committee.  Marie has had significant and broad training in ballet technique in the Midwest and New York City and is a strong and knowledgeable supporter of the dance community.

Elizabeth N. Miles’ career has been spent as scientist, educator and student. Although a degreed scientist, Liz spent 7 years as instructor of Ballet at the University of Delaware before returning to the scientific field where she spent 22 years at Johnson & Johnson as an occupational safety professional. Since retiring from J&J in 2009 Liz has worked as a private consultant in occupational safety training and performance management and is pursuing a doctorate in higher education and adult learning. All through her career, she has continued to pursue her interest in Ballet as both a dancer and teacher.

Gary Tolchin is a thirty year professional in the financial markets.  He has served on the boards of Prevention First and the Food Bank of Monmouth County.

Ed Stanislawczyk is President and CEO of a site construction company that does work throughout the state of NJ.  He has been an industry professional for over twenty years.

Mr. Salvadore continued: “I am pleased to be welcoming this fine group to our board.  Their interest and experiences in the dance and business worlds will be invaluable as we speed the transition of Lustig Dance Theatre from a start-up organization to a preeminent position as a dance company and educator in New Jersey.”

Lustig Dance Theatre’s mission is to inspire and enrich the New Jersey community and beyond through: professional dance performances supporting artist collaborations and live music; a dance and wellness studio offering classes for aspiring dancers and healthy lifestyle choices for the community; and educational programs providing audiences and students a relevant and engaging experience with the art form. Housed in the culturally vibrant city of New Brunswick, NJ, LDT seeks to be a vital fixture in the New Jersey arts community and provide exceptional service to the local community.

“Like all start-ups, Lustig Dance Theatre’s board is made up of people who believe in the vision of the founder. While the Lustig Dance Theatre board is small, it is dedicated, hard-working and willing to commit the financial support to make the start-up a reality. They were at the opening in full force and deserved their own standing ovation…” 
-Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Blog

“‘Right now in my office I have 18 skulls,” Graham Lustig says pleasantly, following this remark with a disarming smile. A mild-mannered Englishman, Lustig isn’t known for collecting human remains. But this has been an interesting year for him…”
-Robert Johnson, NJ Star Ledger

“”It’s been a whirlwind the last few weeks. I mean, we got the keys to this building on Aug. 9; we got our computers set up by Labor Day. We’re just trying to get everything up and running,” said Lustig, who lives in Highland Park. “We have a beautiful facility here. We have 10 dancers, a board of eight, and we have a lot of plans…”
-Home News Tribune

If you couldn’t make the shows in October, here’s your chance to see some of what you missed.  This video previewed before both the Middlesex County College and Ramapo performances of Luna Mexicana – And Other Works and features commentary with the LDT dancers, behind the scenes footage, and a glimpse into rehearsals!

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see into the creative minds of choreographers Graham Lustig and Laney Engelhard, and how the dancers feel about their pieces.  Special appearances are made by Sarah Romagnoli, our Wardrobe Supervisor, as well as musicians Shannon Merlino (violin) and Lin Bao Tran (piano) as they rehearse with the dancers.

LDT outreach and educationals are not limited to grade, middle, and high schools – they have visited colleges as well!  Professors can show their students (whether it be for a dance degree program, dance appreciation class, etc.) an up-close view of a dance company complete with a taste of our repertoire, meeting the dancers, and lectures on the inspiration behind some of our pieces…the topics and events are endless. 

Curious about bringing LDT to your school or community?  Contact Lees Hummel, our director of Education and Outreach, at
lees@lustigdancetheatre.org