2017 Fall Dance Concert
Four years ago, Mr. Tolentino and I embarked on our first attempt to have an entire dance concert played by Chameleon, Newark Academy’s award winning jazz band. We found it so rewarding professionally to challenge each other and collaborate artistically, and the students benefited from working together and learning about how to dance to live music and play live for dancers. We decided after that show that every two years we would venture this great undertaking, so that all students coming through the dance program and all members of Chameleon would have the opportunity to participate in this unique experience at least once. Two years ago, we titled the show “Take 2” and this year we were looking for a good name with “3.” Many thanks to Ilan Brauns who came up with the title: a perfect fit for Mr. T and I who are both big basketball fans! What we love about this collaboration is that it challenges us all in the best way. It’s everything we tell the students we want them to do in their lives: take healthy risks, be generous with their time and talent, work well with others, and pursue their passions. I am ever grateful to be at NA where the arts are celebrated, and to have colleagues like Mr. Tolentino who are so passionate and talented, and who relish the chance to try difficult and rewarding projects. As I have told my students: most professional dancers today do not get the luxury of live music, and most students who perform with live musicians do not get the honor of having music played by students as serious, talented, and generous as NA’s Chameleon. This year, in addition to featuring Chameleon’s very own jazz singer, Sammi Powell, on several tunes, we will feature two other amazing vocalists who have graced the NA stage with their amazing talent in musicals and in the choral program. A big thank you to Claire Dempsey and Jake McEvoy for their contributions to this collaboration. Thank YOU for supporting the arts at NA, and please come back for our spring dance concert on Thursday, May 24th, for a whole new dance experience.
Love Wins,
~ Yvette Luxenberg, Dance Director
The following members of the NA photography class led by Mr. Worrell and the film class led by Mr. Yow took the pre-show photographs and videos of the advanced/IB dance class during our field trip to NYC: Ian Agkpo, Tiffany Agkpo, Ryan Cheung, Kayla Cohen, Rashad Freeman, Pierce Henderson, Roshan Idnani, Taran Idnani, Annika Inampudi, Jacqueline Rodriguez, Molly Ryan, Kris Sethi, Benjamin Tolpa, Michael Usatine, Nico Bickel, Darren Cao, Jack Cleeve, Evan DeVirgilio, Andrew Pulver, Thomas Skorka.
Sir Duke
Music: Stevie Wonder
Vocals: Sammi Powell
Choreography: Yvette Luxenberg and dancers
Dancers: Zoe Ades, Aryana Aziz, Anabel Carroll, Jonathan Charette, Stephanie Do, Lauren Dougherty, Erica Edman, Sophie Gilbert, Julie Katz, Sophia Ludtke, Kayla MacKay, Summer Peace, Gianna Porcek, Neha Rodricks, Jada Smith, Jacqueline Taylor
Aint Got Nothing But the Blues
Music: Duke Ellington
Vocals: Sammi Powell
Soloists: Michelle Lee, Charles Pan, Reid Christmann
Choreography: Yvette Luxenberg and dancers
Dancers: Elizabeth Hawk, Maddie Wolf
Crazy in Love
Music: Beyoncé, Jay Z, Rich Harrison, Eugene Record
Vocals: Sammi Powell
Soloist: Cosimo Fabrizio
Choreography: Yvette Luxenberg and dancers
Dancers: Kiki Afolabi, Nicholas Aloupis, Molly Breckman, Kaitlyn Chee, Jonathan Eichler, Nitya Gupta, Lauren James, Joshua Jamurath, Elena Koestel, Charles Kunzweiler, Jasper Lee, Pranay Maddali, Eleni Morin, David Rodin, Vyom Singh, Aidan Troy, Colin Tsay, Claire Waskow, Ada Wright
Orange Colored Sky
Music: Milton DeLugg and Willie Stein
Vocals: Claire Dempsey
Choreography: Yvette Luxenberg and dancers
Dancers: Zoe Ades, Aryana Aziz, Anabel Carroll, Jonathan Charette, Stephanie Do, Lauren Dougherty, Erica Edman, Sophie Gilbert, Julie Katz, Sophia Ludtke, Kayla MacKay, Summer Peace, Gianna Porcek, Neha Rodricks, Jada Smith, Jacqueline Taylor
I Feel Good
Music: James Brown
Vocals: Jake McEvoy
Soloist: Dean Tan, Charles Pan
Choreography: Yvette Luxenberg and dancers
Dancers: Ilan Brauns, Chase Clarke, Jaden Craig, Meredith Janay, Amaani Jetley, Tess Kesler, Nicolas Kotzen, Logan Pak, Kaya Patel, Katie Powers, Meghan Shah, Leah Shiff, Asha Toolsidas, Max Weidhorn, Andrew Zhang
Don’t Let it Happen Here
Music: Charles Mingus
Vocals: Sammi Powell
Soloist: Allen Zhu
Choreography: Yvette Luxenberg and dancers
Dancers: Elizabeth Hawk, Dafne Hernandez, Molly Lindstrom, Jordan McCray-Robinson, Jamie Paradis, Joia Simmons, Lena Skagerlind, Maddie Wolf
Flying Home
Music: Lionel Hampton
Soloist: Allen Zhu
Choreography: Yvette Luxenberg and dancers
Dancers: Damian Correa, Nia Freeman, Shreyas Hariharan, L.J. Hines, Vincent Luo, J.R. Morris, Jamie Shen, Jacob Tolentino, Julia Zheng, and the entire cast
Directed by: Yvette Luxenberg
Chameleon Director: Julius Tolentino
Master Electrician: Joey Yow
Light Design: Yvette Luxenberg
Stage Manager: Durga Srivatsan
Light Board Operator: Margery Leit
Technical Help: Jonathan Charette, Jack DeVirgilio, Dylan Gawron, Katie Kim, Sydney Loh, Kira Lu, Kayla MacKay, Summer Peace, Durga Srivatsan,
Program Photo: Rashad Freeman
Emcee: Griffin Murphy
Videography: Benjy Berkowitz
Chameleon: Charles Pan, Alan Lin, Sam Pensiero, Allen Zhu, Jacob Amalraj, Ezra Lebovitz, Michelle Lee, Dean Tan, Reid Christmann, Reese Puntas, Oliver Adelson, Ben Chaddah, Sid Tumu, Jacob Tolentino, Shivan Kundra, Ayush Ghose, Danny Laks, Tyler Kung, Andrew Hwang, Reshma Kopparapu, Luca Moretti, Cosimo Fabrizio, Vikram Bala, Giulia Socolof, Teddy McGraw, Sammi Powell.
The Newark Academy Jazz Band “Chameleon” is one of a dozen instrumental groups offered at the Academy. The band has been involved in state and national competitions, coming in First Place in New Jersey’s State Jazz Band Competition the last eight years in a row. On a national level the big band has been a finalist in the prestigious Essentially Ellington Festival and Competition in 2012, 2015, and 2017 and has won the Mingus Competition two times. Members of the big band are also involved in other auditioned groups such as Jazz House Kids, Jazz for Teens, Jazz Regions, Jazz All States and the Grammy Band.
Special thanks to: Arts Department Chair Elaine Brodie, the fantastic tech crew, “Arts Booster Parents,” especially Lori Dougherty, Blackie Parlin and Scott Johnson for beautiful photographs, Julius Tolentino, James Worrell, Joey Yow, Viraj Lal, and my family.
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