West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park is collaborating with Connecticut Dance Alliance and the Connecticut Historical Society to host the photographic exhibition during the run of stop/time dance theater’s latest production.

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In conjunction with the opening of stop/time dance theater’s “Rockin’ The Forest,” Playhouse on Park is honored to host Connecticut Dances – A Visual History exhibition curated by the Connecticut Dance Alliance in partnership with the Connecticut Historical Society. This photographic exhibition brings to life the valuable contribution that dance has played in the cultural vitality of Connecticut.

Connecticut Dances – A Visual History exhibition is the culmination of an unprecedented crowd-sourcing initiative “All About Dance in Connecticut” that documents the many facets of the history of dance in Connecticut through an on-line gallery collection of over two thousand photographic images submitted by members of the Connecticut dance community over the past two years.

Curated from the on-line gallery, the exhibition, designed and produced by the Connecticut Dance Alliance, represents a thematically and historically organized portrait of Connecticut’s significant dance heritage of a wide variety of dance forms, important historical dance events, the work of individual dancers, choreographers, companies, and the impact of schools and teachers in the field of dance.

Connecticut Dances – A Visual History includes images ranging from the early years of the Shakers, Connecticut’s first ballerinas, historic performances, and the study of dance in colleges and universities to the acclaimed American Dance Festival. The exhibition also features an array of cultural dance, internationally, nationally, and regionally recognized dance companies that have performed throughout the decades, and dance schools and academies.

The exhibition also highlights the numerous dance luminaries such as Ernestine Stodelle, Alwin Nikolais, Angela Bowen, José Limón among others. Through the process of research and curation of the exhibition, Connecticut’s rich dance heritage and connections to Connecticut were revealed.

Connecticut Dances – A Visual History exhibition will travel throughout Connecticut accompanied by a compendium of over 70 scholarly essays, articles, memoirs, and associated photographs. Tour listing as it develops can be found on www.ctdanceall.com.

The exhibition is made possible through generous funding from The Connecticut Humanities, a nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, supporting cultural and historic organizations that tell the state’s stories, build community and enrich lives; the Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation, The Greater Hartford Arts Council, NewAlliance Foundation and contributors to Connecticut Dance Alliance.

Playhouse on Park‘s resident dance company, stop/time dance theater is now in its 14th year led by co-artistic director and choreographer Darlene Zoller. Rockin’ The Forest opens on Friday, March 31 at 8 p.m., with a wine and cheese reception at 7 p.m.

Featuring Zoller’s original choreography and under her direction, stop/time dancers and singers are ready to entertain in a fabulous forest, alive with energy and growing with surprises along the way. Come for the exemplary dancing, lush vocals, live music and an unforgettable twist on your favorite stories: it’s all goin’ down when stop/time rocks the forest! Music direction by Eric Larivee.

Connecticut Dances – A Visual History exhibition will be open to the public at Playhouse onPark during regular box office hours (Tuesday–Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday–Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.). Visit www.playhouseonpark.org for more information. 

Rockin’ The Forest runs through April 9. Preview performances are March 29 and 30, with all tickets priced at $17.50. Tickets range from $30-$40, all seats reserved. Student, senior, and Let’s Go Arts discounts are available. To purchase tickets, call the box office at 860-523-5900x10. Playhouse on Park is located at 244 Park Rd., West Hartford, CT 06119.

stop/time dance theater. Photo credit: Rich Wagner