Steffi Nossen Dance Company Showcases Modern Dance at the Emelin

A December 10 Choreography Showcase at Mamaroneck’s Emelin Theatre will highlight new, innovative work from professional and pre-professional dancers.

Presented by the Steffi Nossen Dance Foundation, the annual showcase features 11 dancers or groups from the tri-state area. Event performers include Trainor Dance, which creates and performs highly physical, intensely human dances; McKenzie Brewer, who recently debuted choreography at Montclair State University’s DanceMakers Show and at Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts Emerging Choreographer Show in 2022; and Lisa Peluso, who has choreographed works for the International Dance Festival in Hawaii and the 2010 American College Dance Festival Gala concert in Virginia.

The showcase spans the modern dance spectrum, from the Paul Taylor Teen Ensemble’s classical modern that has a ballet base to jazz dance to the five two Dance Company, which pushes the boundaries of the free release technique.

“Steffi Nossen is very much rooted in the modern dance tradition, but the intention for this performance is to bring innovative, new voices and seasoned artists who work in and out of New York City to the Westchester community,” said Jessica DiMauro Marks, the event’s curator. “While we are modern heavy, there’s a lot to be said about the different layers of the modern dance genre. That is certainly something that we play with when we program the show.”

After the performances, the audience can stay for a question-and-answer session with the dancers and choreographers. The interaction gives the audience insight and the choreographers feedback about spectators’ perception of the work.

“Our mission is to make dance accessible for people,” said Marks, who is the artistic director of the Steffi Nossen School of Dance in White Plains. “My goal in holding the Q&A is to prompt the artist with questions that will help give the audience a little bit more insight into their process, into what the piece intended to show. Maybe it was just dance for dance’s sake or maybe it came from the artist’s experience. It gives us an opening into the mind and the creative process.”

The Steffi Nossen Dance Foundation promotes dance awareness, dance opportunities, and the enrichment of the dance environment for students, professionals and audiences. The foundation is the parent organization of the school, which is the oldest dance school in Westchester County.

Some of the artists are repeat performers at the showcase. New York City based dance artists, Olivia Passarelli and Sophie Gray-Gaillard, of the five two Dance Company performed in the 2021 and 2022 showcases. The five two Dance Company recently received the Directors’ Choice Award at the Spring for Spring Dance Festival.

“They have picked up a lot of speed with the type and frequency of work that they are presenting,” said Marks. “We feel strongly about keeping them involved…A lot of our dancers really relate to them, and their work is exceptionally well crafted.”

Tickets for the event cost $25 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. The 90-minute showcase does not have an intermission and it is appropriate for most children.