HOLMDEL – The Hellenic Dancers of New Jersey (HDNJ) dance troupe will hold its 47th anniversary performance at Holmdel High School on April 7 at 3 p.m.
General admission is $25 with students and seniors being able to save $5 by reserving their tickets by April 6th. All tickets are $25 at the door with no admission fee for children age 6 and under. Holmdel High is located at 36 Crawfords Corner Road.
The event includes a two-part dance performance and a fashion show by the Hellenic Dancers of New Jersey highlighting the traditional folk dances of the Aegean Islands with refreshments available for purchase during intermission.
The program is supported by Monmouth Arts, through funding from the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and Hellenic Dancers of NJ, Inc.
All proceeds from the event will support the HDNJ in its mission of preserving Greek folk-dance customs, and perpetuating Greek heritage in America as well as the troupe’s 2019 touring schedule.
Founded in 1972, by Jim and Eleni Chakalos, the HDNJ has researched, presented and preserved over 350 folk dances, songs, and traditions from mainland Greece, its islands, Cyprus, and Asia Minor, and passed them on to three generations of Greek Americans. The dance troupe is currently comprised of first, second, third and fourth generation Greek Americans, ranging in age from 16 to 45, and representing the many Greek communities of New Jersey.
This troupe has performed at a number of local and national events during its history, including the Dukakis Presidential Rally, the inauguration of former President Ronald Reagan, Statue of Liberty Weekend Grand Finale and the 20/20 ABC Television Program with members of the troupe participated in the Closing Ceremonies of the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece and at the 2006 Centennial Epiphany celebrations in Tarpon Springs, FL.
“’Journey to the Aegean’ will highlight dances from the Aegean Islands. With dances like the fast paced partner dance of Rousikos from Naxos, and the elegant candle dance Foties from Mytilini, we are excited to showcase the incredible variety of styles that originate from this beautiful region of Greece,” HDNJ Artistic Director Spiro Petroutsos said. “The central focus of the HDNJ has always been, and continues to be, perpetuating our Greek heritage through dance and performance. We are excited to continue working toward this goal with ‘Journey to the Aegean’. With the incredible hard work of our dancers and instructional staff, we are proud to bring our audience a plethora of brand new dances, along with many of the HDNJ staples that our long time supporters have come to know and love us for.”
Reservations for this event can be made by contacting Joyce Coccaro at 732-742-0543 or emailing [email protected]. Patrons may also visit http://www.hellenicdancersofnj.org/taverna.php. Online orders will be completed through PayPal.