February 19, 2025

CUTTING THE RIBBON: Community officials, customers, and market staff members all attended the ribbon cutting celebrating Kasia Market’s opening in Pike Run Plaza, Route 206 in Belle Mead last December. Featuring a wide range of authentic Korean food, a big selection of fresh fish, meat, and produce, the market also has a sushi bar, Kasia Kitchen hot bar, and The Hungry Tiger restaurant, all on the premises.

By Jean Stratton

To say it is just a Korean market is an understatement! They have their own hydroponic vegetable plantings, displayed in the front of the store. They are all about the freshest and best foods — fresh fish and meat, both familiar and exotic vegetables, sushi bar, informal Kasia Kitchen food bar and Hungry Tiger restaurant. Super Korean fried chicken, bubble tea, as well as a special line of Korean skincare. This is a special place!”

This high praise is from a Princeton resident, whose first visit to Kasia Market was a big success.

Located in Pike Run Plaza, 2311 Route 206 North in Belle Mead, Kasia Market opened in December. Owned by Montgomery Township resident Dennis Ahn, it reflects his vision of offering the freshest, healthiest food, supporting an eco-friendly environment, and creating a welcoming atmosphere for both staff and customers.

“I have a vision of what I want to offer customers and what I want the market to be,” he explains. “I am grateful to be able to share that vision with my staff and customers. I really want to do something good for people’s health. Our food is very healthy, always fresh, and high quality.” more

STANDING TALL: Princeton University men’s lacrosse goalie Ryan Croddick guards the crease last Saturday against Penn State as the Tigers opened their 2025 campaign. Junior Croddick, a former Hun School standout, made 21 saves in his first college start to help No. 5 Princeton edge the No. 10 Nittany Lions 11-10 in overtime. Croddick’s 21 saves set a program record for a first-time starter. The Tigers will be hosting No. 2 Maryland (3-0) on February 22. (Photo by Ben Amtsberg, provided courtesy of PU Athletics)

By Justin Feil

Ryan Croddick’s record-setting performance in the season opener last Saturday answered one of the biggest questions facing the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team.

The junior goalie made 21 saves in his first collegiate start last Saturday to help the No. 5 Tigers win their clash at No. 10 Penn State, 11-10, in overtime.

“It feels great,” said Croddick, whose 21-save effort set a program record for a first-time starter. “I think I lost a couple of years off my life during that game, but it was great. It was a big test early to start with a Big 10 opponent, which we haven’t done in a long time, but it was a great test to start the season and we came out with a win, so it was even better.” more

GOOD DAY: Princeton University women’s basketball player Amelia Osgood defends a foe in action last season. Last Saturday, guard Osgood came up big on her Senior Night, scoring a game-high and career-high 13 points to help Princeton defeat Yale 71-42. The Tigers, now 18-5 overall, 9-1 Ivy League, host Columbia (18-5 overall, 9-1 Ivy) in a first-place showdown on February 22. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Amelia Osgood couldn’t stop smiling last Saturday as she reflected on her Senior Night for the Princeton University women’s basketball team.

After Osgood and her four classmates, Parker Hill, Paige Morton, Katie Thiers, and Adaora Nwokeji, were honored in a pregame ceremony, the quintet started the game against Yale and promptly reeled off a 12-0 run. The Tigers never looked back as they cruised to a 71-42 win over the Bulldogs before a crowd of 1,254 on hand at Jadwin Gym, improving to 18-5 overall, 9-1 Ivy League. more

STICKING WITH IT: Princeton University women’s hockey goalie Jen Olnowich sticks aside a shot in recent action. Last Friday, senior Olnowich made 22 saves to help Princeton defeat Union 2-1 in overtime. The Tigers, who lost 4-3 to RPI on Saturday in moving to 17-10-2 overall and 11-9-2 ECAC Hockey, are next in action when they compete in the ECACH Women’s Hockey Championship. Princeton is seeded seventh and will host 10th-seeded RPI in a single-elimination opening round contest on February 21. (Photo by Steven Wojtowicz)

By Bill Alden

Princeton University women’s hockey goalie Jen Olnowich was wearing a white sweater adorned with red hearts to celebrate Valentine’s Day as she came to Hobey Baker Rink last Friday evening.

Olnowich’s attire was also appropriate as she and her fellow seniors were being shown affection over the weekend as the Tigers played their final regular season home games of the 2024-25 campaign. more

SHARK ATTACK: Princeton High girls’ basketball player Katie Sharkey passes the ball last Wednesday as PHS hosted Notre Dame in the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament semifinals. Junior Sharkey scored a team-high 16 points in the game but it wasn’t enough as second-seeded PHS fell 49-45 to third-seeded and eventual champion Notre Dame. The Tigers, now 16-7, play at South Brunswick on February 19, host Steinert on February 21, and play at Bordentown on February 24 before starting action in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) state tournament. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Katie Sharkey has shouldered more responsibility this winter in her junior season for the Princeton High girls’ basketball team.

“I have gotten used to getting my hands on the ball, I am more confident with that which has been fun,” said Sharkey. “Also being a captain I have had more of a leadership role, that obviously helps with confidence too.” more

NO DOUBTING THOMAS: Hun School girls’ basketball CeeJay Thomas drives to the hoop last Saturday as Hun faced Mercersburg Academy (Pa.) the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) Tournament semifinals. Senior forward Thomas scored five points and grabbed nine rebounds to helped second-seeded Hun edge third-seeded Mercersburg 49-47 in the contest. A day later, the Raiders fell 85-38 to top-seeded Blair Academy in the MAPL final to end the winter with a 23-6 record. (Photo by Steven Wojtowicz)

By Bill Alden

The emotions swirled for CeeJay Thomas as the Hun School girls’ basketball team hosted Peddle last Thursday in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) Tournament quarterfinals.

“It was a little bittersweet knowing this was my last time with this team on this court,” said senior forward Thomas. “I wanted to give it my all.”

Asserting herself in the paint, senior forward Thomas gave Hun a lift, scoring four points as Hun reeled off a 19-0 run to begin the game. more

By Bill Alden

When the Hun School boys’ basketball team hosted Peddie in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) quarterfinals last Thursday, Seth Clarke spent some of the first half lying on the ground, using a foam roller to deal with some lower back pain.

But when Hun junior forward Clarke was on the court in the first half, he sparked the fourth-seeded Raiders, scoring 15 points as they jumped out to a 40-28 lead over the fifth-seeded Panthers, overcoming an early 11-3 deficit.

“It was rough going down, we fought through adversity, kept our heads up and did what we had to do,” said Clarke. “My boys trusted me and I trust in God. It worked out.” more

CREASE CONTROL: Princeton Day School girls’ hockey goalie Kelly Stevens guards the post in action this winter. Last Thursday, junior goalie Stevens made nine saves to help PDS defeat Oak Knoll 7-0 in the Librera Cup final. The Panthers, now 10-2-1, play Kent Place on February 19 at the RWJBarnabas Hockey House in Newark before starting play next week in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) state tournament. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Even though the Princeton Day School girls’ hockey team started the winter short-handed with just nine skaters and one goalie, Jamie Davis was confident that his squad could do some big things.

Noting that two key players, forwards Eibhleann Knox and Brynn Dandy, were slated to return from injury in the new year, PDS head coach Davis believed that things would come together by the time the Panthers got into postseason action. more

To the Editor:

In your Feb 12 article on the town’s plan to hire a consulting firm to advise on the best uses of the former Westminster Choir College campus [page 1], you included the sentence, “The Princeton campus has been mostly unoccupied since then.”

Actually, the campus has been — and still is — home to several local performing arts organizations that rent various facilities on the campus. These include the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra, Princeton Pro Musica Choir, Music Together, and the Westminster Conservatory, which provides private music lessons to adults and youth from around Mercer County.

In addition, several other organizations (both from the area and those visiting from afar; last June, a traveling choir from Montreal performed there) have often used Bristol Chapel and other spaces for periodic performances. more

To the Editor:
More than once while driving at night on Nassau Street in Princeton, I almost hit a person crossing the street who was wearing a dark jacket, dark pants, and dark boots, making her or him totally invisible at night.

If you walk at night, for your own protection, please, do wear reflective clothing or a reflective vest so that you are visible while crossing the street at night.

Anna Rosa Kohn
Sturges Way

Isabelle Peck Sanders
October 14, 1933 – February 7, 2025

Isabelle Sanders of Waterbury, Vermont, passed away peacefully on February 7, 2025, at the age of 91. Belle, as she was affectionately known, was born on October 14, 1933, in Ottawa, Illinois, to Mary Livek Peck and Joseph H. Peck, Sr. Her life was a tapestry of love, dedication, and unwavering faith.

Belle’s academic pursuits led her to the University of Texas, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, and later worked as a teacher in the Dallas public school system. Belle’s life took a serendipitous turn when she met Robert Sanders during what was supposed to be a three-day church retreat in Princeton, New Jersey, in the winter of 1963. Their love story was nothing short of extraordinary, with Bob proposing just nine days after their initial meeting at a reception at the Princeton Seminary. They married less than five months later in Dallas, surrounded by friends and family, almost all of whom were meeting them as a couple for the first time.

Belle and Bob’s life blossomed together as they raised their two children, Mark, and David. Their lives were enriched by their deep involvement in various Presbyterian church communities over the years, where Bob served as the senior pastor, from Utica, New York, to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and finally Greenwich, Connecticut. She complemented Bob’s ministry tremendously through her loving spirit and engagement with every parish in countless ways. This further deepened her faith, a pursuit that continued throughout her life through her avid reading and ongoing exploration of Christian theology. After moving to Princeton in 1981, Belle’s career continued in Manhattan, a city she loved, and commuted to daily while working for the Public Relations Society of America until her retirement.

Vermont held a special place in Belle and Bob’s hearts. They spent many summers vacationing there and eventually built their dream home in Waterbury in 1978. When they retired in 1990, they chose to embrace the beauty of Vermont, moving permanently to Waterbury to start a wonderful new chapter in their lives. Belle quickly became active in the community through volunteer work, and meeting new friends while playing bridge and mahjong. She was a devoted member of the St John’s in the Mountains Episcopal Church in Stowe for over 30 years, where she helped form a women’s spirituality group, in which she continued to remain active at the time of her death. She always looked forward to her weekly gatherings with her close, loving friends in her St John’s community.

Belle leaves behind a legacy of love and devotion. She is survived by her two children, David Sanders and his wife, Bronwen, of Fairfield, Connecticut, and Mark Sanders of Manhattan, in addition to many nieces and nephews. She is pre-deceased by her brother Joseph H. Peck, Jr., and her husband, Bob, who passed away in 2020 after 63 happy years together.

A memorial service to celebrate Belle’s life will be held on March 22, at St John’s in the Mountains Episcopal Church in Stowe. She will be laid to rest beside her husband in Princeton, New Jersey, where a small graveside service will take place later this spring. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to either the St John’s in the Mountains Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 1175, Stowe, VT 05672, or the Waterbury Ambulance Service. Inc., 1727 Guptil Road, Waterbury Center, VT 05677.

Belle’s spirit will forever live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.

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Clodius Harris Willis, Jr.

Clodius Harris Willis, Jr. was born on August 4, 1937 in Schenectady, NY, and died on February 10, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at 87 years of age. He was the youngest child to Clodius Sr. (Lignum, VA) and Katherine Vaughan Willis (Richmond, VA).

Clodius graduated from Princeton High School in 1955, where he was happy to be inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame at the age of 70 for his contributions to the state champion high school track team from 1952-1955. Hitchhiking himself to his interview at Amherst College, he enrolled and studied French language and excelled at varsity soccer, graduating in 1959. He went on to study linguistics and phonology at University of Rochester where he not only earned his doctorate, but also met the love of his life, Maxine Cooper Willis. They got married in the scenic mountains outside of Pittsburgh where she grew up, and they spent their honeymoon at Lake Willoughby, Vermont; a place that continues to be special for his whole family.

His education and academic prowess led him to several teaching positions including implementing French-immersion education in Prince Edward Island, Canada, and at the University of Richmond. He then changed career directions and became a skilled software engineer drawing on his linguistic understanding of language and syntax.

People are multifaceted and can show up differently as time, health, and other circumstances change. This was all true of Clodius. He once described himself as preferring to take pleasure in accomplishments over seeking fun. When faced with unrelenting health challenges he once shared that his motto was “Choose life and stand tall.” Although he was sparing in expression of his thoughts and feelings, he exhibited great depth to both when he allowed himself to express it to others. This depth showed up in a love of his family, including his sisters and their children. More so, it showed up in his actions and accomplishments, which he would proudly share with those he loved most. Such accomplishments included planning elaborate and special family vacations, building one-of-a-kind beautiful wooden objects for the home, playing classical guitar, learning to use a hand loom and weaving lovely useful textiles, and baking Parisian delicacies before they were available in the small town of Gettysburg, PA. In addition, he made time to explore and learn about what his children loved to do whether it was supporting playing soccer or learning to portage a canoe. He was very sharp and well read. With these skills combined he could be quite a wit, especially with the written word. He was one who believed in working towards peace in the world. May his spirit rest peacefully, bring peace to each of us, and contribute to peace in the world.

He is survived by his wife Maxine, sons Henry (Sukanya) and Sam (Jeremy), three grandchildren (Neelkumar, Anisha, and Dahlia), two of his sisters Lee and Sally, and many nieces and nephews. His family is thankful for the support provided by his caregivers and doctors.

A family service was held at Rodef Shalom in Pittsburgh. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his memory to Adams County Habitat for Humanity (habitatforhumanityadamscountypa.org), where he volunteered, or the charity of your choice.

Arrangements by John A Freyvogel Sons, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA. (freyvogelfuneralhome.com).

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Owen Shteir
(May 30, 1933 – February 9, 2025)

Owen Shteir loved his family, the natural world, art, classical music, and learning. He will be remembered as a wonderful husband, caring father, and skilled physician, but also for his devotion to learning, his kindness, and his tenacity.

Owen was born and raised in Dutch Neck, New Jersey, where he fished for pickerel in Assunpink Creek, watched birds in the woods, and worked in his parents’ general store. He attended Princeton High School. He excelled in science. In 1951, he was a finalist in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search (now the Regeneron Science Talent Search).

Owen graduated from Princeton University, where he majored in biology, in 1955. He received an MD from The Yale School of Medicine in 1959. He was a dermatologist at Princeton Medical Group for more than 30 years. Owen also had a deep interest in tropical skin diseases and volunteered in Brazil and on the island of Saint Lucia, serving as a visiting physician and treating residents with skin conditions.

Owen loved to learn and had many hobbies. While living on a two-acre wooded property on Stuart Road, he created a beautiful native plant, wildflower, and rock garden. Some of Owen’s favorite native plant species were trout lilies, bloodroot, and pink ladies’ slippers. He loved the trees that towered over his Stuart Road property: American beech, shagbark hickory, white oak, red oak, black oak, and tulip. Owen also enjoyed watching the many songbirds that frequented the garden for food, shelter, and nesting sites. He was passionate about nature and believed that plants and animals had their own inherent value and right to exist.

Owen had many gifts as a learner and a teacher. He was inquisitive, patient, and calm, but also perseverant, self-motivated, and stoic. Each night after dinner, Owen joined his wife in the living room where they read until they went to bed. His interest in literature ranged from modern fiction to ecology, from Shakespeare to ancient Greek history. He instilled his love of learning and his love for good writing in his children.

He is survived by his wife, Marilyn Shteir, of Princeton, New Jersey, and his two children, Rachel Shteir, of Chicago, and Seth Shteir, of Montana.

February 12, 2025

Sandy Ogg, right, a volunteer at Howell Living History Farm in Hopewell Township, led a demonstration at the Maple Sugaring event held Saturday at the farm. Attendees share what they learned in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Sarah Teo)

By Anne Levin

At its meeting on Monday night, February 10, Princeton Council took another step toward figuring out the future of the former campus of Westminster Choir College.

Council approved a resolution authorizing the hiring of the Newark consulting firm Topology “for professional planning services related to the Westminster Choir College property, including the adaptive reuse of historic buildings on the property,” according to a memo to Council members from Princeton Planning Director Justin Lesko.

The professional service agreement is for work in four phases, the first of which is expected to take place for up to 15 months and not exceed $115,000. more

FIGHTING FOOD INSECURITY: Share My Meals and Princeton Public Schools are making sure surplus meals from the schools are going to Princeton residents in need. From left are Peter Torino, Pomptonian Food Service manager; Shannon Barlow, PPS food systems literacy coordinator; and Tracy Hart, Pomptonian operations manager. (Photo by Krista Galyon)

By Anne Levin

Share My Meals (SMM), the Princeton-based nonprofit dedicated to fighting food insecurity and reducing food waste, has formed a new partnership with Princeton Public Schools (PPS).

The collaboration allows for surplus prepared meals from the district’s schools to be safely recovered and redistributed to families and residents in Princeton on a weekly basis. The first deliveries were made on January 10. more

By Donald Gilpin

With primary day less than four months away and a slew of candidates from both parties vying to be the next governor of New Jersey, the Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO) is hosting a Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Forum at 7 p.m. on Sunday, February 16 at the Suzanne Patterson Center, 45 Stockton Street.

Mayors Ras Baraka of Newark and Steve Fulop of Jersey City, former Montclair Mayor now New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) Head Sean Spiller, and former State Senate President Steve Sweeney will take the debate stage on Sunday to promote their views in the race to succeed Gov. Phil Murphy, who is completing his second four-year term, the limit for New Jersey governors.

U.S. Representatives Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer, who are also in the race, will not be present, but State Senator John McKeon will be standing in for Sherrill. Mia Sacks, Princeton Council president, will moderate the proceedings, which will also be livestreamed to the PCDO Facebook page. more

DANCING EN FRANÇAIS: Princeton High School students learn West African dance steps from teacher Janelle Wilkinson, far left, who teaches both French and dance. Making movement a part of the French curriculum provides a unique perspective that students clearly enjoy. (Photo by Sarah Teo)

By Anne Levin

It would make sense to assume that the curriculum of a high school French course is focused on France. But the language is spoken widely in other parts of the world, inspiring Princeton High School (PHS) French teachers Janelle Wilkinson and Gyselle North to broaden the perspective of the classes they teach to three levels of students.

“The French-Speaking World of West Africa” is the theme of the course for French levels 4-6, this month and next. Since Wilkinson also teaches dance at PHS, she has started a unit for the students on West African dance. Last Friday, Wilkinson had students out on the floor of the school’s dance room, learning elements of such dances as the Zaouli from the Ivory Coast, and the Dogon mask dance from Mali — taught all in French, of course. more

By Donald Gilpin

More than 300 students at the East Jersey State Prison and at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women will be using 52 laptops and other technology equipment donated by Princeton University, as they gain skills for transitions to college campuses and the job market.

The gift will be used to equip mobile computer labs in the two state prisons as part of the New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons (NJ-STEP) consortium and will enhance the work of the Princeton University Prison Teaching Initiative (PTI), according to a Princeton University press release.

“Because of this important donation, our students at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women and at the East Jersey State Prison facility will now have the opportunity to access these laptops as part of their coursework,” said New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJDOC) Commissioner Victoria L. Kuhn, as quoted in the release.  more

By Stuart Mitchner

Not often in the story of mankind does a man arrive on earth who is both steel and velvet, who is as hard as rock and soft as drifting fog, who holds in his heart and mind the paradox of terrible storm and peace unspeakable and perfect.” With these words the poet and Lincoln biographer Carl Sandburg began his address to a joint session of Congress on the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, February 12, 1959.

Sandburg made sure to mention some hard truths up front, including the fact that early in his administration, Lincoln “took to himself the powers of a dictator.” As commander of “the most powerful armies till then assembled in modern warfare,” he “enforced conscription of soldiers for the first time in American history. Under imperative necessity he abolished the right of habeas corpus. He directed politically and spiritually the wild, massive, turbulent forces let loose in civil war.” And after failing to get action on compensated emancipation, “he issued the paper by which he declared the slaves to be free under ‘military necessity.’ In the end nearly $4 million worth of property was taken away from those who were legal owners of it, property confiscated, wiped out as by fire and turned to ashes, at his instigation and executive direction.”

On a key date in Black History Month, whether you’re thinking 1959 or 2025, it’s striking to hear emancipated human beings referred to as “property confiscated.” No less striking is the idea of a poet addressing a joint session of Congress in the same room that would be overrun by a lawless (recently “emancipated”) mob during the January 6, 2021 insurrection.  more

By Nancy Plum

Fresh off its win of a fourth Grammy award, the Philadelphia-based professional chamber vocal ensemble The Crossing performed in Richardson Auditorium last Tuesday night as part of McCarter Theatre Center’s classical music series. Choruses often specialize in the works of specific composers or time periods, and The Crossing, under the direction of Donald Nally, has built a stellar reputation as an ensemble dedicated to new repertoire. Each of the 16 voices in The Crossing is not only capable of solo performance but is also able to combine with the other Crossing singers to create a unified and impeccably-tuned choral palette.

The Crossing came to Richardson to present a single work — the 14-movement poor hymnal of New York composer David Lang. A collector of old hymnals, Lang has written a piece addressing the question of whether the community messages conveyed by hymns of the past are the same as today. Lang’s a capella choral work, commissioned by both The Crossing and a chorus from the Netherlands, fused texts inspired by the Bible and contemporary writings with choral writing well suited to The Crossing’s precise vocal style and technique.

Soprano Anika Kildegaard opened the work with a solo rendition of Lang’s reflective poem on “a poor man.” Members of The Crossing require solid vocal independence and confidence to successfully contribute to this level of choral performance, and Kildegaard commanded the stage well as a lone singer controlling the pace in delivering the text.  more

TRIO WITH A TWIST: Most people are unfamiliar with the baryton, a 17th- and-18th-century string instrument that is the focus of a performance by the Valencia Baryton Project on February 27 at Trinity Church. (Photo by Greg Kindred)

On Thursday, February 27 at 7 p.m., music of the baryton will be showcased at a concert by the Valencia Baryton Project at Trinity Church, 33 Mercer Street. The concert is part of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s new chamber music series.

The baryton is an ancient and little-known 17th- and 18th-century string instrument, a cross between the viol da gamba and lirone, with 10 resonating and plucked srings down its back. The baryton gives the traditional string trio an entirely new dimension. The Project’s trio consists of Matthew Baker on baryton with violist Brett Walfish and cellist Ismar Gomes.  more

“Seeing the Big Picture: An Experimental Film Series organized by Princeton University Professor Christopher Harris features 16mm analog films by internationally celebrated experimental filmmakers working at the forefront of artists’ films in a variety of idiosyncratic forms, using handmade methods and unconventional materials.

This series of nine screenings running through April 14 at the James Stewart Film Theater, 185 Nassau Street, includes Learning to Be Human, a special program showcasing rare 16mm educational films from the late ’60s and early ’70s on loan from the Harvard Film Archive. Each screening is followed by an in-person conversation with the visiting artist.

Screenings are February 10, 17, and 24; March 3, 17, and 31; and April 7 and 14 at 8 p.m. Admission is free. more

YOUNG SOLOISTS: Westminster Conservatory piano students Divya Streekumar, left, and Amanda Wu are featured in a program by the Westminster Community Orchestra of February 23.

Ruth Ochs leads the the Westminster Community Orchestra in a program on Sunday, February 23 at 3 p.m. in a program titled “Winterlude,” in Hillman Hall, in the Cullen Center, on the Westminster campus, Walnut Lane.

The concert will feature Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 in D Major and Borodin’s Overture to Prince Igor, as well as the second-place winners of the Westminster Conservatory Piano Concerto competition. Amanda Wu will perform the first movement from Haydn’s Concerto in D Major; Divya Sreekumar will perform the second and third movements from Bach’s Concerto in F Minor. more

EDUCATED COMEDY: Eddie B. brings the Teachers Only Comedy Tour 25 to State Theatre New Jersey on March 1.

State Theatre New Jersey presents “Eddie B. — Teachers Only Comedy Tour 25” on Saturday, March 1 at 8 p.m.

In a matter of hours after Eddie B., the teacher comedian, created a series of comical videos titled “What Teachers Really Want to Say” educators all over the country realized that they were not alone, and finally had someone to joke about the things they were reluctant to say out loud.  more

THREE CHOREOGRAPHERS: Jerome Robbins “In the Night” is on a program that also includes works by George Balanchine and Peter Martins, to be presented by the New Jersey Ballet at two programs on February 22.

On Saturday, February 22, New Jersey Ballet will present “Masterworks in Motion” at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC), with two performances at 2 and 7:30 p.m. The program features George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco and Tarantella, Jerome Robbins’ In the Night and Peter Martins’ Hallelujah Junction.

“This program highlights the beauty, innovation and versatility of ballet,” said Artistic Director Maria Kowroski., a former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. “From Balanchine’s neoclassical precision to Robbins’ emotional depth and Martins’ contemporary energy, these works showcase the full range of the art form. It is an honor for our dancers to share these masterpieces with audiences.” more

Fans of the full-length classic ballet are in luck. New York City Ballet’s production by Peter Martins is at Lincoln Center’s Koch Theater February 19-March 2, and the Philadelphia Ballet’s version by Angel Corella is at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music March 6-16. Both productions take their cue from the original, choreographed in 1877 by Marius Petipa. Shown here is New York City Ballet principal dancer Sara Mearns, with dancers in the company. (Photo by Erin Baiano)