November 28, 2012

Television “Dancing” Star MacManus To Visit Area Dance Studio in January

DANCING WITH A PRO: Tristan MacManus, shown here with fellow “Dancing With the Stars” cast member Chelsie Hightower, chose the Princeton Dance and Theatre Studio in Forrestal Village as the location for an upcoming fundraiser appearance for his favorite charity, Grassroot Soccer.

Local fans of the hit TV show Dancing With the Stars will soon have a chance to spend an evening with one of the show’s professional dancers. Tristan MacManus, the handsome Irishman who has waltzed with such “stars” as Gladys

Knight, Nancy Grace, and Pamela Anderson, will appear on January 26 at Princeton Dance and Theatre Studio (PDT) in Forrestal Village.

The one-night-only event, which is limited to 90 participants, is a fundraiser for Mr. MacManus’s charity Grassroot Soccer, which uses a soccer-based curriculum to educate children in Africa about AIDS. The choice of PDT as a venue came about by chance. The studio, which emphasizes ballet but also offers Broadway dance, hip hop, and other forms, has no connection to Mr. MacManus or Dancing With the Stars, a show that pairs professional dancers with celebrities in a competition; the current season ended last night.

But the mother of two former PDT students happened to be involved with DublinDown330, an organization that works with Grassroot Soccer to raise money and awareness. Donor Jeanne Richman was approached by the charity to help find a location for Mr. MacManus’s fundraiser, and she immediately thought of PDT.

“They were looking for a place on the east coast where Tristan could have a night to meet some of the people who have donated to the charity,” she said. “They asked me about Princeton, and I told them about PDT. It was a logical place. Tristan was interested when he looked at the faculty, because of its diversity. It’s not just ballet, it’s also about Broadway dance, and he loves anything that has to do with Broadway.”

Growing up in Ireland, Mr. MacManus, now 30, divided his energies between his two passions: soccer and dancing. “At one point he gave up dance for soccer,” said Ms. Richman, who has gotten to know the dancer through interviews she has done with him for his website. “He went back to dance, but he loves soccer and he has devoted a lot of time to raising money for the charity, which supports children in Africa and AIDS-prevention by using soccer in the curriculum.”

The initial goal was to raise $10,000 for a tournament
to be played in Los Angeles, where Mr. MacManus spends time while working on Dancing With the Stars. Some $19,000 has been raised so far, and the bar has been reset at $100,000, according to the website macmania.com.

Among the biggest fundraisers so far was a raffle for a dance lesson with Mr. MacManus. Some 800 people entered. The Princeton event is a way for the dancer to meet some of his supporters — the 799 who didn’t win the raffle, and then some. “He wanted to find a way to thank his fans,” said Ms. Richman, “not just for the charity project, but also for everything through his career, including Dancing With the Stars. He wants people to feel included.”

PDT’s size limits the number of participants in the event, but that’s part of the plan. “We wanted small,” Ms. Richman said. “It’s a meet and greet, with a lot of personal interaction. He won’t perform, but we’re trying to talk him into maybe doing a dance lesson earlier in the day.”

Ms. Richman is expecting a full house. Already, one “huge fan” of Mr. MacManus is flying in from
Finland for the event. Others, from Ohio, North Carolina, and other locations, have expressed an interest. “He’s very popular and has huge support on social media, but he wants everyone, including people who don’t use websites or Twitter, to be included,” she said.

“I am very excited about my January 26 Dublin-Down330 fundraiser that is being hosted by the very kind and gracious people at Princeton Dance and Theater,” Mr. MacManus said in a printed statement. “For nearly a year, I have worked diligently to raise awareness and support for Grassroot Soccer, a charity whose vision is ‘A world mobilized through soccer to create an AIDS-free generation.’ …. I am as passionate about football [soccer] as I am about dance …. This event is a chance for me to meet many of my very generous fans while continuing the next phase of our fund-raising. I am looking forward to being in Princeton and meeting many of you.“

Tickets are available at DublinDown330@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.macmaniacs.org/dublin
down330.html.


January 9, 2012

Dance for Parkinson Class At PDT Studio

The fourth 16-week series of classes, Princeton Dance for Parkinson, will be held January 18-February 22 from 1-2:15 p.m. at the Princeton Dance and Theatre Studio in Forrestal Village. Classes are designed to empower those afflicted with Parkinson’s disease, their partners, caregivers and friends, to enjoy movement, music and dance.

Classes for walk-ins are $10 per person. If a caregiver or spouse or partner participates it is an additional $5. Special discounts for six-class packages are given at $55, $25 for caregivers. No dance experience is necessary, and all levels can start at any time during the series.

Classes on the Dance for PD® started at the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn in 2001, and have since been replicated in more than 40 other communities around the world. Only 100 dance teachers in the U.S. have been trained by the Dance for PD® program. All three Princeton instructors, Marie Alonzo Snyder, Linda Mannheim, and Debra Keller, are continuing their training with education workshops.

They will take turns co-leading the 75-minute class. Participants will explore elements of modern dance, ballet, social dancing, and repertory from each of the choreographers in an enjoyable, non-pressured environment that features live musical accompaniment.

For more information, visit mariesnyder@dancevisionnj.org or call (609) 520-1020. The studio is at 116 Rockingham Row in Forrestal Village.