By Anne Levin
Just a few months after opening the Martin Center for Dance in Lawrence five years ago, longtime dancers/choreographers Douglas Martin and Mary Barton were hit with what could have been the worst news possible: the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the couple, who are married, were quick to realize the possibilities of online teaching. As a result, the fledgling school has not only survived — it has thrived.
A celebration of its fifth anniversary is planned for Friday, January 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the studio at 11 Princess Road. In addition to getting an opportunity to meet some of the dancers who have studied at the school and gone on to pursue professional careers, those attending the open house will hear live music, experience the art on the walls, and have some refreshments.
“We’ll have the whole community there,” said Martin. “We have been really interested in creating community from the beginning, and that’s what we have done. So, we’re celebrating.”
Martin and Barton were star dancers of the Joffrey Ballet in New York before joining American Repertory Ballet (ARB) in 1993. Martin eventually became the company’s artistic director, and Barton was a choreographer and popular teacher at ARB’s affiliated Princeton Ballet School until the couple were unexpectedly relieved of their duties in July 2019. (The company is currently led by Artistic Director Ethan Stiefel and Executive Director Julie Diana Hench).
After recovering from the shock, Martin and Barton quickly moved on and decided to open their own school. They found a 5,000-square-foot space in Lawrence, and recruited former Princeton Ballet School colleagues Kirk Peterson, Mary Pat Robertson, and Maria Youskevitch to join the faculty. Since then, Erika Mero and Jennifer Gladney have joined the teaching roster.
Class offerings at the school include ballet for children and adults, contemporary dance for those 50 and up, Zumba, and a mobility class for older adults that is offered in person and via Zoom. “We have people all over the country who take that class,” said Martin. “I’m really happy to say that a huge portion of our business is adults. We have a pretty large community, and they’re really loyal. It’s wonderful to have a place where adults feel like they are a focus.”
For the younger students, the idea has been to concentrate on training, but not necessarily with a goal of performing. “We wanted a school that served everybody,” said Martin. “We have stuck by that. We do give the kids a chance to perform, but it is definitely not the focus.”
Among the former students at the party will be Charlotte Fucarino, a Freehold resident who is a trainee with Sarasota Ballet. Among those visiting and taking classes during the holidays will be Ewing resident Olivia Williams, a Rutgers student. West Windsor resident Jaclyn Owens is studying physical therapy and music theater at Rutgers, and Plainsboro resident Cate Bashore is a student at Emory University. Also visiting will be two Montgomery Township residents, Michalina Jernigan and Sheridan Kragseth. Jernigan is studying pre-law and dance at the University of Utah and Kragseth is a sophomore at Rutgers.
“We have wonderful students,” said Martin. “Every single one has either graduated and gone to college or dance companies or training programs. One of our youngest, who started with us five years ago, is Charlotte, who is in the Sarasota program. She looks great and is doing really well.”
Running a ballet school is significantly less stressful than it was running a school and a ballet company. “It is really nice not to have a board over your head,” said Martin. “We gave it our best shot and everything we had at ARB, for 30 years, with no appreciation. But here, it has really been a pleasure. We know what we want to get accomplished, and we can all bring our own styling, too. For these young kids to have choreographers like Kirk and Mary staging things on them, it’s pretty extraordinary.”
The open house at the Martin Center for Dance is Friday, January 17 at 7:30 p.m. Visit martinbartonarts.com for more information.
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