American Repertory Ballet To Host Annual Gala On Saturday, March 9

American Repertory Ballet (ARB) will host its annual gala, "An Enchanted Castle Soirée," inspired by the company's world premiere of Beauty and the Beast, on Saturday, March 9, at 6:00 pm at the Pines Manor in Edison, N.J. Guests will enjoy a French inspired ambiance, silent auction, dinner and dancing alongside artists of American Repertory Ballet. Award-winning radio broadcaster Bert Baron, host of "Jersey Central with Bert Baron," on WCTC (1450AM) will be the Master of Ceremonies.

The primary goal of the fundraiser is to raise money for ARB's merit and need-based scholarship program, which awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships last year. The fundraiser will also enable the organization to present professional ballet productions such as a world premiere of Kirk Peterson's Beauty and the Beast and American Made: Paul Taylor and Other Works, which will be performed this spring in New York City.

This year's gala will honor Christine Zoffinger and Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design (JZA +D) for their outstanding and longtime support of the arts, and Erika Mero, the recipient of the 2019 Audrée Estey Award for Excellence in Dance Education.

About the 2019 Honorees

Christine Zoffinger began dancing and cheering at the age of five, going on to become a member of nationally ranked high school teams in both the U.S. and in London. She was on the first Rutgers Dance Team invited to compete at the UCA & UDA National College Cheerleading and Dance Team Championship in 1993, and in 1998 was named head coach of Rutgers Dance Team. An active member in her community, Montgomery Township, Christina is president of the Montgomery Township Education Foundation, vice-president of the Montgomery Middle School PTO and president of the Montgomery High School Football Booster Club. She is a graduate of Rutgers University, receiving both a BA and MBA.

Joshua Zinder, principal of the Princeton-based Joshua ZinderArchitecture + Design (JZA+D) founded in 2006. The award-winning firm practice functions as a multidisciplinary team that shares sustainable and contemporary design aesthetics and aspirations. His daughter studied dance at Princeton Ballet School, and was the architectural consultant for ARB in preparation for the company's move into its new home, the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center.

Erika Mero began her dance training at Princeton Ballet School and has been teaching in the School since 2003. She earned a BFA in Dance Performance from SUNY Purchase, and a MA in Dance Education with a concentration in ABT Ballet Pedagogy from New York University. She has been on the faculty for American Ballet Theatre's Young Dancer Summer Workshop and is currently an adjunct instructor at The Lawrenceville School as well as Rutgers University atMason Gross School of the Arts.

Program Details

ARB's gala will feature a performance by its professional company and Princeton Ballet School students, including scholarship recipients from the organization's signature DANCE POWER in-school residency program.

For more information about the American Repertory Ballet gala, please visit: www.arballet.org

About American Repertory Ballet/Princeton Ballet School

American Repertory Ballet's mission is to bring the joy, beauty, artistry and discipline of classical and contemporary dance to New Jersey and nationwide audiences and to dance students through artistic and educational programs. The organization comprises: the preeminent professional classical and contemporary ballet company in the state; Princeton Ballet School, one of the largest and most respected non-profit dance schools in the nation; and ARB's Access & Enrichment initiatives, including the long-running and acclaimed DANCE POWER program. To learn more, visit arballet.org.

Programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support provided by Princeton Spine & Joint Center, Johnson & Johnson, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Discover Jersey Arts, Bloomberg Philanthropies, RWJ University Somerset Sports Physical Therapy and the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund.