Skip to main content

Connecticut College awarded three grants in support of onStage series

Connecticut College has been awarded three grants from the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) in support of the onStage at Connecticut College arts series. The grants, which total more than $16,000, will fund performances by Asphalt Orchestra, Brentano String Quartet and AXIS Dance Company. The grants for Asphalt Orchestra and Brentano String Quartet are through NEFA's Expeditions program and the grant for AXIS Dance Company is through NEFA's National Dance Project.

The three groups will perform as a part of the 2011-2012 onStage season. The onStage series offers students and community members a variety of artistic and educational offerings. Asphalt Orchestra is a 12-piece marching band that fuses traditional music with rock and jazz. Created in 2009, Asphalt Orchestra is known for street performances choreographed by Susan Marshall and Mark DeChiazza. The Brentano String Quartet performs a wide range of music from classical to contemporary. Together since 1992, the performers have recorded numerous CDs and toured throughout the world. The group has won several awards, including the first Cleveland Quartet Award and the Naumburg Chamber Music Award. AXIS Dance Co. was founded in 1987 by Thais Mazur. The San Francisco-based company features dancers with and without disabilities who work collaboratively to create performance pieces.

In the more than 30 years since its inception, the group has toured nationally and internationally with a focus on speaking about and teaching 'physically integrated' dance. AXIS is known for commissioning renowned choreographers, composers and designers to create exciting, innovative productions. OnStage at Connecticut College brings nationally and internationally known artists to campus, with a season that runs through the academic year. In addition to grants from New England Foundation for the Arts, onStage is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. About NEFA NEFA creatively supports the movement of people, ideas and resources in the arts within New England and beyond, makes vital connections between artists and communities, and builds the strength, knowledge and leadership of the creative sector.

NEFA's Expeditions program is made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from the six New England state arts agencies. The National Dance Project is supported by lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, with additional funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Community Connections Fund of MetLife Foundation and the Boeing Company Charitable Trust. For more information, go to www.nefa.org.



June 7, 2011