Troupe is dancing into the future

Celeste Varricchio, the founder and director of the Mosaic Dance Theater Co., said federal funding cuts will not affect her troupe and the National Endowment for the Arts wants art organizations to develop programming for the upcoming U.S. semiquincentennial.

“But diversity, equality and inclusive programming is ineligible for federal funding,” she said. “They want programming celebrating the country’s 250th birthday, but it’s not essential for applying.”

The NEA did cancel Challenge America Grants, she said. This funding was for programming which served underprivileged communities.

“I don’t know if it’s just for this grant cycle,” she added.

Mosaic Dance has not specifically done DEI programming.

“We’re an equitable dance company and have guidelines in our handbook,” she said. “But the company’s core values of respect, commitment, integrity, and diversity have always existed, welcoming all who engage with us. Respect for diverse cultures, people and perspectives strengthen communities.”

Mosaic Dance highlights the folkloric dance of the Mediterranean and northern Africa region. Regarding DEI qualifications of its artists, she said the company looks for the best dancers, for excellence, but there are many factors.

“Part of it is a dancer’s availability,” she said. “They have other jobs. Dance does not provide a sustainable income. Most of the dancers are freelance.”

Marissa McFarland, the grant administrator and archivist for the Essex County Parks Department and Cultural Affairs, said unless something unforeseen
happens, county art grant activity will not be cut.

“We’ve got a green light for this calendar year,” she said. “Our funding is provided by the Hotel/Motel Tax, which is a state tax.”

Mosaic Dance, she said, applies every year for a special support grant which the company uses for a different performance. McFarland administers $67,500 in historic grants and $391,400 in art grants, $305,200 which is for “regrant” purposes. This is money meant for distribution to local art organizations. According to Varricchio, her 2024 annual budget was under $50,000. Grant funding, federal and state, accounted for 21 percent of the troupe’s income.

The company opens its spring season the weekend, March 8 and 9, with free virtual programming. It is titled, “The World in Motion: Two Women of Ancient Time.”

“Back in the dark days of 2021, we received a county grant to create a virtual series,” Varricchio said. “It was ‘World in Motion’ which is a series of dances of the Mediterranean region. We have a video of everything we did. The program for this weekend is for Women’s History Month. It was created in 2021.”

It has two parts. The first is the story of Enheduanna, a poet/priestess of ancient Mesopotamia and the first non-anonymous author in history.

According to an internet search, Enheduanna was put in charge of a powerful temple and given the responsibility of reconciling beliefs in various gods in order to provide social stability. She repelled a coup attempt during this time and wrote psalms which later influenced the Hebrew Bible and Homeric hymns.

The second part is the story of Hapshepsut, the woman/pharaoh of ancient Egypt. Varricchio said pharaohs who came after her tried to destroy any record of her possibly for pushing too many boundaries.

“We see that in ancient Rome, too,” she said. “The successor wipes out the predecessor. But Enheduanna and Hapshepsut are two fantastic women. History is now more aware of Hapshepsut. If you have a yen to study ancient history, these are two areas. There are too few women in ancient history to study. It’s an honor to present them.”

The entire show, which includes an interview, is an hour. A carved image of Hapshepsut is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

To view the weekend’s programs, registration with the ticketing agency Eventbrite is required.

The dance company will also present a free program in Montclair this May highlighting the dance styles of north Africa and the Mideast titled “Visions of the Near East.”

  Glen Ridge, Mosaic Dance Theater Co.