Crane House & Historic YWCA Performance Project
Premiere: 9.20.25 in partnership with Montclair History Center

Performances: September 20, 2025 (Rain Date, September 21)
Crane House & Historic YWCA
110 Orange Rd, Montclair, NJ 07042

Work in Progress Community Showing
May 16, 2025 @ 7.30pm
Union Congregational Church, Assembly Room
176 Cooper Ave, Montclair, NJ 07043

Follow the process: Project Blog
Read more about the project: Crane House Preview Media Kit

The Project
The Moving Architects’ performance project brings the rich history of Montclair History Center’s Crane House & Historic YWCA to life. In partnership with Montclair History Center, this site-immersive performance weaves dance and music together with the spaces and historical narratives of the building. Audiences are guided through the house and grounds to witness intimate and captivating dance performances by the intergenerational and all-female cast. By engaging deeply with the site’s history and incorporating the diverse voices and stories of those who lived there, the performance transforms the site into a living celebration of its storied past, offering audiences a profound and intimate connection to the area’s rich heritage.

Artists – current roster
Choreographer: Erin Carlisle Norton
Dancers: Mariah Anton, Nicole Arakaki,  Emily Cicio, Kelly Guerrero, Karma Chuki, Cecilia Mitchell

Historical Overview
Montclair History Center’s Crane House & Historic YWCA holds the history of three generations of the Crane family and the enslaved people and servants who were part of the household (1796-1900), the period when the home was a segregated YWCA for Black women and girls, including boarders (1920-1965), and the early preservationists who saved this piece of Montclair history in the formative years of America’s historic preservation movement (1965-1970). The Crane House & Historic YWCA uncovers America’s history from its early years as an independent nation to a country embroiled in the civil rights struggle.

This project is made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. For more info: The Moving Architects Grant Press Release

This project is made possible by funds from the Essex County Division of Cultural Affairs, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

SpringUP! Dance Festival
sponsored by Lehigh Valley Dance Exchange with Cedar Crest College

April 5, 2025

Erin Carlisle Norton Dance Workshop
SpringUP LIVE! Guest Artist Concert featuring The Moving Architects

Cedar Crest College
100 College Drive, Allentown PA 18104
Workshops: Steinbright Hall Dance Studio
Performance: Samuels Theatre is located in the Tompkins College Center (TCC)
Campus Map

To purchase class packets and tickets: LVDE

Thursday, April 3, 2025 / 7.15pm + 7.45pm performance

Performing at MAM in 2017, photo gwen charles

Montclair Art Museum – Free First Thursday Nights
Leir Hall
3 South Mountain Ave.
Montclair, NJ 07042
More info: montclairartmuseum.org
FREE EVENT!

Essex County Teen Arts Festival (NJ)
Thursday, March 27, 2025

South Mountain Recreation Complex
(includes Turtle Back Zoo, Education Building, and the Codey Arena)
West Orange, NJ

Essex County teens are invited to participate in classes and workshops dedicated to fine and performing arts with the opportunity to meet other artists and peers from across Essex County.

TMA Artistic Director Erin Carlisle Norton will be teaching workshops in Dance Improvisation/Choreography and adjudicating dance performances.

More Info: HERE

THE MOVING ARCHITECTS PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP WINTER WARMUP

return to your love of dance and performance

This Performance Workshop is for adults who want an opportunity to dance and perform again! Designed for female-identifying adults of all ages, this program welcomes individuals who have a strong dance foundation from experiences dancing in high school, college, and/or professionally. Through a 5-week series of weekly rehearsals, we will create, rehearse, and dance together, culminating in a community dance performance. Come as you are!

Sundays, 1:45-3:45pm: March 9, 16, 23, 30 + April 6, 2025
Performance Showing: April 6 @ 3.30pm*

Location: Yoga Mechanics, 107 Forest Street Montclair, NJ 07042

*Additional opportunities are available to perform alongside The Moving Architects!  More details will be provided upon registration.

Cost: $250, Registration opens Feb 17 HERE

List of Q & A’s: HERE