The Moving Architects Work-in-Progress
Community Showing
Crane House & Historic YWCA Performance Project
May 16, 2025
Doors Open: 7.30pm
Performance: 8:00pm
Union Congregational Church, Assembly Room
176 Cooper Ave, Montclair, NJ 07043
Street Parking Available
Tickets: $20 General Admission; Free for kids ages 10 and under
Purchase Tickets: Ticketleap
Join The Moving Architects for a special work-in-progress showing! Their latest performance project, premiering this September, brings the rich history of the Montclair History Center’s Crane House & Historic YWCA to life through dance.
The event will include a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the project’s choreography and development, with historical insight from Montclair History Center Executive Director Angelica Diggs and TMA Artistic Director Erin Carlisle Norton. The event will also feature a new dance film premiere and a performance by local community dancers from TMA’s Performance Workshops. Drinks, wine, and snacks will be available for purchase to support the project.
Company Dancers: Nicole Arakaki, Karma Chuki, Emily Cicio, Kelly Guerrero, Cecelia Mitchell
Community Dancers: Aryn Balbin, Dana Valdes, Katie Woehr
Dance Film Performers: Mariah Anton Arters, Emily Cicio, Kelly Guerrero
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.
Performances: September 20, 2025 (Rain Date, September 21)
Crane House & Historic YWCA
110 Orange Rd, Montclair, NJ 07042
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.