Paul Taylor, one of my all-time favorite choreographers, brings his company to McCarter tonight. As Valerie Sudol writes, “He is entirely capable of building a whole new universe from steps and gestures, each wrested from his fertile imagination.”

As I write this, a former Princeton Ballet School student, Sean Mahoney, is giving a master class at the PBS studios. Tonight he will perform in the Taylor classic, Mercuric Tidings. Also on the program are two new works, The Uncommitted (music by Arvo Part), and Gossamer Gallants (music by Smetana). A few tickets remain. 


Tango dancing infuses the Mercer Dance Ensemble with some Argentine flavor in its concerts set for Saturday, May 12 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 13, at 2 p.m. 

Virtually every successful woman is, at some point in her life, going to be a caregiver. The eighth annual women’s caregiver retreat is Thursday, May 17 by the Family Support Center of New Jersey. To quote from the promotional material:

“Caring for the Caregiver: Put Your Oxygen Mask on First” Join us for a day of outstanding presentations, exhibits, health screenings, renewal services and much more. Seating is LIMITED. Please note a $20.00 non refundable fee for attendees is required at time of registration Click here to register today!

Bart Jackson (Bart’s Books) has released his latest business book, this one for the business woman: Behind Every Successful Woman is Herself. From the promotional material: 

From the dawn of civilization women have played a vital, necessary, and immensely powerful force in the realm of business.  Today, however, many business women, despite their increasing numbers and importance, envision themselves as newcomers into this world so long claimed as a a bastion of that strange other gender.  

This book provides businesswomen with a guide for finding success and satisfaction.  It shares the strategies proven effective by so many business leaders.  Some of the tactics are based on uniquely feminine advantages, others discuss overall techniques benefitting any owner…..


Looking ahead, the Princeton Chamber’s Women in Business group hosts branding expert Judy Lindenberger on Tuesday, May 22, at 5 p.m. at Springdale Golf Club.  From the promotional material: 

Do you know the importance of branding yourself, and getting your name out there everywhere you can? Judy Lindenberger will share the secrets to branding yourself, both the tried and true way as well as through the latest social media. The topic: “The Brand Called YOU.”

Stand Against Racism, YWCA Princeton, Bramwell House Living Room, 59 Paul Robeson Place, 609-497-2100, The event that began in Mercer County in 2008 is now a national event to unite all individuals as one community, regardless of racial and ethnic background. Screening of ‘The Princeton Plan: 50 Years Later’ followed by guest speakers, Shirley Satterfield and Henry Pannell, who were part of the first class to integrate in the Princeton School system. Both second grade students in 1948, they talk about the transition from segregation to integration. For ages 10 and up. Free.,www.ywcaprinceton.org, 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.


Melissa Harris-Perry, Planned Parenthood, Hyatt, Carnegie Center, West Windsor, 609-964-7955, Harris-Perry, a professor of political science at Tulane University, writes ‘Sister Citizen,’ a monthly column for ‘The Nation.’ Her new book, ‘Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America,’ focuses on persistent harmful stereotypes familiar to black women. Register.,www.plannedparenthood.org, Noon. 


Girl Scouts’ 100th Birthday, West Windsor and Plainsboro Girl Scouts, High School North, 90 Grovers Mill Road, Plainsboro, 609-371-2119, A birthday celebration with balloons, games, crafts, cupcakes, and more for girls interested in scouting. E-mail girlscoutswwp@verizon.net for information. $5., 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Here’s one for NEXT FRIDAY: Catherine Williams pictured at left.

Tonight (Tuesday, April 24) is the last session of the Bill T. Jones lectures (Toni Morrison series). Here’s an account of the second lecture/performance and soon they will be available on line Also tonight at McCarter you are out of luck if you wanted to see members of the NYCB, unless you can get standing room.

Hot tickets: Mark Morris has an unusual and tempting concert on Thursday, May 3, at Richardson. It should sell out. So should Paul Taylor on Tuesday, May 8, at McCarter. On that day, May 8, American Repertory Ballet alum (now Taylor dancer) Sean Mahoney will teach an open-to-the-public-to-watch master class from noon to 1:30 at the Princeton Ballet School studio.

Once again, I will be out of town for the always interesting “choreographers over 40” concert. otherwise known as “I’ll Have What She’s Having,” (left, pictured, Linda Mannheim).. I am willing to look at — but am not guaranteeing to post — guest reviews.

The press release for it:  The “I’ll Have What She’s Having…Dance Project” scheduled for May 4, 5, and 6 will feature new, innovative and risk taking works of dance. The representation of dance portrayed is on the cutting edge of modern dance in New Jersey, bringing forth a new perspective of dance and uniquely using the human body to finding metaphor, meaning and content through the art of dance. The performances will be held at the YWCA Princeton, 59 Paul Robeson Place. Tickets are $15 for seniors/students and $20 general admission and will be available at the door.

Coming up on the professional dance calendar – American Repertory Ballet in New Brunswick on May 19 and 20. (Photo left, credit George Jones) From the company: American Repertory Ballet’s 2011-2012 Season will close the curtain on a fantastic 2011-2012 season with Celebration! – a performance of repertory favorites at the Victoria J. Mastrobuono Theatre at the Mason Gross School of the Arts, New Brunswick, NJ. Performances will be on Saturday, May 19 at 8:00PM and Sunday, May 20 at 2:00PM. Following the Sunday matinée, audience members may stay in the theater to attend “Post-Performance Insights: Romeo and Juliet”.  At this ARB Access and Enrichment program, Douglas Martin and guest lecturer Jo Carney, Professor of English at The College of New Jersey, will speak about Shakespeare’s play alongside Douglas Martin’s new ballet.


In addition, student performances abound. DanceVisions’s Secret Garden is Friday and Saturday, April 27 and 28 and Princeton Ballet School’s Don Quixote is Sunday, May 5. 


If you know of additional performances — or want to comment on these — please put those comments in the comments section — or, if you are ‘Net challenged, email them to me. 

To participate in Stand Against Racism Day: Gather at Palmer Square on Friday, April 27, from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. After the demonstration participants are encouraged to the Princeton YWCA for a showing of an important film, “The Princeton Plan: 50 Years Later” featuring guest speakers Shirley Satterfield and Henry Pannell.

This Palmer Square “Stand” is sponsored by the Princeton Human Services Commission and Cranbury Station Galleries. The YWCA Princeton hosts the film screening and discussion from 9 to 10 a.m. at Bramwell House, 59 Paul Robeson Place, Princeton. Light refreshments will be served.

Not in Our Town, to which many Princeton-based faith congregations belong, supports Stand Against Racism Day, which began right here in Princeton. Last year Not in Our Town encouraged merchants to post signs in the windows to support this movement, and many are still on display. This year Not in Our Town encourages viewing of significant films.

For more information on Not in Our Town in Princeton see the annual report and its mission statement: “NOT IN OUR TOWN is an interracial, interfaith social action group in Princeton committed to speak truth about ‘everyday racism’ and other forms of prejudice and discrimination. We seek reconciliation, mutual respect and open and honest truth telling among our diverse communities. We support and promote social justice, economic justice and educational equity for all. Our hope is that Princeton will become a town in which the ideals of friendship, community and pride in diversity will prevail.”

Could the Princeton area be the next Silicon Valley? Well, yes (and no) is what Fred Wilson (iconic VC / Partner at Union Square Ventures shared with a room-full of primarily university students at the East Coast Startup Summit 2012, sponsored by the Princeton Entrepreneurship Club, last weekend (April 20-22, 2012). Specifically, what Wilson said was, “You don’t need to go to Silicon Valley to do a start up.” He clarified that, saying that location is not as important as it once was. Proof, he noted, can be seen in the “super exciting” – a phrase used by the next speaker David Tisch – startups that are popping up all over the globe.

Wilson began with a hyper-condensed history of the technology / software sector, how the plot arc started on the East Coast in 1946, eventually moving west in the mid/late ’50s, and remaining centered there until fairly recently. The drift away from a Silicon Valley-centric view of the world is due to the “installation phase” being over. The tech industry is shifting from a model where innovation and success was focused on building the (technology) platform, to a model where using the established “installation” is where the action is, Among the examples that Wilson pointed to was the renowned crowd source model of  Kickstarter.com.  

When asked what Wilson and Union Square Ventures looks for in a start up, he listed four key attributes: The right people, with the right idea, packaging that idea the right way for the market, at the right time. For instance, video sharing websites existed prior to YouTube, but they were too far ahead of the wide adoption of broadband internet access.

Wilson exuded confidence, saying “It has never been easier for an entrepreneur to get funding than it is today.”But there was a not- so silver lining to Wilson’s VC rain making. Later in the Q&A; session he lamented the fact that capital is currently being drawn to ideas and sectors where the moment of truth (i.e., success or failure) happens sooner rather than later. Investors are now less likely to be interested in ideas that might take ten years (or more) to determine whether it would be successful. Yet big and complex problems can take a long time to solve. 


Oddly, Wilson made no mention of his outfit (or his peer firms) making a conscious effort to be less short-sighted. It was as if Wilson was saying, “Aim high and think big but nor too high or too big”. To some this should give pause. Perhaps this is the Achilles heel of capital – it uses a self-serving definition of success? What if, in these times of unprecedented global scale, there are problems that for the capital-based market are “too big to solve” or “too big to finance”? Time will tell if we’re placing too much trust in “free markets.”

It was an inspiring spring afternoon. As I walked across campus I wondered about the odds of the next Mark Zuckerburg also being in that same room. I’m sure if you asked those who attended they would say, “Yes, of course.” Naturally, myself included, affected as I was. 
— Mark Simchock 
For Simchock’s account of the Tiger Launch Startup Challenge, featuring Bill Wilson, founder of FastCompany, see his blog.