December 21, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 27 Mahwah Minutes Russian Music and Dance Festival set Barynya, a world-renowned Cliffside Park-based Russian music and dance ensemble, will perform an exhilarating mix of fast-paced Russian, Cossack, Ukrainian, Jewish, and Gypsy Roma traditional music and dance on Sunday, Dec. 21 at 3 p.m. in the Sharp Theater, located in The Angelica and Russ Berrie Center for the Performing and Visual Arts at Ramapo College of New Jersey. Ensemble Barynya is considered one of the best Eastern European dance and music ensembles outside of Russia. Tickets are $26, $23 and $20 for adults and $15 for children under 17. There is a five percent discount off regular ticket prices for senior citizens. To order tickets, call (201) 684-7844 or visit http://www.ramapo.edu/berriecenter/ tickets/index.html. The college is located at 505 Ramapo Valley Road in Mahwah. This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Writers to meet in New Year The Mahwah Library Writers’ Collective will resume its meetings on Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the Mahwah Public Library. The group’s goal is to support adult writers at all levels. The collective will allow writers to share their stories and receive constructive feedback. Writers working in fiction and creative non-fiction are welcome and need not to be published to join. Members are encouraged to attend regularly and come prepared with copies of their work to share. Mahwah residency is not required, and there is no fee. The group meets regularly on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. The library is located at 100 Ridge Road in Mahwah. Sunday Music Series to continue The Mahwah Public Library’s Sunday Music Series will include a variety of performances in January. All programs are free and seating is provided on a “first come” basis. Concerts begin at 2 p.m. The City Winds Trio will present “Ragtime: The Music of Scott Joplin and other Ragtime Composers” on Sunday, Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. Celebrate the Library Centennial with the syncopated sounds of 1912. The City Winds Trio will play some of Joplin’s greatest pieces, including “The Entertainer,” “Maple Leaf Rag, and “Palm Leaf Rag,” along with Irving Berlin’s “Alexander’s Ragtime Band.” On Jan. 15, the Diane Perry Quartet with singer and violinist Dian Perry will offer “Out of My Dreams” Perry is bursting on the scene as a jazz, blues, and bebop vocalist with mature vision, smoky sound, and tastefully informed melodic sense. Performing the “American Popular Songbook” she fell in love with as a teen, she delights audiences with new perspectives on old standards. Celebrate Chinese New Year “Year of the Dragon” with Chinese Theatre Works “Dance and Magic from China” on Jan. 22. In addition to Chinese Folk Dancing, the program will include a demonstration of Chinese Opera Face Painting, and Bian Lian (Magical Face Changing). Chinese Theatre Works is a non-profit theatre company whose mission is to preserve and promote the traditional Chinese performing arts, create new works that bridge Eastern and Western aesthetics and forms, and foster understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture around the globe. The Adelphi Chamber Ensemble, the oldest chamber orchestra in Bergen County and Northern New Jersey, will offer a concert on Jan. 29. The ensemble will perform works by Bach, Britten, and Brahms. The library is located at 100 Ridge Road. Call (201) 529READ for additional information. Library offers host of programs The Mahwah Pubic Library has planed a variety of activities for the New Year. On Jan. 10, learn about “Gustav Stickley and the Arts and Crafts Movement” with Vonda Givens, director of education at The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms. At this 7 p.m. program Givens will discuss Stickley’s life and work, and how Craftsman Farms -- now a National Historic Landmark and one of the most significant sites of the American Arts and Crafts Movement -- became the embodiment of Stickley’s ideas. Givens will take the audience back to 1912, when Stickley had just spent his first year at Craftsman Farms in Morris Plains, and was about to begin the most productive and creative year of his career. On Jan. 7, there will be a Saturday Family Matinee showing of “Kung Fu Panda 2” at 2 p.m. In this feature film, Po joins forces with a group of new kung fu masters to take on an old enemy with a deadly new weapon. There will be popcorn, movie snacks, and drinks. Andrea Yoson will offer yoga classes on Thursdays beginning Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m. These classes are for participants at all levels. There is not charge, but registration on the library website is necessary. Participants may drop in on as many classes as they wish. Bring a yoga mat and towel, and dress to move. Attendees are urged to check with their doctors before beginning any exercise program. The career transition support and networking group, “Neighbors Helping Neighbors,” will meet on Thursdays beginning Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. This free peer volunteer support group is open to people who are actively looking for work and would like to re-invigorate their job search. Group members will assist each other with search techniques, offer support, and help with personal and professional networking. No registration is necessary. The Thursday Afternoon Movie series will feature sev- eral films at 1:30 p.m. during the month of January. The schedule of screenings includes: Jan. 5, “Horrible Bosses;” Jan. 12, “The Help;” Jan. 19, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes;” and Jan. 26, “Super 8.” The Mahwah Public Library is located at 100 Ridge Road. Call the library at (201) 529-READ or visit the website at http://mahwah.bccls.org/ for program information. Members sought for Friends of Ramapo The Friends of Ramapo College organization is looking for new members. Friends of Ramapo was founded to expand greater understanding and involvement between Ramapo College and the neighboring communities. Members enjoy special events, discounted performances, and a variety of other benefits. Two levels of membership are offered. A $60 general membership allows participants to take advantage of Ramapo’s cultural programs, special events, use of the college library, and discounts on performances at the Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts. General members also receive a parking pass and a subscription to Ramapo College magazine. The annual $150 Friends Plus membership entitles the member to audit one course each semester in addition to the general membership benefits. Members also receive the privilege of membership at the Bill Bradley Sports and Recreation Center for an extra fee. Call (201) 684-7179, e-mail jzellers@ramapo.edu, or visit www.ramapo.edu/foundation/friends to download an application. Seniors discuss current events Seniors are invited to join a current events discussion group at the Mahwah Senior Center at 475 Corporate Drive. The group meets Thursdays at 10 a.m. Phil McLewin, founding director of the Ramapo College Faculty Resource Center and professor emeritus of economics, is the moderator. Using a straightforward format, the program is conducted in roundtable fashion. Participants offer brief newsworthy items for discussion. For more information, contact Susanne Small, senior center coordinator, at (201) 529-5757, extension 213. American Legion seeks new members The Mahwah American Legion Brems, Hetzel, Meester Memorial Post 531 invites area veterans to join the post. Veterans, male and female, whether they served in combat or during peacetime are welcome. American Legions provide assistance with the Veterans Administration, financial aid in times of need, sponsorship of local charities and organizations, and camaraderie. Post 531, activated in 2008, was named for Patrick Brems, Class of 1965 of Ramsey High School; Norman Hetzek, Class of 1966 and Everett Meester, Class of 1965, both of Mahwah High School. All three men were killed in action during the Vietnam War. The Mahwah post meets on the third Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. in the downstairs meeting room of the Mahwah Museum, 201 Franklin Turnpike. For more information contact Membership Chairman Ralph Coviello at (201) 529-4622 or e-mail ralphkc2bcy@aol.com.