Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • August 29, 2012 Ridgewood Concert series features varied array of performances by John Koster The Ridgewood Library’s Sunday concerts now booked for the first half of the coming season will feature a number of styles and cultures in professional performances at the Belcher Auditorium one Sunday a month at 2 p.m. “We try to embrace an international array of cultures,” said Business Manager Toni Mathes as she wrapped up the schedule for the first four performances through the end of 2012. On Sept. 23, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company will present The Art of the Chinese Dance, arranged by international choreographer and dancer Nai-Ni Chen. An early member of the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre in Taiwan, Chen organized her own company in 1988 and has performed in dance festivals in China, the United States, Korea, Poland, and Russia. She holds a master’s in dance from New York University, and has won many awards as a cultural ambassador for the Chinese American community. The three costumed dancers will offer such traditional Chinese dances as the ribbon dance, fan dance, long speak dance, and tai ping drum dance, and will answer questions from the audience. On Oct. 28, international cello virtuoso Elizabeth Kalfayan will present “Tango & Movement.” A classical cellist with a master’s degree in performance from the Manhattan College of Music, Kalfayan has performed at Carnegie Hall and has performed with jazz and rock groups in innovative performances with artists such as Smokey Robinson. Left: Dancer Yao Zhong Zhang; performs the Double Spear Dance. Right: Dancer Min Zhou performs the Peacock Dance. (Photos courtesy of Carol Rosegg.) On Nov. 11, Kayo Toda, an internationally-ranked marimba player, will offer her farewell concert as a Ridgewood resident with her friend Naoko Sawada, also a Ridgewood resident, on piano. Toda and Sawada first came to the library’s attention when they performed at an ESL (English as a Second Language) Luncheon and staffers learned that Toda was a celebrity in Japan and has performed international marimba concerts in China. Toda, who presently lives in Ridgewood, will be moving back to Japan. This concert is expected to be her last in the area. On Dec. 9, the All Seasons Chamber Players, classically trained musicians who regularly perform at churches and schools to packed audiences, will offer classical music with expert skill. The All Seasons Chamber Players have offered more than 600 performances since they organized in 1981, and members have been trained at some of the top performing arts schools in the United States and Europe (continued on page 15)