To the Editor:

On Saturday night, June 8, I attended a spectacular performance by the Lustig Dance Theatre at McCarter as part of the 2013 Princeton Festival. Graham Lustig, artistic director and choreographer of this talented company, opened the program with an introduction to “Jangala,” a wonderfully creative rendition of Kipling’s Jungle Book danced to a selection of classical, traditional, folk, and pop Indian music. In all my years of attending dance at McCarter, I don’t remember being so thrilled with the originality of a piece.

After the intermission, when my friends and I wondered what more Lustig could give us, we saw three pairs of beautifully fluid dancers perform “Six Pianos”. Then there was a pause, and (almost to our disbelief) we heard classic jazz played right in front of our eyes by Emily Asher’s Garden Party Group. Lustig’s full company danced onstage to Emily Asher’s group’s inspired live music — “Hallelujah”, “I Want the Waiter”, “Just a Simple Melody”, Dedicated to You”, “Shake Down the Stars,” and “Darktown Strutter’s Ball”.

The entire audience got to their feet to give this fabulous program a riotous standing ovation. But that was the problem: the entire audience didn’t consist of enough people. Why did so many theatre-goers and dance enthusiasts miss this program? I wanted to call all my friends to come out and support this talented group; but alas, Lustig’s dance company only performed for the one night. Please, please, those of you in charge of the Princeton Festival, give this talented group the publicity they deserve before they perform again next year. The Princeton audience should be vying for tickets, just as they do for the opera. This is one dance program not to be missed.

Joyce Lott

Toth Lane, Rocky Hill