Planet Princeton Weekend Picks, Feb. 26-28

Friday, February 26

International Dance Platform: Contemporary Dance in Turkey, Poland and Canada

Presented by the dance program at Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts. Dance Program faculty member and choreographer Rebecca Lazier welcomes seven dancers and choreographers from three countries for an exciting series of master classes, informal showings, and panels leading up to the Princeton and New York Live Arts premiere performances of Lazier’s new work “There Might be Others.” In collaboration with Princeton’s Institute for International and Regional Studies and Program in Canadian Studies. Noon. Patricia and Ward Hagan ’48 Dance Studio, 185 Nassau Street, Princeton. Free.

Emerging Writers Reading by Alexander Chee and Princeton Students

Four seniors in the creative writing program at Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts, along with award-winning novelist Alexander Chee (Edinburgh, The Queen of the Night), will read from their work as part of the Emerging Writers Reading Series. 6 p.m., Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street, Princeton. Free.

Giuseppe Schinaia Harpsichord Recital

Italian harpsichordist Giuseppe Schinaia, on a short concert tour of the United States, will play a recital of music of Louis Couperin (1626 – 1661) and Jean-Henri d’Anglebert (1626 – 1691) on a Keith Hill double-manual harpsichord. This mid-seventeenth century French keyboard music is rarely heard. It is beautiful, eloquent music – closely allied to the lute and gamba repertoire of its day, and extremely influential on all subsequent keyboard music. 7 p.m., Christ Congregation Church, 50 Walnut Lane, Princeton. Free.

Mary Poppins at Stuart Country Day School

Bring the family for a live production of Mary Poppins, performed by Stuart Country Day School’s talented Upper School students. The magical Mary Poppins teaches children – and grown ups – that “anything can happen if you let it!”  7 p.m., Stuart Country Day School, 1200 Stuart Road, Princeton. Tickets $12-$15.

Trenton Oscar Shorts Festival – Documentary Shorts

2016 Oscar Documentary Shorts Nominees will be screened. Body Team 12 – dir. David Darg, Liberia, 13 minutes A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness – dir. Sharmen Obaid-Chinoy, Pakistan, 40 minutes Last Day of Freedom – dirs. Dee Hibbert-Jones & Nomi Talisman, USA, 32 minutes Chau, Beyond the Lines – dir. Courtney Marsh, USA/Vietnam, 34 minutes Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah – dir. Adam Benzine, USA, 40 minutes Order of films still TBD by Oscars. The screening will have a 15 minute intermission featuring locally-roasted coffee and sweets. 7:30 p.m., Mill Hill Playhouse, 205 East Front Street, Trenton. Admission $20.

Transportation Policy Hackathon

The Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton University and Code for Princeton are excited to invite you to a hackathon on transportation policy. We’re bringing together teams of coders, policy enthusiasts, and interested citizens. You don’t have to be an expert in technology, you just have to care about transportation in your neighborhood. Whatever your background, we hope you’ll join us to help create effective solutions to real community needs. 7:30 p.m. For more information and location details, visit the hackathon website.

Saturday, February 27

Maple Sugaring at the Howell Living History Farm

The Howell Living History Farm’s sugaring operations are in full swing in late February when freezing nights and thawing days make for heavy sap flows, and when the related work of rendering maple syrup sometimes goes round-the-clock.  Visitors can join the work and fun by helping farmers in the sugar bush, sugar house and farmhouse kitchen, where many hands are needed to ensure that syrup-drenched pancakes are on the table for tasting. Sap collecting, firewood cutting, syrup making, butter making, flour milling and pancake making are scheduled throughout the day. Sap gathering takes place at noon and 2 p.m. Tree tapping demonstrations are held at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The sugar house is open from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and features a working evaporator and tours of a sap line collection system. Pancake eating begins at noon in the Visitor Center and at the Henry Phillips farmhouse. Howell Farm is owned by the County of Mercer and maintained by the Mercer County Park Commission. It is located on Valley Road, just off Route 29, in Hopewell Township. The GPS address is 70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township, NJ 08530. Parking and admission are free.

Trenton Oscar Shorts Festival – Animated and Live Action Shorts

Screening of Animated Shorts at noon and 4 p.m. Sanjay’s Super Team – dir. Sanjay Patel, USA, 7 minutes World of Tomorrow – dir. Don Hertzfeldt, USA, 17 minutes Bear Story – dir. Gabriel Osorio, Chile, 11 minutes We Can’t Live Without Cosmos – dir. Konstantin Bronzit, Russia, 16 minutes Additional films: If I was God, Taking Flight, The Short Story of a Fox and a Mouse, The Loneliest Spotlight, Catch It Prologue – dir. Richard Williams, UK, 6 minutes Important note: The final film in the program, Prologue, one of the five nominees, is not suitable for young children. A Parental Guidance warning will be shown prior to this short, so that parents may exit at this time. Other than Prologue, the rest of the program is acceptable for all ages. Live Action Shorts (1:50 PM) Ave Maria – dir. Basil Khalil, Palestine/France/Germany, 15 minutes Shok – dir. Jamie Donoughue, Kosovo/UK, 21 minutes Everything Will Be OK – dir. Patrick Vollrath, Germany/Austria, 30 minutes Stutterer – dir. Benjamin Cleary, UK/Ireland, 12 minutes Day One – dir. Henry Hughes, USA, 25 minutes. Begins at noon. Mill Hill Playhouse, 205 East Front Street, Trenton. Tickets $10 per screening.

Mary Poppins at Stuart Country Day School

Bring the family for a live production of Mary Poppins, performed by Stuart Country Day School’s talented Upper School students at 2 p.m. or 7 p.m.The magical Mary Poppins teaches children – and grown ups – that “anything can happen if you let it!” Get your tickets at www.stuartschool.org/marypoppins. Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, 1200 Stuart Rd, Princeton. Tickets $12 – $15

Enable Presents Winter Manmohini 2016

This Satrangi Indian Fusion Dance and Bazaar fundraiser for people with disabilities and seniors combines exciting Bollywood type dance with a bazaar featuring Indian vendors and cuisine.Doors open at the Princeton High School Performing Arts Center at 5 pm for the Bazaar; the performance begins at 7 pm. Tickets cost $25 for adults and $15 for children ages 12 and under. Free parking is available in the High School lot on Walnut Lane, at the Middle School across the street or on the street. Satrangi is producing a special performance for Enable. Satrangi’s founder, Rohheet Boxi, lost a leg to cancer as a child and believes in the healing ability of dance.Princeton High School Performing Arts Center, 151 Moore Street, Princeton. Admission $25.

Trenton Oscar Shorts Festival – Animated and Live Action Shorts Special Double Feature

Sanjay’s Super Team – dir. Sanjay Patel, USA, 7 minutes

World of Tomorrow – dir. Don Hertzfeldt, USA, 17 minutes

Bear Story – dir. Gabriel Osorio, Chile, 11 minutes

We Can’t Live Without Cosmos – dir. Konstantin Bronzit, Russia, 16 minutes

Additional films: If I was God, Taking Flight, The Short Story of a Fox and a Mouse, The Loneliest Spotlight, Catch It

Prologue – dir. Richard Williams, UK, 6 minutes

Important note: The final film in the program, Prologue, one of the five nominees, is not suitable for young children. A Parental Guidance warning will be shown prior to this short, so that parents may exit at this time. Other than Prologue, the rest of the program is acceptable for all ages.

Live Action Shorts

Ave Maria – dir. Basil Khalil, Palestine/France/Germany, 15 minutes

Shok – dir. Jamie Donoughue, Kosovo/UK, 21 minutes Everything Will Be OK – dir. Patrick Vollrath, Germany/Austria, 30 minutes

Stutterer – dir. Benjamin Cleary, UK/Ireland, 12 minutes

Day One – dir. Henry Hughes, USA, 25 minutes

Begins at 6 p.m. Mill Hill Playhouse, 205 East Front Street, Trenton. Admission $25.

Salzburg Marionette Theatre: Alice in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, one of the best-known stories ever written, comes to life with a production featuring the March Hare, the Mock Turtle, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, and, of course, the Queen and King of Hearts, all brought to life through a creative set design and newly recorded score taken from period dance music. 7:30 p.m., McCarter Theatre, Matthews Stage. 91 University Place, Princeton. Tickets $25 to $50.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Meditation for Beginners

Stress Less. Now. Meditation for Beginners Sundays at the Princeton Center for Yoga and Health. Get more familiar with the quiet peace inside. Sure-handed guidance from Brandon Lewin of Ease and Lightness Meditation, and helpful energy of others. Noon.
Princeton Center for Yoga and Health, 88 Orchard Road, Skillman.

Westminster Conservatory Showcase

The Westminster Conservatory will present its annual showcase featuring Westminster Community ensembles and students. The performers will be the Westminster Community Orchestra and Princeton Charter School/Westminster Conservatory Youth Orchestra conducted by Ruth Ochs, the Westminster Conservatory Children’s Choirs conducted by Patricia Thel and Yvonne Macdonald, and winners of the Westminster Conservatory Concerto Competition. The concert program will also include the New Jersey premiere of Chicago Fantasie Overture by Helmuth H. Fuchs, who was trained as a chemist and is also a talented composer; Pohjola’s Daughter, one of Jean Sibelius’ most popular tone poems; and the overture to Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, performed by the youth orchestra. The Children’s Choirs will perform music from Bizet’s Carmen and works by Benjamin Britten. Tickets for the concert are $15 for adults and $10 for students/seniors. 3 p.m., Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall, Princeton University. Tickets $10-$15.