Joe Ferrara has honed his skills not within the safe confines of academia, but in nightclubs, bars, lounges, concert halls & other stages throughout North America. His experiences as a steadily working musician & performer in jazz bands, rock groups, Avant-garde ensembles,  & in theater, have shaped him into the well-rounded performer that he is today. A wearer of many hats, Joe is also a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer & recording engineer. As vocalist & primary songwriter for the rock band Father Divine, he has performed on stages throughout the US & Canada. He has worked as a nightclub entertainer with various acts in the greater NY area such as Harvey & hte Wallbangers & The Amish Outlaws. In the world of jazz, he has worked with the Tim Ouimette Big Band, the Red Bank Jazz Orchestra, Manhattan Swing, the Powerhouse Big Band, Rio Clemente & Lou Pallo.

A first-class performer who infuses every show with 200% of his heart & soul, Joe has performed as a guest vocalist with Ballet Enchante in A Tribute to George Gershwin (2013) & The Cat's-Meow Cabaret (2017).

He has produced 2 original music albums: The Tiger Walks Through My Dreams & Suicide, Italian Style.

Eric Olsen, Musician & Composer

Eric Olsen is a Jazz and Classical Pianist, Organist, Conductor, and Composer. He is an “an expert in the art of musical transfiguration” (Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz.com), and has “created his own form of classic jazz” (Joe Lang, Jersey Jazz). His career is marked by his unique ability to re-imagine familiar melodies so that they are “truly born anew” (Bilawsky). Eric has performed at jazz festivals, with symphony orchestras, and overseas in France, Germany, India, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Fiji.  He has composed works for classical and jazz ensembles from chamber groups to full orchestra. As Music Director and Organist at Union Congregational Church in Montclair, he has conducted many staples of the classical choral literature, and leads a jazz ensemble in his own unique arrangements of hymns and original works for jazz services. He is an Adjunct Faculty member at Montclair State University and Caldwell University, and a member of the Piano Faculty at the Wharton Music Center in Berkeley Heights, NJ.  Mr. Olsen holds two Master’s degrees in Piano Performance and Jazz Studies from Indiana University, and a Bachelor’s with High Distinction in Piano and Organ Performance from Syracuse University.

Albums include: Dyad Plays Puccini & Sea Changes 

He has been a featured guest artist with Ballet Enchante for its 2013 production of A Tribute to George Gerswhin. 

Dillon Eliassen, Writer-in-Residence

Dillon Eliassen is a novelist & political commentator. He has authored two books, The Apathetic & The Reliable Narrator: A Rom-Com of Epic Proportions. He has served as a writer & managing editor for Being Libertarian as well. He has been influenced by the writings of Ernest Hemingway, Mario Puzo, Margaret Fuller, Henry David Thoreau, Ayn Rand, Milton Friedman, Groucho Marx, Woody Allen, Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David,  & Rodney Dangerfield.

Dillon has served as marketing & advertising manger for BE. In addition, he has written thoughtful, evocative program notes for BE Chamber Co productions. He has been a guest-performer for BE in the Cat's Meow-Cabaret (2017).

Matt Robinson, Photographer-in-Residence
 

Matt Robinson has been photographing BE performers-in-motion for the past 7 years. The stunning photography you see on our website, our promotional materials & our performance posters all feature Matt's incredible diligence & heartfelt care with which he infuses his work. 

Despite studying hard to become a successful hardware designer and spending 10 years writing commercial software for a living, Mat has always been a talented artist. 

Not content to just capture great shots, he also brings added dimension through Photoshop techniques, allowing him to turn ordinary photographs into extraordinary works of art.

He has won several competitions for photo editing due to his keen eye for detail and limitless energy for perfection.

Mat's enthusiasm for life and his work, and his unassuming approach lets him coax smiles out of even the most grumpy child, and capture those precious candid moments that so quickly come and go.

"If you enjoy what you do for a living, then you never have to work a day in your life".

Matt owns his own business: www.enduringimagesstudio.com

Roxbury Arts Alliance

The Roxbury Arts Alliance is a non-profit, volunteer arts organization  that has been promoting the arts in and around Roxbury Township, New Jersey since 1997. What began with occasional performances in coffee houses and local houses of worship by several parents of Roxbury HS parents has evolved into year-round programming, classes, and performances. In 2009, RAA opened The Investors Bank Theater, now home to the Roxbury Performing Arts Center (RoxPAC). Ballet Enchante has been fortunate to have partnered with the RAA for 4 of its Chamber Co Productions. The RAA is also home to several BE classes. 

www.roxburyartsalliance.org

Dover Little Theatre

DLT is located in Dover, NJ & is home to mainstage productions, childrens' theater, comedy groups, musical concerts, dance performances & special events. In Nov, 2017, BE collaborated with DLT for a special event -- The Cat's-Meow Cabaret -- that raised $600 to aid the victims of Hurricane Maria. The proceeds were given to Americares. 

www.doverlittletheatre.org