Trenton Arts at Princeton (TAP) Annual Spring Showcase

TRENTON YOUTH DANCERS (TYD) is a co-curricular dance program for students from Trenton Central High School and Trenton Ninth Grade Academy. The mission of TYD is to educate Trenton students in a wide variety of dance styles so that they are equipped to develop their own choreography. During weekly rehearsals, TYD members participate in guest workshops led by Princeton student dance groups, as well as group choreography workshops. Rehearsals take place every Saturday from 10AM to 1PM in the Roberts Dance Studio.

TRENTON YOUTH THEATER (TYT) is a co-curricular theater program for students from Trenton Central High School and Trenton Ninth Grade Academy. Inspired by Princeton’s holistic approach to theater, TYT exposes Trenton students to all aspects of theater-making. During weekly rehearsals, TYT members work with their Princeton student coaches on developing specific skills related to theater, such as directing, acting, and lighting design. Members then create their own works of theater. Rehearsals take place every Saturday from 10AM to 1PM in the Godfrey-Kerr Theater Studio and Light Lab.

TRENTON YOUTH SINGERS (TYS) is a choir for students from Trenton middle schools, Trenton Central High School, and Trenton Ninth Grade Academy. During weekly rehearsals, TYS members engage in a mixture of full choir and small group singing with their Princeton student coaches, learning an eclectic mix of repertoire while building their musicianship skills, vocal strength, and confidence. Members also receive free private lessons from Princeton student teachers. Rehearsals take place every Saturday from 10AM to 1PM in the Lewis Arts Complex Forum. In February 2023, TYS performed for an audience of over 1000 people at Princeton’s annual Alumni Day.

TRENTON YOUTH ORCHESTRA (TYO) is an orchestra for students from Trenton Central High School and Trenton Ninth Grade Academy. During weekly rehearsals, TYO members work with their Princeton student coaches on repertoire ranging from film scores to classical music, pop songs to commissioned compositions. Members also receive free private lessons from Princeton student teachers. Rehearsals take place every Saturday from 10AM to 1PM in the Lee Rehearsal Room. TYO has been fortunate enough to engage with some of the world’s leading musicians. In December 2019, the orchestra performed for Gustavo Dudamel during his welcome tour of Princeton University. And in April 2022, TYO opened for Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason’s Princeton University Concerts debut. TYO is grateful to Maestro Gustavo Dudamel and his foundation for their generous and longstanding support.

Trenton Youth Dancers director RACHEL SCHWARTZ is an educator, artist, choreographer, dancer, and designer based in New Jersey. This is her fourth year with TYD and since December 2023, she has been teaching full-time at Trenton Central High School as the long-term dance substitute. Previously, she taught in special education settings, such as The Quad Manhattan, and with girls’ empowerment organizations throughout New York City. She was also a teaching artist for Art as a Catalyst for Change, a NYC initiative that brings anti-gun violence messaging and opportunities for creative expression to middle and high schools with high incidences of gun violence. In 2023, Rachel choreographed the Lewis Center for the Arts’ fall musical, The Winter’s Tale, which featured a cast of over 80 people. She continues to collaborate on devised theater projects with Nathalie Ellis-Einhorn and GASH Theatre Company in London. In past productions, including work that was featured at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, she has choreographed, performed, and designed costumes, sets, and puppets. Rachel graduated with honors from Princeton University in 2018 where she studied visual arts and dance.

Trenton Youth Theater director FAITH ILOKA is a playwright, mental health counselor, and all-around arts enthusiast. She is a proud Trenton Central High School alumna (Class of 2017) and Princeton University alumna (Class of 2021). At Princeton, she majored in African American studies and received certificates in theater and music theater. She also wrote and performed in her senior thesis play Sweet Mother; served as artistic director, president, and company member of DoroBucci Dance Company; modeled in Princeton’s annual fashion shows; and performed in various theatrical productions. Faith’s passion for service and advocacy within the intersections of Blackness, arts, and mental health led most of her work on and off campus. She recently graduated with her master’s degree in mental health counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University, and hopes to continue integrating the arts into her work as a therapist. Faith returns to TYT after serving as one of two founding student leaders during her senior year at Princeton.

Trenton Youth Singers director SOLON SNIDER SWAY is Lecturer in Music Directing and Choral Programs at Princeton University, where he also directs the Playhouse Choir and Playhouse Orchestra. In addition to his work at Princeton, Solon is a composer/lyricist/librettist, music director, conductor, singer, actor, accompanist, arranger, and educator. Most recently, Solon composed songs for The Swallow and the Tomcat (Yale Summer Cabaret’s “Verano Season”), The Tempest (Yale School of Drama), Thank You for Trying (United Solo), and Thebes (Quinnipiac University). Solon’s musicals Crescent City Baby (Music/Lyrics/Libretto) and Cupidity (Music/Lyrics) were both produced at Yale University, and his original concert music has been performed by the PRISM Saxophone Quartet, The Baltimore Choral Arts Society, UMBC’S RUCKUS Ensemble, The Whiffenpoofs, The Walden School Players, The Peabody Preparatory Percussion Ensemble, and more. Recent music direction and conducting projects include The Shape of a Child (Avaloch Music Institute), The Hello Girls (Princeton University), Sondheim on Sondheim and No for An Answer (Theater 2020), The Fantasticks (Infinity Theatre Company), Matilda (Ghostlight Theater Camp), Romeo and Juliet (Saratoga Performing Arts Center), and Snow White (Ragtag Theatre).  Solon holds a B.A. in Music (Intensive) and Theatre Studies, with distinction in both majors, from Yale University.

Trenton Youth Orchestra co-conductor RUTH OCHS has grown the the Princeton University Sinfonia from a small chamber orchestra to a full symphony orchestra over the past twenty years. The ensemble, welcoming both undergraduate and graduate musicians from the Princeton community, performs a wide range of music, including works by Haydn, Beethoven, Beach, Brahms, Dvorak, and Tchaikovsky. Recently, the programming has expanded to include lesser-known yet exciting repertory. Sinfonia also provides opportunities for members to perform as soloists and premieres works by Princeton undergraduate composers. In addition to her role with Sinfonia, Ochs conducts the Princeton University Orchestra and has served as music director of the Westminster Community Orchestra for eighteen years. She collaborates with faculty, students, and choral ensembles, fostering meaningful musical opportunities in central New Jersey. Dr. Ochs loves teaching courses that explore the intersections of performance and scholarship, aiming to instill a lifelong respect for music.

Trenton Youth Orchestra co-conductor JENIA MARQUEZ is a senior from New York City majoring in linguistics with minors in French and music theater/choral conducting. When not singing with TYS or conducting for TYO, she serves as the president of the Glee Club and assistant music director of the Tigerlilies, and can often be found frantically waving her hands in the pit of a Princeton University Players show. She also spends time working as a French translator for the Princeton University Language Project, and contemplates if anyone really needs a motive or thesis anyway as a Writing Center fellow. She is so excited to return to TYS and TYO as student leader and conductor!

ANDREW KANEB is a songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Brooklyn, New York. He began studying music at the age of seven, when he started taking classical violin lessons. After playing in various chamber groups and orchestras at the New England Conservatory, Andrew attended Princeton University, where he obtained a minor in music composition. Andrew graduated from Princeton in 2022 and has obtained a master’s degree in music composition at New York University. Primarily a songwriter, Andrew records and performs under the stage name Kaneb Andrews. His music blends influences from classic rock, indie, electronic, classical, and other genres. He has performed at various historic New York City venues, including the Bitter End, Mercury Lounge, and Rockwood Music Hall. Andrew also enjoys composing long-format music for film and dance. His all-time favorite musician is Bob Dylan. You can contact Andrew via email at kanebandrews@gmail.com or on Instagram at @kanebandrews, and you can find his music on all streaming platforms under the name Kaneb Andrews.

Trenton Youth Dancers student leader ALEENA BROWN is a senior from Jamaica, majoring in medical anthropology and pursuing a minor in theater. On campus, she has served as the artistic director of DoroBucci Dance Company and a member of the Black Arts Company. Brown is passionate about the arts and their ability to build community and conversation across cultures. When not on stage, you may find her buried in a book or her latest digital painting. She is very excited to be working closer with TYD this year!

Trenton Youth Theater co-student leader DOMINIC DOMINGUEZ is an ecology and evolutionary biology major from Bloomfield, NJ who spent most of his life not thinking about theater. However, after his first time acting in a production with Theatre Intime, he was hooked! He is now a senior pursuing a minor in theater, writing and directing his own show. He is super excited to get even more involved in the arts this year, and share his enthusiasm with TYT! You can also find Dominic working as a barista at Coffee Club, longboarding, or playing tennis with his friends.

Trenton Youth Singers co-student leader SASHA VILLEFRANCHE is a junior from Atlanta, GA studying neuroscience with minors in gender and sexuality studies and global health. On campus, she sings in the Princeton Glee Club, plays violin with Sinfonia, and occasionally does theater.

Trenton Youth Orchestra student leader KASEY SHAO is from Cincinnati, OH, majoring in music with certificates in engineering biology and piano performance. She was introduced to music and the arts when she began playing the piano at age six. She is passionate about arts accessibility and education, along with teaching piano, and is super excited to bring this passion to TYO. If not hanging out in Woolworth or Effron, Shao can be found in Rocky with her zees as a peer academic advisor, helping other students as an academic life and learning consultant, or planning events with her club, Friends of Médecins Sans Frontières at Princeton. Aside from music, Shao loves making mini 3D models, exploring new restaurants, and geeking out about art. She is looking forward to a year of creativity and art with TYO!

Trenton Youth Theater co-student leader ORIANA NELSON is a fourth-year Spanish concentrator on the creative arts track from Piscataway, NJ. Her passion for the performing arts led her to pursue minors in theater and musical theater as well. At nine, she received her first role as Nala from The Lion King. This experience catapulted her into the acting realm as she fell in love with the intricacies of portraying another person’s story. While in college, Nelson acted in a wide range of theatrical productions from a musical to a choreopoem. Her favorite role was from a senior thesis about black love, which allowed her to indulge in the power of monologues and improvisation. This led her to explore identity-based theater. Consequently, she became the president of the Black Theater Collective on campus and aims to write a thesis centered on the stories of Caribbean Afro-Latinos to shed light on voices that are often silenced. Besides acting, Nelson loves to sing, dance, and travel. For this TYT cohort, she aspires to create a safe space that prioritizes mental health and explores different sectors of theater and creative expression.

Trenton Youth Singers co-student leader LUCY SHEA is a sophomore from Springfield, PA and a prospective English major with minors in theater and teacher preparation. She is a member of Theatre Intime and Shere Khan acapella, and this is her second year with TYS. She has been singing since elementary school and plays the guitar, violin, and bass guitar. leader this year.