Author:
Jamie Nichols
May 18, 2010, 8:44 pm
The 19th Annual Lester Horton Dance Awards / A Celebration of Community

The 19th Annual Lester Horton Dance Awards
A Celebration of Community
RecCen Studio, Echo Park
Sunday May 16 ,2010
By Steven Woodruff
The Lester Horton Dance Awards returned to Echo Park last Sunday after a
two-year absence with a spirited and reenergized ceremony that celebrated
the achievements of a year’s worth of dance making in Los Angeles . This
year’s program produced by DRC board member Bradley Michaud offered a
fast-paced and informal evening which also included entr’acte entertainment
by aerialist Sarah Romanowsky whose work was well suited to the soaring
ceilings of the RecCen Studio venue. Also on the program were breakers
Lauren LiBrandi and Josh Diorio who offered some street flash to the SRO
audience. DRC President, Amanda Lipsey, kicked off the evening with opening
remarks. Kate Hutter, Victoria Looseleaf and Leo Garcia covered MC duties
for the evening’s program.
The awards, named after famed Los Angeles dance pioneer Lester Horton,
honor a variety of achievements in all aspects of dance production.
Along with awards for individual dance performances the Horton’s each year single out special honorees for sustained contributions to the local dance community.
This year’s Excellence in Teaching award went to modern dance teacher and
former Alvin Ailey dancer , Ron Brown. Mr. Brown in his spoken remarks credited
Ailey with giving him his introduction to teaching early on in his dance
career. Brown was given a spirited introduction by Lula Washington of the
Lula Washington Dance Theater.
The Furthering the Visibility of Dance Award went to Jamie Nichols whose annual concert festival, Celebrate Dance at Glendale’s Alex Theatre, has provided a venue for 27 established and emerging companies alike and over 7,000 audience members since 2006. Nichols passionate remarks on the L.A. dance scene showed once again why she continues to be one of the city’s foremost dance advocates. She was introduced by the vivacious Elissa Glickman Associate Director of the Alex Theatre/Glendale Arts and 14-year-old Quron Clarks, a young dancer from Bancroft �"Howe Middle School, whose life has been positively influenced by Jamie Nichols’ Celebrate Dance event.
The Service to the Community Award went to Carol Zee, Artistic Director of
everybody dance ! which provides exceptional training for under served youth
in downtown Los Angeles. Zee’s program serves 1300 students providing
them with low cost access to classes and an impressive faculty of teachers.
Members of the school staff were on hand and joined her for the presentation.
She was introduced by husband/tapper, Steve Zee.
Companies with multiple nominations included: Catch Me Bird , Djanbazian
Dance Company, Regina Klenjoski Dance, Collage Dance Theater, and Method
Contemporary Dance. Lighting designer Eileen Cooley took home the "hat trick"
with a sweep for the nominations in the Lighting Desgin category. An open
bar and international food helped stoke the party atmosphere clearly in full
swing at this year’s awards. The wide open spaces of RecCen proved the perfect setting for an enthusiastic and appreciative audience.
By Steven Woodruff
A list of the 2009 winners follows:
Special Honorees
Furthering the Visibility of Dance -- Jamie Nichols
Excellence in Teaching -- Ron Brown
Service to Our Dance Community -- Carol Zee
Outstanding Achievment in Performance-company
David Roussève/REALITY, Saudade
Outstanding Achievement in Choreography -- Long Form
David Roussève, Saudade, David Roussève/REALITY
Outstanding Achievement in Performance -- Small Ensemble
Bahareh Ebrahimzadeh, Rogelio Lopez Garcia, Andrew Merrell and Jennifer Parra, The Presence of Absence, Keith Johnson/Dancers
Outstanding Achievement in Choreography -- Short Form (shorter than 15 minutes)
Bradley Michaud, volenti non fit injuria, Method Contemporary Dance Company
Outstanding Achievement in World Dance
Viver Brasil, Feet on the Ground/Aiye, Linda Yudin and Luiz Badaró
Outstanding Achievement in Performance -- Female
Marissa LaBog, Really All About Eve, Collage Dance Theater
Outstanding Achievement in Performance -- Male
Kevin Williamson, Fruit, KDUB Dance
Outstanding Production of a Festival or Series
50th Annual LA County Holiday Celebration produced by Los Angeles County Arts Commission
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design
Eileen Cooley, The Crossings, Regina Klenjoski Dance Company
Outstanding Achievement in Set Design
Matt Scarpino, Silk or Cotton, Bare Dance Company
Outstanding Achievement in Music for Dance
Alexander Marchand, Say the Body Is Like This Lamp, Alyson Boell
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design
Ryan Heffington, Really All About Eve, Collage Dance Theater
A Celebration of Community
RecCen Studio, Echo Park
Sunday May 16 ,2010
By Steven Woodruff
The Lester Horton Dance Awards returned to Echo Park last Sunday after a
two-year absence with a spirited and reenergized ceremony that celebrated
the achievements of a year’s worth of dance making in Los Angeles . This
year’s program produced by DRC board member Bradley Michaud offered a
fast-paced and informal evening which also included entr’acte entertainment
by aerialist Sarah Romanowsky whose work was well suited to the soaring
ceilings of the RecCen Studio venue. Also on the program were breakers
Lauren LiBrandi and Josh Diorio who offered some street flash to the SRO
audience. DRC President, Amanda Lipsey, kicked off the evening with opening
remarks. Kate Hutter, Victoria Looseleaf and Leo Garcia covered MC duties
for the evening’s program.
The awards, named after famed Los Angeles dance pioneer Lester Horton,
honor a variety of achievements in all aspects of dance production.
Along with awards for individual dance performances the Horton’s each year single out special honorees for sustained contributions to the local dance community.
This year’s Excellence in Teaching award went to modern dance teacher and
former Alvin Ailey dancer , Ron Brown. Mr. Brown in his spoken remarks credited
Ailey with giving him his introduction to teaching early on in his dance
career. Brown was given a spirited introduction by Lula Washington of the
Lula Washington Dance Theater.
The Furthering the Visibility of Dance Award went to Jamie Nichols whose annual concert festival, Celebrate Dance at Glendale’s Alex Theatre, has provided a venue for 27 established and emerging companies alike and over 7,000 audience members since 2006. Nichols passionate remarks on the L.A. dance scene showed once again why she continues to be one of the city’s foremost dance advocates. She was introduced by the vivacious Elissa Glickman Associate Director of the Alex Theatre/Glendale Arts and 14-year-old Quron Clarks, a young dancer from Bancroft �"Howe Middle School, whose life has been positively influenced by Jamie Nichols’ Celebrate Dance event.
The Service to the Community Award went to Carol Zee, Artistic Director of
everybody dance ! which provides exceptional training for under served youth
in downtown Los Angeles. Zee’s program serves 1300 students providing
them with low cost access to classes and an impressive faculty of teachers.
Members of the school staff were on hand and joined her for the presentation.
She was introduced by husband/tapper, Steve Zee.
Companies with multiple nominations included: Catch Me Bird , Djanbazian
Dance Company, Regina Klenjoski Dance, Collage Dance Theater, and Method
Contemporary Dance. Lighting designer Eileen Cooley took home the "hat trick"
with a sweep for the nominations in the Lighting Desgin category. An open
bar and international food helped stoke the party atmosphere clearly in full
swing at this year’s awards. The wide open spaces of RecCen proved the perfect setting for an enthusiastic and appreciative audience.
By Steven Woodruff
A list of the 2009 winners follows:
Special Honorees
Furthering the Visibility of Dance -- Jamie Nichols
Excellence in Teaching -- Ron Brown
Service to Our Dance Community -- Carol Zee
Outstanding Achievment in Performance-company
David Roussève/REALITY, Saudade
Outstanding Achievement in Choreography -- Long Form
David Roussève, Saudade, David Roussève/REALITY
Outstanding Achievement in Performance -- Small Ensemble
Bahareh Ebrahimzadeh, Rogelio Lopez Garcia, Andrew Merrell and Jennifer Parra, The Presence of Absence, Keith Johnson/Dancers
Outstanding Achievement in Choreography -- Short Form (shorter than 15 minutes)
Bradley Michaud, volenti non fit injuria, Method Contemporary Dance Company
Outstanding Achievement in World Dance
Viver Brasil, Feet on the Ground/Aiye, Linda Yudin and Luiz Badaró
Outstanding Achievement in Performance -- Female
Marissa LaBog, Really All About Eve, Collage Dance Theater
Outstanding Achievement in Performance -- Male
Kevin Williamson, Fruit, KDUB Dance
Outstanding Production of a Festival or Series
50th Annual LA County Holiday Celebration produced by Los Angeles County Arts Commission
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design
Eileen Cooley, The Crossings, Regina Klenjoski Dance Company
Outstanding Achievement in Set Design
Matt Scarpino, Silk or Cotton, Bare Dance Company
Outstanding Achievement in Music for Dance
Alexander Marchand, Say the Body Is Like This Lamp, Alyson Boell
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design
Ryan Heffington, Really All About Eve, Collage Dance Theater




Comments