PRESS RELEASE
March 26, 2018
Contact Person: Teri McCollum
Email address: izzienotifications[at]gmail.com
The Isadora Duncan Dance Awards
Website: www.izzies-sf.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheIzzies.SF/
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THE ISADORA DUNCAN DANCE AWARDS COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES WINNERS AND HONOREES FOR 2016-017 PERFORMANCE SEASON
San Francisco, California, March 26, 2018
This year the Isadora Duncan Dance Awards Committee celebrated 32 years of honoring local dance artists by acknowledging their outstanding achievements. The awards ceremony was held on Monday, March 26, 2018, at the historic Brava Theater Center, 2781 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110. This was a free event, open to the general public. The doors opened at 6 pm with a Welcome Reception, and the Awards Ceremony/Performances started at 7 pm. Solo and Small Ensemble Performances for the evening were presented by Dazaun Soleyn, Zahna Simon, Mahealani Uchiyama, La Tania Baile Flamenco Company, and Terceto Kali, celebrating dance, culture and legacy.
The following is a list of Nominees and Honorees by awards category, with the awardees shown in boldface type.
Outstanding Achievement in Choreography
Kim Epifano, Last Blue Couch in the Sky: Street stroll section, Epiphany Dance Theater, South of Mission neighborhood, San Francisco
Lizz Roman, Sunset Dances: Architectural Meditations II, Lizz Roman & Dancers, home salon performances, San Francisco
Amy Seiwert, Wandering, Amy Seiwert's Imagery, Cowell Theater, San Francisco
Rudi Soriano, Birds in Flight, Likha Pilipino Folk Ensemble, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
Myles Thatcher, Ghost in the Machine, San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
Outstanding Achievement in Performance – Individual
Isaiah Bindel, les vérités, dawsondancesf, YBCA Theater, San Francisco
Frances Chung, Frankenstein, San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
Megan Lowe, Grace and Delia Are Gone, Flyaway Productions, Firehouse at Fort Mason, San Francisco
Ben Needham-Wood, Be Here Now, Smuin Ballet, YBCA Theater, San Francisco
Tegan Schwab, What we carry/What we keep, ODC/Dance, YBCA Theater, San Francisco
Amara Tabor-Smith, Black/TIME, Joe Goode Annex, San Francisco
Outstanding Achievement in Performance – Ensemble
Delvis Saviñe Friñon, Adonis Damian Martin Quiñones, and Edisnel Rodriguez, "Defection-Deflection-Devotion" from Love in a Bitter Time, Part II, Dance Brigade, YBCA Theater, San Francisco
Christine Funsch and Nol Simonse, "Prelude" from Le grand spectacle de l'ef ort et de l'artifice, Funsch Dance Experience, ODC Theater, San Francisco
MaryStarr Hope and Karla Quintero, "The Two Sisters" from Grace and Delia Are Gone, Flyaway Productions, Firehouse at Fort Mason, San Francisco
Arvejon Jones and Will Woodward, "Sweet Time" from Boys Bite Back, Sean Dorsey Dance, Z Space, San Francisco
Vitor Luiz and Joseph Walsh, Act 3 pas de deux from Frankenstein, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
Outstanding Achievement in Performance – Company
Abhinaya Dance Company of San José, Vaanara Leela: Monkeys in the Ramayana, School of Arts & Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, San José
Ballet Folklórico México Danza, La Revolución, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
Flyaway Productions, Grace and Delia Are Gone, Firehouse at Fort Mason, San Francisco
ODC/Dance, Giant, YBCA Theater, San Francisco
Lizz Roman & Dancers, Sunset Dances: Architectural Meditations II, home salon performances, San Francisco
San Francisco Ballet's female Corps de Ballet, Acts 2 and 4 of Swan Lake, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
Outstanding Achievement in Music/Sound/Text
Tatsu Aoki, Melody Takata, and Francis Wong, The Eye of Compassion, Lenora Lee Dance, Donaldina Cameron House, San Francisco
Claire Cunningham, Jess Curtis, Matthias Herrmann, Alva Noë, and Luke Pell, The Way You Look (at me) Tonight, Jess Curtis/Gravity, CounterPulse, San Francisco
Darren Johnston, Dan Cantrell, and Jordan Glenn, Time's Arrow, Deborah Slater Dance Theater, Studio 210, San Francisco
Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Tommy Shepherd, /peh-LO-tah/, Living Word Project, YBCA Theater, San Francisco
Lowell Liebermann, Frankenstein, San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
Outstanding Achievement in Visual Design
Tatsu Aoki and Lenora Lee, The Eye of Compassion, Lenora Lee Dance, Donaldina Cameron House, San Francisco
Brian Jones and Susan Roemer, Wandering, Amy Seiwert's Imagery, Cowell Theater, San Francisco
Yoshinori Asai, Dana Kawano, Sangbong Kim, Dohee Lee/Puri Arts, and Alenka Loesch, ARA Ritual I: Waterways, Dohee Lee/Puri Arts, CounterPulse, San Francisco
Ian Winters, King Tide, Nina Haft & Company, Joe Goode Annex, San Francisco
David Finn, John Macfarlane, and Finn Ross, Frankenstein, San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
Outstanding Achievement in Restaging / Revival / Reconstruction
Krissy Keefer, revival of The Great Liberation Upon Hearing (2009), Dance Brigade, Dance Mission Theater, San Francisco
Diane Madden with Sarah J.G. Chenoweth, Hope Mohr, Karla Quintero, and Jenny Stulberg, restaging of Locus Solo (1975)/Ten Artists Respond to Locus, Hope Mohr Dance, YBCA Forum, San Francisco
Patrick Makuakáne, revival of The Natives Are Restless (1998), Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu, Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale and Catherine Turocy, restaging of Le Temple de La Gloire (The Temple of Glory) (1745) by Jean-Philippe Rameau, Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley
Erin Mei-Ling Stuart, revival of Monkey Gone to Heaven (redux) (2013), EmSpace Dance, Ashby Stage, Berkeley
Richard Tanner, revival of The Prodigal Son (1929), San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
Special Award Honoree
Antoine Hunter, for the 2017 Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival, which united exceptional deaf and hearing dancers and increased their visibility in the Bay Area
Sustained Achievement Honorees
La Tania, for her mastery and fostering of flamenco in the Bay Area as a teacher, choreographer, and performer for the past 24 years
RJ Muna, for his artistic contributions to the community that capture the choreographers and dancers of the Bay Area through photographic excellence
Harry Rubeck, for over 20 years of outstanding contributions supporting Bay Area dance artists through the field of lighting design
The Isadora Duncan Dance Awards, known locally as the Izzies, are awarded annually to acknowledge exceptional creative achievements in the performance and presentation of dance. Awards are given in nine categories to honor the dancers, choreographers, designers, composers, dance companies, dance scholars and other individuals who have made important contributions to the San Francisco Bay Area’s thriving dance community.
During each 12-month performance cycle, running September 1-August 31, the volunteer Izzies Committee collectively views over 400 eligible performances. The final nominees and honorees are selected at an annual voting meeting held in September after the close of the viewing cycle. Member profiles and lists of previous nominees and award winners are available online at www.izzies-sf.org. The Izzies Committee is supported in part through grants, in-kind donations, and annual giving by individuals.
For additional information, contact: izzienotifications[at]gmail.com