Nominations Announced for the 39th Isadora Duncan Dance Awards Ceremony
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 4, 2026
CONTACT: Julian Pham – izziespublicity@gmail.com
Nominations Announced for the 39th Isadora Duncan Dance Awards Ceremony
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Isadora Duncan Dance Awards Committee announced today the nominees for the 39th Isadora Duncan Dance Awards Ceremony — more affectionately known as the Izzies — which celebrate outstanding achievements in the creation, performance and presentation of dance across the San Francisco Bay Area. This year’s nominations recognize works presented between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025.
Information about the 2026 Isadora Duncan Dance Awards Ceremony:
WHEN: Monday, March 30, 2026, Reception at 6:30 pm; Ceremony from 7:30 to 9:30 pm
WHERE: ODC Theater, 3153 17th Street, San Francisco, 94110
Awards are presented in nine categories, honoring the dancers, choreographers, designers, composers, companies and other artists whose contributions continue to enrich and advance the Bay Area’s vibrant dance community.
The nominations for the 2024-25 season are:
Outstanding Achievement in Direction or Choreography
Marina Elana, Isabel del Día, José Maldonado Songs From A Sinking Ship, Flamenco Arts International, Z Space, San Francisco
Jason Nguyen, Forest Chen and Lia Xia, Rogue Wave Ukiyo-e, Synkronize Showcase, Off The Grid, SJSU Morris Dailey Auditorium, San Jose
Jocelyn Reyes, DIOS, REYES Dance, ODC Theater, San Francisco
Kelly Del Rosario and Erin Yen, Refer, RAWdance: 20th Anniversary Home Season, ODC Theater, San Francisco
Kristin Damrow, Boundary Layer, Kristin Damrow & Company, Calou Lofts, Oakland
Mariana Sobral, Season(s), Fast Forward, New Ballet, Hammer Theatre Center, San Jose
Outstanding Achievement in Performance – Individual
Drasti Mody, Paheli: The Riddle of Motherhood, Zohar Dance Company Studio, Palo Alto
Eddie Whitfield, Borrowed, Conni McKenzie, Joaquin Miller Park, Oakland
Jeremy Brooks, Return, Juneteenth Salon, Shawl-Anderson Dance Center, Berkeley
Sasha De Sola, Nutcracker, San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
Wei Wang, Frankenstein, San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
Outstanding Achievement in Performance – Ensemble
Brett Conway and Emily Hansel, elephant, SFDanceworks, Z Space, San Francisco
Corps of Swans, Swan Lake, Diablo Ballet, Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek
Esteban Hernandez and Wona Park, Manon, San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
Kelly Del Rosario and Erin Yen, Refer, RAWDance: The 20th Anniversary Home Season, ODC Theater, San Francisco
Men's Corps de Ballet, Raymonda, San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
Outstanding Achievement in Performance – Company
Calpulli Tonalehqueh, 2025 Peninsula International Dance Festival, San Mateo Performing Arts Center, San Mateo
Flamenco Arts International, Songs From A Sinking Ship, Z Space, San Francisco
Kristin Damrow & Company, Boundary Layer, Calous Lofts, Oakland
ODC/Dance, Nothing’s Gonna Make Sense (Reflections on Grief), ODC Theater, San Francisco
Parangal, Ipat a Kadsakay, Blue Shield of California Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco
REYES Dance, DIOS, ODC Theater, San Francisco
San Francisco Ballet, Raymonda, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
Outstanding Achievement in Music/Sound/Text
Aaron M. Gold, Music – Refer, RAWdance: 20th Anniversary Home Season, ODC Theater, San Francisco
Baba Duru, Carson Fratus and Cy Thompson, Music – Regain the Power of Joy/Rara, excerpt of Healing to Joy, Dimensions Dance Theater, Black Choreographer's Festival: Here & Now, 20 Year Anniversary, Dance Mission Theater, San Francisco
jose e. abad and Stephanie Hewett, Sound Design and Mixing; Gabriele Christian and Styles Alexander, Text; amara tabor smith, Joanna Haigood, Ishmael Houston Jones, Additional Voices – DIASPORADICA, RUPTURE, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco
Peter Colclasure, Music – Season(s), Fast Forward, New Ballet, Hammer Theatre Center, San Jose
Outstanding Achievement in Visual Design
Katherine Mattson, Dan Sweeney and Jack Carpenter, Scenography; Jack Carpenter, Lighting Design; Jessica Swanson, Video Design – Are You OKAY?, Joe Goode Performance Group, Rincon Center, San Francisco
Del Medoff, Lighting Design, Beyond, UNA Productions, Z Space, San Francisco
Rogelio Lopez, Costume Design & Construction – Colorized Point (Flora y Fauna), David Herrera Performance Company, Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco
Styles Alexander, jose e. abad, Gabriele Christian, Clarissa Rivera Dyas and Stephanie Hewett, Set Design/Concept: Salimatu Amabebe, Island Set Fabrication and Set Support; Adam Miller, Inflatable Ball Design; Mike Rogers, Installation, Scaffold and Rigging; David Freitag, Scaffold and Rigging; Johnny Castro, Scaffold – DIASPORADICA, RUPTURE, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco
Jose Rexiel Dela Cruz, Eric Solano, Faisal Monal, Matthew Espina Harris, Major Julian, Jonathan Michael Mercado, Kimberly Requesto, Don Aguillo, June Arellano, Allen Willner, Attire & Stage Design – Ipat a Kadsakay, Living Traditions of Maguindanao, Parangal, Blue Shield of California Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco
Subhashinee Krishnamurthy, Visual Design – Finding Joy, Two Folds, Siddhi Creative, ODC Theater, San Francisco
Outstanding Achievement in Restaging / Revival / Reconstruction
Suhaila Salimpour, restaging of Bal Anat by Jamila Salimpour (1968), LeFevre Theatre of Performing Arts at Saint Mary’s College of California, Moraga
San Francisco Ballet, restaging of Frankenstein by Liam Scarlett (2017), War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
San Francisco Ballet, restaging of Manon by Sir Kenneth MacMillan (1974), War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco
Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet, restaging of Scheherazade, Original commission - Monaco Dance Forum honoring the Centenary of the Ballets Russes (2009), Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA, San Francisco
Diablo Ballet, restaging of Swan Lake suite by Marius Petipa (1877), Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek
Special Award Honorees
Alex Ketley, An Approximation of Resilience – for the concept and production of An Approximation of Resilience, which explores the life of death row inmate Bill Clark, incarcerated at San Quentin for 33 years. Through his correspondence with Clark, an artist on death row, Ketley created a performance that opened minds and hearts in the Bay Area dance community. By bringing Clark's voice and humanity to audiences through dance, film and the stark imagery of prison life, this deeply researched work helped us see incarcerated individuals not as separate from our world, but as part of it.
Flamenco Arts International, Songs From A Sinking Ship – for outstanding achievement in every aspect of performance for Songs From A Sinking Ship. Presented in an intimate venue, the production showcased exceptional artistry that belied the company's size, featuring a highly creative concept paired with masterful choreography and original music. The entire ensemble, dancers, singers, and musicians alike, delivered top-notch performances that demonstrated a remarkable caliber of work from a small company.
Stella Adelman – Recognition of her transformative 20-year leadership at Dance Mission Theater. As the face of the organization for two decades, Adelman has been instrumental in building some of its most celebrated programming. Her multifaceted contributions as teacher, student, dancer, administrator, director, advocate, and activist have championed cultural dance and its vital role in education and wellness throughout San Francisco and beyond, making her an indispensable force in the Bay Area dance community.
Sustained Achievement Honorees
Dr. John Deroy, a San Francisco Bay Area chiropractor and former dancer, has been honored with a Sustained Achievement Award in recognition of his extraordinary commitment to keeping dancers performing. For over four decades, Dr. Deroy has been an essential pillar of support for the region's dance community, treating countless performers from renowned companies including ODC/Dance and Lines Ballet, often getting them back together in time for their next performance. Dr. Deroy's unique understanding of dancers' bodies, informed by his own background as a dancer, combined with his unwavering commitment to their wellbeing, has made him an irreplaceable resource for the Bay Area dance community.
Krissy Keefer, founder of Dance Mission, is being recognized with a Sustained Achievement Award for her extraordinary 50-year commitment to the Bay Area dance community. For five decades, Keefer has been a cornerstone of the dance scene, sustaining Dance Mission through countless challenges while providing vital support for choreographers. Her vision has reached broad and inclusive audiences, empowering marginalized communities through extensive dance class offerings and performance opportunities, ensuring that diverse voices are seen, heard and respected in the Bay Area arts landscape.
Smuin Contemporary Ballet receives a Sustained Achievement Award for 30 years of growth and artistic excellence. Since its founding, Smuin has not only survived but thrived, establishing itself as a vital force in the Bay Area dance community. This milestone celebrates three decades of innovative choreography, compelling performances and the company's remarkable ability to grow and flourish in an ever-changing arts landscape.
Tonya Marie Amos and Grown Woman Dance Collective for Sustained Achievement recognizing their 17 years of dedication to arts, wellness and social justice. Oakland and Concord-based GWDC celebrates community via Juneteenth productions, narrative shift choreography and voter mobilization, free community classes, and workforce development to heal and empower Black communities from within.
Each season, the Izzies Committee collectively views hundreds of eligible performances, representing a broad range of styles, genres and artistic perspectives. The committee makes a conscious effort to attend work that reflects the diversity and creative spirit of the Bay Area. Artists are encouraged to inform the Izzies committee about their upcoming performances by contacting our publicity team at izziespublicity@gmail.com.
Final nominees and honorees are selected at the committee’s annual voting meeting in September, following the close of the viewing cycle.
The Isadora Duncan Dance Awards Committee is an all-volunteer organization supported by individual donors, community organizations, and small businesses. If you would like to join our growing community of supporters, your tax-deductible contribution can be made through our website at https://www.izzies-sf.org/donate.
Member profiles, lists of previous nominees and award recipients, and more information about the Izzies are available at www.izzies-sf.org.
Tickets to support the Izzies and reserve seats will be made available on the Izzies website on March 1.
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