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Storyboard P at the Bessies. Photo: courtesy of Yi-Chun Wu
At a time when the future of the arts in New York City is less certain than ever, the city’s best and brightest talents in ballet/ modern dance are still hard at work creating masterful performances for our enjoyment. That’s why, on Monday night, the New York Dance and Performance Awards (aka The Bessies) rolled out the red carpet to shine a proud spotlight on the most outstanding achievements in dance and choreography of the season.
Camille A. Brown at the Bessies. Photo: courtesy of Yi-Chun Wu
“Tonight we gather because we care about our art form and our city,” said Lane Harwell, Executive Director of Dance/NYC and Chair of the Bessies Steering Committee. Like many speakers of the evening, he praised the nominees for their hard work and dedication to an art form that usually brings little reward beyond its own pleasures.
Produced in partnership with Dance/NYC and hosted by the legendary Apollo Theater, the Bessie Awards aim to celebrate the year’s most impressive innovations in dance, expression, movement, music and visual design. The ceremony was hosted by Carmelita Tropicana and Jock Soto, and the evening’s festivities featured champagne and performances by Camille A. Brown, Storyboard P and Lisa Nelson.
Lisa Nelson at the Bessies. Photo: courtesy of Yi-Chun Wu
For the 2014-2015 season, an independent committee of 39 dance industry professionals selected 37 nominees representing a range of styles and forms. Notable winners include Steve Paxton, who won a Lifetime Achievement Award for his “relentless curiosity into the possibility of movement,” and his “redefinition of modern dance.” David Neumann won Outstanding Production for his choreography of I Understand Everything Better. The committee congratulated him on “creating a mysterious and whimsical world in which to explore the dual devastations of personal loss and public destruction.”
In her acceptance speech for Outstanding Performance, dancer Melissa Toogood thanked the usual gamut of teachers and family members, as well as a long list of physical therapists who have helped her through her dance career, underscoring how hard these performers push themselves to produce their work. For a full list of winners, check the Bessies website here. It was truly an evening to remember.
-by Rachel Veroff
twitter: @rachel_veroff