Dance Magazine 2016 Awards

For the annual Dance Magazine Awards, this was the 59th, the four "exceptional" awardees represented yet another good mix of genres, style and dance lovers at heart. The recipients are: former dancer and current dance educator Carolyn Adams;  dance historian and scholar Lynn Garafola; choreographer Lar Lubovitch; and New York City Ballet principal Tiler Peck.  The new CEO of DanceMedia, Frederic M. Seegal with Jennifer Stahl (Editor in Chief Dance Magazine) opened.  The quick and clever, Wendy Perron, Editor at Large, Dance Magazine was the host for the evening.  His gratitude was palpable when Robert Battle, artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT), presented to his mentor, Adams first in For Carolyn the solo created especially for her in 2010 and danced by AAADT member Elisa Clark.  Adams accepted humbly, “I couldn’t be in better company,” she said.  The lovely and talented Peck followed in Fascinatin’ Rhythm from “Who Cares” (1970) by George Balanchine.  Damian Woetzel, artistic director of Vail International Dance Festival, who asked his then artistic director, Peter Martins of New York City Ballet, if he could partner Peck, “I really want to dance with that girl,” he said, reminisced about his time with Peck before passing on the award. Back on stage to receive her award, with a shaky voice, Peck offered “…I don’t feel like I’ve achieved enough,” then accepted willingly.   A film of Garafola surrounded by books and those whose lives she touched over the years followed before author Elizabeth Kendall’s stories about Garafola’s generosity.  This was Garafola’s 70th birthday, and here again, she was generous in sharing the day with fellow dance lovers.  “What an honor,” she said.  Janet Eilber, artistic director of the Martha Graham Dance Company, closed the ceremony after an eloquent introduction about the Lar Lubovitch she knows.  Lucky, Nicole Corea, Tobin DelCoure and Brett Perry from the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company danced excerpts of Wanderers, a work-in-progress.  After the dance, the 73-year-old Lubovitch modestly accepted, he said, “I’m not sure why we dance, but it takes over.”
 
“The Dance Magazine Awards recognize outstanding men and women whose contributions have left a lasting impact on the dance world. The tradition dates back to 1954,” according to the release.