The award recipients were, as most years, very impressive: Brenda Bufalino and Tony Waag, Larissa Saveliev, Wayne McGregor, Luigi and Misty Copeland. Longtime performers and supporters from the tap community, Bufalino and Waag are known for beginning and sustaining the American Tap Dance Orchestra/Foundation; Saveliev is the co-founder of Youth American Grand prix; McGregor is the mastermind choreographer and director for his company Wayne McGregor I Random Dance; Luigi is the father of his namesake classic jazz technique; and Copeland is the first African-American soloist at American Ballet Theatre. Fittingly, Wendy Perron, now the Editor in Large at Dance Magazine opened the evening and was greeted with a huge round of applause. Constance Valis Hill presented to Bufalino and Waag; Susan Jaffe to Saveliev; Jedediah Wheeler to Wayne McGregor; Liza Minnelli to Luigi and Raven Wilkinson to Copeland. Sadly, an ailing Luigi was not able to attend, nor could Minnelli because she too was not well. McGregor could not attend either, both he and Minnelli sent tape recordings noting how much they wanted to be present. Nonetheless other performances and lovely tributes sandwiched each presentation, some nicely timed, others a bit too long. The evening was highlighted with works by Marcelo Gomes: La Mort d’Ophelie danced by Sarah Lane and Sterling Baca for Saveliev, Toccare danced by Copeland and Alexandre Hammoudi for Copeland, and for McGregor, Akua Noni Parker and Jeroboam Bozeman from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater danced in McGregor’s Chroma. Nothing topped Francis Roach accepting the award for Luigi by coaxing the audience to stand up and do/learn the Luigi warmup. And a …. 5-6-7-8…..
See an excerpt of Roach teaching students Erika and Jessica Black.
See an excerpt of Roach teaching students Erika and Jessica Black.
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