Robert Battle The 29th Annual International Conference and Festival of Blacks in Dance returns to Dallas, Texas for “Boundless Excellence in Dance,” where they are honoring dance industry trailblazer Robert Battle, Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Robert Battle is the recipient of the prestigious Founder’s Award to be presented during the conference’s Awards Luncheon where he will deliver the keynote address. The conference and festival takes place January 25 - 29, 2017 at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, 400 North Olive Street, Dallas, Texas. Following the Awards Luncheon Battle will take part in a panel discussion.
The Founder's Award is given to an individual who is one of a kind and consistently explores new and ground breaking approaches to dance in our community. The award recognizes exceptional choreography, performance, and uniqueness of the Dance Artists creative voice. This award recipient has demonstrated a genuine commitment to the mission of IABD and its philosophy which emphasizes the continued responsibility of "carrying the torch" by preserving and promoting dance by people of African ancestry or origin.Robert Battle became the Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in July of 2011. He is only the third person to head the dance company since its inception in 1958. Battle was a frequent choreographer and artist-in-residence at Ailey since 1999, where he set many of his works on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II and The Ailey School. Mr. Battle also instituted the New Directions Choreography Lab to help develop the next generation of choreographers. Battle founded his own Battleworks Dance Company in 2002. He was honored as one of the “Masters of African-American Choreography” by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2005. Battle trained at The Juilliard School. Battle has successfully continued to push boundaries and expand the conversation around what defines the Black Dance experience. He has done so by exposing audiences to an eclectic and non-traditional range of choreographers that have set commissioned works on the Ailey company. Robert Battle's diverse career as a performer, choreographer, artistic director, philanthropist and visionary make him an ideal speaker for the multigenerational dance artists of color that will have the privilege of experiencing his keynote address.
The Founder's Award is given to an individual who is one of a kind and consistently explores new and ground breaking approaches to dance in our community. The award recognizes exceptional choreography, performance, and uniqueness of the Dance Artists creative voice. This award recipient has demonstrated a genuine commitment to the mission of IABD and its philosophy which emphasizes the continued responsibility of "carrying the torch" by preserving and promoting dance by people of African ancestry or origin.Robert Battle became the Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in July of 2011. He is only the third person to head the dance company since its inception in 1958. Battle was a frequent choreographer and artist-in-residence at Ailey since 1999, where he set many of his works on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II and The Ailey School. Mr. Battle also instituted the New Directions Choreography Lab to help develop the next generation of choreographers. Battle founded his own Battleworks Dance Company in 2002. He was honored as one of the “Masters of African-American Choreography” by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2005. Battle trained at The Juilliard School. Battle has successfully continued to push boundaries and expand the conversation around what defines the Black Dance experience. He has done so by exposing audiences to an eclectic and non-traditional range of choreographers that have set commissioned works on the Ailey company. Robert Battle's diverse career as a performer, choreographer, artistic director, philanthropist and visionary make him an ideal speaker for the multigenerational dance artists of color that will have the privilege of experiencing his keynote address.
RSS Feed