Bessie Award Winners!

October 15, 2012

The 2012 Bessies were last night! Elizabeth Streb hosted and there were performances by Trisha Brown Dance Company and Souleymane Badolo. Here’s a quick breakdown of the awards given:

-Paul Taylor was presented the 2012 Bessie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance.

-Alice Teirstein, a 30 year veteran dance teacher at the Fieldston School and founder of Young Makers was given the New York Dance and Performance Award for Service to the Field of Dance.

– A 2012 New York Dance and Performance Award for Outstanding Production (of a work performed in a larger capacity venue of more than 400 seats) was given to The Merce Cunningham Dance Company for Event at the Park Avenue Armory.

– A 2012 New York Dance and Performance Award for Outstanding Production (of a work that stretches the boundaries of a culturally specific form) was given to Israel Galvan for La Edad de Oro at The Joyce Theater.

– Outstanding Production  (of a work performed in a smaller capacity venue of less than 400 seats):  given to Trajal Harrall for Antigone Sr./Twenty Looks or Paris is Burning at the Judson Church at New York Live Arts.

– Outstanding Production of a work in the expanding field of new art, dance, and performance practice: went to Emily Johnson for The Thank-you Bar at New York Live Arts.

– Outstanding Revival went to The Shining By Yvonne Meier, presented by New York Live Arts and performed at the Invisible Dog Art Center.

– Outstanding Award for Visual Design for Dance went to Doris Dziersk for Meg Stuart’s Blessed at New York Live Arts.

– Outstanding Music Composition/Sound Design for Dance goes to Flamme Kapaya and his bandfor Faustin Linyekula’s more more more. future performed at the Kitchen.

– The 2012 Bessie Award for Emerging Choreographer went to Rashaun Mitchell.

– Outstanding performer:  (nominated by the committee looking at work performed in a larger capacity venue of more than 400 seats): Silas Riener in Merce Cunningham’s Split Sides.

– Outstanding performer: (nominated by the committee looking at work that stretches the boundaries of a culturally specific form): Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards.

– Outstanding performer: (nominated by the committee looking at work performed in a smaller capacity venue of less than 400 seats): Omagbitse Omagbemi.

– Outstanding performer: (nominated by the committee looking at work in the expanding field of new art, dance, and performance practice): Nicole Mannarino

JURIED BESSIE AWARD was given to Souleymane Badolo, by a panel that included Lar Lubovitch, Yvonne Rainer, and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar.

For more details on the awards given, visit http://www.dancenyc.org/bessies/news.php?id=35