ExploreDance

Honoring excellence in concert dance, this year's Lester Horton Awards found a new home at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. The presentation—tightly coordinated by producer Jamie Nichols—was a lively mix of tributes, technical and creative awards, and performances running the gamut from ballet to modern to salsa.

Though the Los Angeles dance world is large on talent, the community itself feels small and close knit. As choreographers were honored for their artistry, they were being rewarded equally for their contribution to the community. Four special awardees included ballet great Andrei Tremaine, Lifetime Achievement; the late Alfred Desio of Zapped Taps, Excellence in Teaching; dance advocate Allegra Fuller Snyder, Gary Bates Service to the Field; and LA Weekly dance writer Ann Haskins, Furthering the Visibility of Dance. Two dozen dance companies with 25 or more years of professional participation were also honored for their sustained service to the art of dance in Southern California.

Jennifer Backhaus' Backhausdance was the company of the evening, picking up awards for "Disintegration" (Outstanding Achievement: Revival, Restaging, Reconstruction), "La Jupe" (Outstanding Achievement Lighting Design), the Latin-inspired "Love and Other Impossibilities" (Outstanding Achievement Choreography Short Form), and "eXit" (Outstanding Achievement Performance Small Ensemble).

Outstanding Achievement Performance Company was awarded to Anna Djanbazian's Djanbazian Dance Company for "Rumi: Path to Enlightenment." Outstanding Achievement Choreography Long Form went to Francisco Martinez Dancetheatre for "Té Verde." This piece also garnered accolades for Jean Michelle Sayeg for Outstanding Achievement Female Performance. Carlos Rodriguez of Oni Dance won Outstanding Achievement Male Performance for "La Hora de Salir."

Technical awards included: Brock Cilley for "The Cage," Marie de la Palme, Set Design; Elias Roldan for "Arriba Jalisco: A Gritos Y A Sombreazos," Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company, Costume Design; and Ron Bartlett, Charlie Campagna, and Moira Smiley for "Synergy," TRIP Dance Theatre, Music.

The evening's producer, Jamie Nichols, brought home the Horton for Outstanding Achievement Festival or Series for her efforts on "Celebrate Dance 2006."

On the occasion of the Dance Resource Center's 20th Anniversary, the awards highlighted the increasing visibility of dance in Los Angeles and the enduring dedication of its practitioners.