Pavel Zuštiak and Storyboard P take early Bessie honors

The New York Dance and Performance Awards (The Bessies), New York City's premier dance awards honoring outstanding creative work in the field, today announced the nominees for the 2014-15 season at its annual press conference. The 37 nominees were selected by the Bessies Selection Committee, an independent committee of 39 dance industry professionals. Produced in partnership with Dance/NYC, Bessie Award categories include Outstanding Production, Outstanding Revival, Outstanding Performer, Outstanding Music Composition or Sound Design, and Outstanding Visual Design.

Dance artist and awards selection committee member Walter Rutledge (left)
greets nominee Storyboard P before press conference.
(c)2015, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

Craig Peterson (Gibney Dance Center Director of Programs and Presentations)
welcomes the crowd at Gibney's Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center.
(c)2015, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

Choreographer and jury member Susan Marshall
reads citation for the 2015 Juried Bessie Award,
presented to choreographer Pavel Zuštiak.
(c)2015, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

Zuštiak accepted his award in a video statement from Minneapolis
where he is preparing a new work for the Walker Arts Center.
(c)2015, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

Award selection committee member Kay Takeda
reads citation for the Outstanding Emerging Choreographer Award,
presented to flex dance artist Storyboard P.
(c)2015, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

Storyboard P accepts his
Outstanding Emerging Choreographer Award.
photo (c)2015, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

Bessies director Lucy Sexton
photo (c)2015 Eva Yaa Asantewaa

Dance artists and award selection committee members
Edisa Weeks and Gus Solomons Jr.
read the remaining categories and names of nominees.
The 2015 New York Dance and Performance Awards (The Bessies)
will return to Harlem's Apollo Theater for its fifth presentation
on Monday, October 19, 7:30pm.
 photo (c)2015, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

The 2015 Bessie Nominations

Outstanding Production:

600 HIGHWAYMEN
Employee of the Year
FIAF/Crossing the Line

Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca
Antigona
The Joyce Theater

Dorrance Dance with Toshi Reagon and BIGLOVELY
The Blues Project
The Joyce Theater

Neil Greenberg
This
New York Live Arts

Roger Guenveur Smith
Rodney King
BRIC

Xavier LeRoy
Retrospective
MoMA PS1 and Crossing the Line

Shwe Man Pwe
Music and Dance from Myanmar
Asia Society

David Neumann/Advanced Beginner Group
I Understand Everything Better
Abrons Arts Center co-presented by The Chocolate Factory

Justin Peck
Rōdē,ō: Four Dance Episodes
New York City Ballet
Lincoln Center

Lemi Ponifasio/MAU
Birds with Skymirrors
Next Wave Festival, Brooklyn Academy of Music

Pam Tanowitz
Broken Story (wherein there is no ecstasy)
The Guggenheim's Works & Process

Vuyani Dance Theatre Project
Umnikelo
Fall for Dance, New York City Center


Outstanding Revival:

Alexei Ratmansky
The Sleeping Beauty
American Ballet Theatre


Outstanding Performer:

Alexandra Albrecht and Andrew Champlin
in Polly Pocket: Expansion Pack by Jillian Peña
Danspace Project

Michelle Boulé
For her body of work with Miguel Gutierrez

Lawrence Cassella
Sustained Achievement in the work of Ivy Baldwin

Talya Epstein
in Star Crap Method by Larissa Velez-Jackson
The Chocolate Factory

Robert Fairchild
in An American in Paris
The Palace Theater

Ellen Fisher
For Sustained Achievement in Performance in the work of Meredith Monk

Lauren Grant
For her overall body of work with Mark Morris

Ryan Haskett, Daniel Price, and Lil Buck
Live Performance following NYC premiere of Pharaohs of Memphis
DAMN! Film Series
TheaterLab Annex

Juan Ogalla
in Antigona by Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca
The Joyce Theater

Amar Ramasar
New York City Ballet

Ryoji Sasamoto
in OQ by Kota Yamazaki
Japan Society

Melissa Toogood
For her body of work during the 2014-15 season in the work of Kimberly Bartosik, Merce Cunningham, Rashaun Mitchell, Stephen Petronio, Sally Silvers, Pam Tanowitz, among others.


Outstanding Emerging Choreographer (*indicates award recipient):

Yve Laris Cohen

Moriah Evans
For Social Dance 1-8: Index at Issue Project Room

Troy Schumacher

Storyboard P *


Outstanding Music Composition/Sound Design:

Tei Blow
for I Understand Everything Better by David Neumann/Advanced Beginner Group
Abrons Arts Center co-presented by The Chocolate Factory

Robyn Orlin | Compagnie Jant-Bi
At the same time we were pointing a finger at you, we realized we were pointing three at ourselves... by Robyn Orlin | Compagnie Jant-Bi
Peak Performances at Montclair State University

Ublado Perez Conde
for CAMBUYÃN by Enlace S.C.
The New Victory Theater

Kate Valk, Bobby McElver and Max Bernstein
for Early Shaker Spirituals by The Wooster Group
St. Ann's Warehouse


Outstanding Visual Design:

Reid Bartelme in collaboration with Harriet Jung
For body of work

Kathy Kaufmann
for Bloowst windku by Rebecca Davis
HERE Art Center

Lemi Ponifasio and Helen Todd
for Birds with Skymirrors
Next Wave Festival, Brooklyn Academy of Music

Design Team: Geoff Sobelle (Creator), Steven Dufala (Scenic Installation Designer)
Christopher Kuhl (Lighting Designer), Nick Kourtides (Sound Designer), Jamie Boyle (Integrated Archive Designer), Rachel McIntosh (Specialty Props Designer)
for The Object Lesson by Geoff Sobelle
BAM Fisher

For complete information 

on The New York Dance and Performance Awards, 

see About The Bessies.

For information about and tickets for

the Monday, October 19 presentation 

at The Apollo Theater, 

click here.