New York, May 15, 2011 - The 29th
Annual Fred & Adele Astaire Awards, hosted by Bebe
Neuwirth and Lee Roy Reams, at the
magnificent Skirball Center for The Performing Arts at
NYU once again honored excellence in dance and
choreography on Broadway and in film. Susan Stroman
took top honors for Best Choreographer on Broadway in a
field of nine nominees for her stunning work in “The
Scottsboro Boys”. It was a record breaking 5th
Astaire Award for the 5 time Tony Award and 5 time Drama
Desk winner. Two time Tony Award winner Bebe
Neuwirth presented the award to Ms. Stroman.
Sutton Foster star of “Anything Goes’ took
home her second Astaire for Best Female Dancer on
Broadway for her rousing performance as Reno Sweeney.
Her first Astaire was for “Thoroughly Modern Millie”.
Desmond Richardson, Tony nominee for “Fosse”
and
co-founder and co-artistic director of
Complexions Contemporary Ballet presented the
award to Ms. Sutton.
First timer Norbert Leo Butz star of “Catch Me if
You Can” took the prize for Best Male Dancer on Broadway
presented by Tony and Drama Desk winner Karen Ziemba
. Australia’s Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon
won the Astaire for
Excellence in Choreography in Film for their
breathtaking dances in “Mao’s Last Dancer” presented by
Tony Award winner
Bill Irwin.
Legendary dancer, choreographer, teacher
and founder of the National Dance Institute
Jacques d’Amboise
received the Douglas Watt Lifetime Achievement Award
named for the late drama critic and co-founder of the
Award with Fred Astaire.
Following a major tribute in dance
including a brilliant performance by
Russell
Janzen
of a piece from the ballet “Who Cares’ created by
George Balanchine
and first danced by d’Amboise; an exuberant performance
of “Shall We Dance” by d’Amboise’s students at the
National Dance Institute choreographed by Jacques’ son
Christopher d’Amboise
and praiseful tributes by Len Cariou,
Charlotte D’Amboise, Christopher d’Amboise and Brian
Stokes Mitchell, d’Amboise graciously accepted the award
with a theatrical flourish and bow.
.
In an evening that both honored legends
and showcased the current & next generation, The
Astaires fittingly kicked off with a lush and romantic
opening medley, a paean to dance, set to the songs
“Dancing In The Dark”,
“Come Dance With Me”, “Moondance” and “Let’s Face The
Music and Dance” conceived by Joe Lanteri and
choreographed
by Melanie LaPatin of “So You
Think You Can Dance’. Lee Roy Reams, Shannon Lewis,
Chester Gregory and Karen Ziemba provided the
beautiful vocals while World Ballroom Dance Champion
couples JT Thomas and Tomas Mielnicki, Eulia
Baranovsky and Vladimir Popov, Iveta Lukosuite
and Gherman Mustuc and Sarika Hudson and
Nazar Batih swirled
across the stage.
After the applause died down, the Awards
co-founders - daughters and presenters - of the awards,
Ava Astaire McKenzie
and Patricia
Watt
warmly welcomed the guests and shared their mutual
passion for continuing to preserve the great legacy of
the Astaires. Both Ms. Watt and Ms. McKenzie shared
loving memories of their fathers which touched the
audience.
They were followed by Associate Produce
noted choreographer Bronwen
Carson
and Caryn Nadeau,
Dance therapist who spoke movingly about the Dance &
Movement Therapy programs for autistic and disabled
children in New York public schools which the Awards
gala benefits.
Tony
Award winner Bill Irwin first doing an impromptu
dance turn presented the Astaire for Excellence in
Choreography in Film to
Mao’s Last Dancer’s
Graeme Murphy
and Janet Vernon.
The
award presentation was followed with a dazzling guest
performance by “Billy Elliot” star, Cesar Corrales.
The acclaimed young dancer performed the show stopping
dance number “Electricity”. Corrales currently starring
in the show in Toronto had flown in especially for the
occasion.
Next up
was Astaire Awards director and Joe Lanteri,
Founder/Executive Director of the NYC Dance Alliance
Foundation, one of the evening’s co-producers and
beneficiaries. NYCDAF is dedicated to empowering the
next generation of professional dancers by advocating
education and offering scholarships for secondary and
college training, so it was appropriate that Lanteri
should introduce the 1st Adele Astaire
Scholarship winner Corey Snide, the 17 year old
former “Billy Elliot” star who was accepted to Julliard
this fall.
Introducing him, Joe Lanteri, Executive Director
NYC Dance Alliance Foundation noted, “As Ava Astaire
mentioned earlier, together we’ve established a new
scholarship, an award that bears the name of ‘Adele
Astaire’….that will be given for the first time ever
tonight… to a young man I first met when he was nine
years old and training in a local studio in Albany. He
has grown up through the NYC Dance Alliance. He’s now 17
and was just accepted to the Juilliard School for the
fall of 2011. This is someone we will all be keeping an
eye on, for years to come”. Snide than whipped into a
fast paced tap solo “Didn’t He Ramble” choreographed by
Anthony Morigerato after which another famous tapper,
Tony nominated actor, director and choreographer
Maurice Hines presented him with the scholarship
certificate.
Another
highlight of the evening was the torrid performance of
“Catch Me If You Can” star Rachelle Rak
channeling her inner Marilyn Monroe in “Diamonds
Are a Girl’s Best Friend” choreographed by Joe
Lanteri. Athletic young dancers Todd Burnsed,
Jakob Karr, Grasan Kingsberry and Chase Madigan
hoisted and swirled the glamorous Rak in dizzying spins.
The
evening wrapped with a joyous, high voltage,
energy-charged display by the young students of David
Sanders Dynamic Dance Company performing “Stomp to
My Beat” choreographed by Sanders. Dancers
Lexie Buser, Alyssa DiOrio,
Victoria Ferme, Ashley Fleischman, Krystal Fleischman,
Jessica Flick, Gianna Fulciniti, Kristina Georgilis,
Courtney Germano, Maeve Gesualdi, Taylor Graham, Alexis
Griffith, Nicole Hoffmann, Lauren Holly, Ashley Howell,
Justine Jordan, Maria Keuler, Vanessa Kwaak, Kourtney
LaMantia, Victoria Marano, Ali Mosca, Deana Naja,
Danielle Nigro, Julianne Perrone, Bianca Signorelli,
Doniella Soriano, Madison Urraro, Angelica Venturella,
Alyssa Vero
and Jordan Lang brought the audience to their
feet in a thunderous standing ovation.
VIP guests then proceeded up to the
gorgeous atrium atop the Skirball Center for a dinner
with the stars and a panoramic view of the city and a
chance to view the silent auction organized by Kat
Schaffer, Alix Michel & their committee and bid on
luxury items such as an antique inspired necklace from
BB Jewels Gramercy Park. The elegant setting was a
location in which Adele & Fred would have felt most at
home.
This
year’s Nominating Committee was headed up by Chair
Sylviane Gold. Committee members include Anna
Kisselgoff, Damian Woetzel, Wendy Perron, Manny and Lani
Azenberg, Donna McKechnie, Lee Roy Reams, Wendy Federman,
Barbara and Buddy Freitag, Michael Riedel, Marge
Champion, Margaret Selby, Melinda Atwood, Bryan Bantry,
Adam Zotovich, Andy Sandberg and Bruce Michael.
The
Awarding Committee included Sylviane Gold, Anna
Kisselgoff, Wendy Perron, Lee Roy Reams and
Damian Woetzel
The 2011
Fred & Adele Astaire Awards on May 15 presented by
Ava Astaire and the Douglas Watt Family Fund for the
Performing Arts benefit dance education in public
schools serving autistic and disabled children and The
Adele Astaire Scholarship Fund for promising young
dancers.
Executive Producer: Patricia Watt; Co-Producer:
Joe Lanteri, New York City Dance Alliance;
Associate Producer, Bronwen Carson. Director is
Joe Lanteri. Honorary Chairs are Judith Jamison
and Wendy Federman Awards. Gala Co-Chairs are
Carolyn Kendall Buchter, Cassandra Seidenfeld
Lyster and Bruce Michael. Benefit Co-
Chairs are Sara Johnson Kaplan and
Jamie Watkins
Gala
Committee included Jennifer Bank, Raymond Capodanno,
Joyce Chasen, Ursula Deljian, Victoria Detiger, Missy
Echeverria, Elyse Emmer, Wendy Federman, Terri Gold,
Regina Kravitz, Jacqueline Marks, Alix Michel, Coryn
Nadeau, Melinda Paltrow, Nancy Pearson, Scott Perrin,
Scarlett Pildes, Randi Rahm, Kat Schaffer, Jennifer
Taylor and Andrew Wargo
Honorary
Committee included Mr. and Mrs. Richard Adler, Jean
Claude Baker, Bob Balaban, Marisa Berenson, Anna
Bergman, Patricia Birch, Marge Champion, Arlene Dahl,
Jacques D'Amboise, Gracielle Danielle, Eve Ensler, Jules
Fisher, Mario Fratti, Mitzi Gaynor, Savion Glover, Joel
Grey, Anne Jackson, Susan Jaffee, Arthur Laurents, Rob
Marshall, Donna McKechnie, Joey McKneely, Jerry
Mitchell, Bebe Neuwirth, Phyllis Newman, Marsha Norman,
Robert Osbourne, Jane Powell and Dick Moore ,Harold
Prince, Rex Reed, Ann Reinking, Donald Saddler, Liz
Smith, Richard Thomas, Sergio Trujillo, Karen Ziemba,
Eli Wallach.