Tamara Straus
Thursday, January 14, 2010

Izzie winners honored

Scott Wells, Laura Elaine Ellis and Ramon Moreno Acanda were among those honored Tuesday night at the 24th Isadora Duncan Dance Awards (the Izzies) at the San Francisco Public Library’s Koret Auditorium. Wells was honored for his choreography of “What Men Want.”

Ellis received her award for her role in Dimensions Dance Theater’s “Grace – 35th Anniversary Celebration,” and Acanda was recognized for his entire season at Ballet San Jose.

The ensemble award went to San Francisco Ballet’s Sarah Van Patten, Ivan Popov, Vanessa Zahorian and Davit Karapetyan for Balanchine‘s “Stravinsky Violin Concerto.” Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu won the company performance category for “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” Two special awards, honoring outstanding achievement, were given to Dohee Lee for “Flux,” a work melding traditional Korean performance with contemporary music, movement and film; and to FlyAway Productions’ Jo Kreiter for “The Ballad of Polly Ann,” an aerial tribute to the women who helped build Bay Area bridges. Sustained achievement awards went to Ashkenaz Music and Dance Center; to Roy Bogas, who has served as principal solo pianist for the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra since the 1950s; and to former Ballet Russes dancer and film star Marc Platt, who charmed attendees by recounting his audition for the great Leonid Massine, remarking, “It’s been a good life.” For a list of all nominees, go to izzies.org.