64th Capezio Dance Award goes to Juilliard

Juilliard Dance will receive the 64th Annual Capezio Dance Award from the Capezio Ballet Makers Dance Foundation at a ceremony on Sunday, November 22, 2015 at 6 p.m. at The Juilliard School in the Willson Theater. Lawrence Rhodes, artistic director of Juilliard’s Dance Division, will accept the award on behalf of the school.

The Foundation is a philanthropic organization funded by the dance and apparel manufacturer, Capezio Ballet Makers. Awarded annually since 1952, the Capezio Dance Award recognizes significant contributions to American dance by an individual, company or institution. It is awarded to those who bring respect, stature and distinction to dance and who exhibit qualities such as innovation, creativity and imagination. The Juilliard School is the first educational institution to receive the award.

The Juilliard Dance Division, entering its 64th season in 2015-16, is a groundbreaking conservatory dance program whose faculty and alumni have changed the face of dance around the world. The program was established in 1951 by William Schuman during his tenure as president of Juilliard with the guidance of Founding Director Martha Hill. It became the first major teaching institution to combine equal dance instruction in both contemporary and ballet techniques. Among the early dance faculty members at Juilliard were Alfredo Corvino, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, José Limón, Anna Sokolow, Antony Tudor and Hector Zaraspe.

Ballet master and master teacher, Lawrence Rhodes, was appointed the artistic director of the Juilliard Dance Division in July 2002. Now going into his 14th year in the fall as director, he has reordered the curriculum and elevated requirements for the diploma and degree programs at Juilliard. He has increased the number of performances and brought in many prominent choreographers to work with the students. Graduates of the program have gone on to perform with virtually every established contemporary and ballet dance company in the United States and abroad, and they also are among the directors and administrators of respected companies worldwide.

Alumni of Juilliard’s Dance Division include Robert Battle, Pina Bausch, Martha Clarke, Mercedes Ellington, Robert Garland, Charlotte Griffin, Kazuko Hirabayashi, Adam Hougland, Saeko Ichinohe, Loni Landon, Jessica Lang, Lar Lubovitch, Bruce Marks, Susan Marshall, Austin McCormick, Andrea Miller, Ohad Naharin and Paul Taylor.

For further information on Juilliard Dance, visit www.juilliard.edu/degrees-programs/dance. For more information on Capezio and its prestigious history, visit www.capezio.com.

Photo (top): Juilliard dancers in Nacho Duarto’s Gnawa from Juilliard Dances Repertory in March 2012. Photo by Rosalie O’Connor. Photo (left): Juilliard dancers in Merce Cunningham’s BIPED from Juilliard Dances Repertory in March 2015. Photo by Rosalie O’Connor. Photo (right): The Juilliard School at night. Photo by Michael DiDonna.