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Kennedy Center Honorees


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The Kennedy Center Honors Awards have been announced....once again, there's no one from dance.

Granted, there aren't as many dancers and choreographers as there are pop stars, but who out there hasn't yet been nominated who should be?

[Amy first posted this question yesterday on Links]:

NY Times report on the Kennedy Center Honorees:

 

The Kennedy Center Honors: This Year's Bid for Glamour

Carol Burnett, Mike Nichols, James Brown, Loretta Lynn and Itzhak Perlman were named today to receive this year's Kennedy Center Honors in the performing arts.

I do not understand why there were 3 honorees from Music but not one from Dance.

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The Kennedy Center Honors Awards have been announced....once again, there's no one from dance.

Granted, there aren't as many dancers and choreographers as there are pop stars, but who out there hasn't yet been nominated who should be?

Well, I don't see Suzanne Farrell's name there.

And I suppose Lucia Chase should have been given an award. Although I usually don't have much good to say of her, she did create and sustain a major ballet company for many years.

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There are a lot more men honored than women. I definitely could see Suzanne Farrell (who is affiliated with the Kennedy Center), Patricia McBride, Cynthia Gregory. I'd probably would see Farrell getting it, considering her Q rating (sorry for using that) and she's running a company. I don't think being an AD should be the criteria, but it seems to matter to the center. I can see some board person going, "Oh, she's just a dancer, but he runs a company." I think if you're honoring people for their overall contribution to American life, Francia Russell and Kent Stowell for what they've done in Seattle. But they probably don't have a (OK, I'm going to us it again) a Q rating. Or Makarova? They've honored others not born in the United States.

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There's definitely an age bias. They go for the oldest first and work down. I don't think many, if any, have gotten it before 50. But everyone mentioned so far is over 50.

They are slow on dance. My favorite response, ever, of an Honoree was Paul Taylor's. Asked if he was surprised at the award he said, in a published interview something like, "Actually, I thought I'd be given it before this."

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I think it makes sense to go oldest first for unfortunately obvious reasons. Unfortunately, they've missed the boat on some - Le Clerq could have been honored. I wonder if there has been a change in the selection committee because dance was represented pretty regularly throughout the middle-80s to the early 90s. They also have done most of the big names in ballet during that time and the first few honorees.

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It is surprising to me that Suzanne Farrell has not been honored here. Has her time not come yet? Her contributions to the art world are plenty. How does this nomination process work?

It disturbs me that no dance person was nominated this year. :angry:

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I've wondered about the practice of honoring people with this sort of distinction as a sort of Gold Watch marking a transition from a primary career to eventual death. It would be a better idea to present awards to people at the height of their powers as an artist. Now while it might have to include multiple awards to people, first as dancer, then as choreographer, ballet master, or director, subsequent awards could be made as laurel (not oak) leaf clusters, to be added to the first award. Just a page out of military awards and decorations.

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I think the point of the KC Honors is enduring impact, coupled, of course, with Q rating. Enduring impact would imply -- in the case of dancers -- important post-performing-career work. I think there are good candidates out there, some already mentioned, but will a chance to relive, say, Cynthia Gregory's greatest moments pull in the viewers that CBS wants? Maybe a letter-writing campaign is called for. (BTW, does CBS have any say in who gets? It may not be entirely ethical :angelnot:, but given their commercial interest in who headlines, I would think that just maybe . . . :clapping::) )

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