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List of Kennedy Center Honors to Dancers


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1978

george balanchine

fred astaire

1979

martha graham

1980

agnes demille

1981

jerome robbins

1982

gene kelly

1983

katherine dunham

1985

merce cunningham

1987

alwin nikolais

1988

alvin ailey

1989

alexandra danilova

1991

fayard and harold nicholas

1992

paul taylor

1993

arthur mitchell

1995

jacques d'amboise

1996

maria tallchief

1997

edward villella

1999

judith jamison

2000

mikhail baryshnikov

2002

chita rivera

2005

suzanne farrell

2008

twyla tharp

2012

natalia makarova

sammy davis, jr. got one as well but i wasn't sure whether to include him as primarily a dancer or an actor?

some of these are on line i'm sure besides the one i found this morning.

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Time for Allegra Kent or Patricia McBride? Tricia Brown?

At the very end of the Baryshnikov tape (above), a parade of dance luminaries comes on stage (not dancing, alas). Almost all had already been honored. Those who had not were Brown, McBride, Makarova, Morris, and Hines. So sad that they were not able to honor Hines before his death. Brown and McBride look like good bets for the future. Morris might be a little too young for now. How about Helgi Tomasson?

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I feel intense pain and anger for every year that honoree isn't named for dance.crying.gif

For the future, I'd like to see Violette Verdy, Cynthia Gregory, and Damien Woetzel to the list. I'd also add Ben Vereen and Tommy Tune for their Broadway work.

Ooh, I like your list! I'd leave Damien a while though. I think he's deserving, but he (hopefully!) has a lot of years left.

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Thanks, Aurora. :) My one New Year's resolution is to respond to people who have commented on my posts. My apologies to everyone who contributed to the Western Symphony video thread. flowers.gifblushing.gif

I have 2 more names to add my list of honorees, Frederick Franklin and Marge Champion. Time is an issue for them.

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Oh, what fabulous video excerpts! I saw the Morris company in Grand Duo earlier this year -- it's a treat to see the finale in the Baryshnikov tribute. But it was the collection of tap dancers in the Sammy Davis, Jr tribute that made me cry. What an incredible collection of talent.

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I should know the answer to this...so excuse me for asking:

Is Violette Verdy a U.S. citizen now? Of course, she made her mark as an NYCB ballerina. On that alone, and her teaching career on our shores, I'd give her a KC Honor! [Online articles, including Wikiedia, still describe her as a 'French ballerina'; she received France's Legion of Honor a couple of years ago.]

If non-US citizens who've become famous with US companies would quality for the KC Honors, then my vote goes to Alicia Alonso, a superstar of ABT for a long-long time before the Cuban Revolution took her permanently to Havana, but we know that that award 'ain't gonna happen'! :)

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I should know the answer to this...so excuse me for asking:

Is Violette Verdy a U.S. citizen now? Of course, she made her mark as an NYCB ballerina. On that alone, and her teaching career on our shores, I'd give her a KC Honor! [Online articles, including Wikiedia, still describe her as a 'French ballerina'; she received France's Legion of Honor a couple of years ago.]

If non-US citizens who've become famous with US companies would quality for the KC Honors, then my vote goes to Alicia Alonso, a superstar of ABT for a long-long time before the Cuban Revolution took her permanently to Havana, but we know that that award 'ain't gonna happen'! smile.png

I don't know if American citizenship is a requirement. In the press announcement for the most recent awards, it talks of contributions to American culture, but it never comes right out and says this is an award to Americans:

http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/specialevents/honors/

In practice, it might be that the selection committee prefers American citizens, and I don't see anyone on the list who is obviously not an American citizen. Does anybody know?

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If non-US citizens who've become famous with US companies would quality for the KC Honors, then my vote goes to Alicia Alonso, a superstar of ABT for a long-long time before the Cuban Revolution took her permanently to Havana, but we know that that award 'ain't gonna happen'! smile.png

Oh Natasha...Alonso has had her own award in people's minds for her 20 years career in NYC. Then, I would be curious about the citizenship. Her only daughter Laura was born in US, and besides the fact that the citizenship can be passed automatically from children to parents, I would be doubtful that Alicia didn't take her own having thought of living permanently in US-(which she did, as I said, for 20 years)-, only going back to Cuba to perform at occasions. The fact that she went back was very circumstantial, due to the revolution and the invitation done by Castro to give her green light for ballet development and her own theater.

I will never forget that American aging lady seating next to me at the MET with tears in her eyes during her 90th birthday gala who told me "Last time I saw her dancing it was here in NYC in 1959", which to I said, "And last time i did was in Havana in 1991". The gap of generations in between the two of us, and the fact that we were still able to share a common ground was weird, but beautiful.

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Sir Paul McCartney received a KC Honor recently. I'm not sure if he is dual citizen (UK and USA).

Well, if the gates are wide open and non-US citizens can earn the KC Honor then Alicia Alonso gets my vote, even if I know that it would be considered politically incorrect by many.

Cubanmiamiboy - ITA with you. Alonso is a Queen of American Ballet - KC Honor or not. smile.png

Kirkland? Maybe due to substance-abuse problems being so out in the open and/or her career being cut short at its height. Of course, she is still writing her 'story' with her academy. It's not where you start - it's where you finish.

Bujones would have definitely been in the running for a KC Honor had his life not been cut short.

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