Lester Horton Dance Awards announced tonight

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The 18th annual Lester Horton Dance Awards -- presented earlier this evening at Santa Monica’s Edgemar Center for the Arts -- handed its top award, outstanding achievement in performance by a dance troupe, to Method Contemporary Dance Company for ‘This Is Not an Exit,’ choreographed by company director Bradley Michaud for five women and one man to music by the French collective Nouvelle Vague. The work netted Michaud an additional award for outstanding achievement in long-form (more than 15 minutes) choreography.

The awards, given by the Dance Resource Center of Greater Los Angeles, cite excellence in performance, choreography, design, music and other categories for L.A. area dance presentations.

Jacob ‘Kujo’ Lyons, whose roots are in hip-hop and breaking, received an award for his performance in Lux Aeterna Dance Company’s ‘Metanoia,’ which former Los Angeles Times dance critic Lewis Segal described as elevating a ‘radically reconceptualized street-dance style into the realm of the spiritual.’ ‘Metanoia’ also snagged Lyons the award for outstanding achievement in short-form (less than 15 minutes) choreography.

The honored female performer was Drea Sobke for her appearance in ‘Arrive’ with the Backhausdance company. David Contreras and Anh Dillon also received a performance award for ‘Duet,’ choreographed by Terri Brest.

The outstanding achievement in world dance award went to Sohini Ray for ‘Gita-Govinda,’ performed by her company Manipuri Dance Visions, a local company that focuses on the dance tradition that originates from the northeast Indian state of Manipur.

Special awards went to Lynette Kessler, founder and executive/artistic director of Dance Camera West; Arlene Kennedy, director of Universal Dance Design; and the James Irvine Foundation. Awards for excellence in teaching were given to Linda Yudin and Luis Badaro, co-artistic directors of Viver Brasil.

Read on for a complete list of winners:

2008 Lester Horton Awards

Outstanding achievement in performance – company:

Method Contemporary Dance, ‘This Is Not an Exit’

Outstanding achievement in performance – male:

Jacob “Kujo” Lyons, ‘Metanoia,’ Lux Aeterna Dance Company

Outstanding achievement in performance – female:

Drea Sobke, ‘Arrive,’ Backhausdance

Outstanding achievement in performance – small ensemble (duets, trios, quartets)

David Contreras and Anh Dillon, ‘Duet’ by Terri Best

Outstanding achievement in choreography – long form (more than 15 minutes)

Bradley Michaud – ‘This is Not an Exit,’ Method Contemporary Dance

Outstanding achievement in choreography – short form (less than 15 minutes)

Jacob “Kujo” Lyons, ‘Metanoia,’ Lux Aeterna Dance Company

Outstanding achievement in costume design

Sri Susilowati, ‘Karuna Agung – A Buddhist Requiem,’ Sri Dance Company

Outstanding achievement in music for dance

Luiz Badaró and Mario Pallais with Jose Ricardo Sousa of Viver Brasil Dance Company, ‘So
Moved/In Motion’

Outstanding achievement in set design

Francisco Martinez, ‘Orbital Dances,’ Francisco Martinez Dance Theater

Outstanding achievement in lighting design

Eileen Cooley, ‘Sans Detour,’ Catch Me Bird and Baker & Tarpaga Dance Project

Outstanding achievement in world dance

Sohini Ray, ‘Gita-Govinda,’ Manipuri Dance Visions

Outstanding achievement in a festival or series

Celebrate Dance 2008 produced by Jamie Nichols

Special Jury Award

‘Gnama Gnama Mana Mana Kono/Disorder Inside Order,’
Baker & Taparga Dance Project

-- Diane Haithman

Lux Aeterna Dance Company performs ‘Metanoia.’ Credit: Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times