12th Annual Minnesota SAGE Awards for Dance Announces 2016 Honorees

and the Awards' Graceful Exit

Minneapolis, Minn. (Oct., 2016) – The Minnesota SAGE Awards for Dance announced nine honorees at the 12th annual awards event this evening at The Goodale Theater in The Cowles Center for Dance and The Performing Arts.

The Minnesota SAGE Awards for Dance are given annually for outstanding achievement in six categories for work presented in the past year. The festive evening included dance performances by past Sage Awards recipients, Shohei Iwahama, Rooted: Hip Hop Choreographers’ Evening​ and an excerpt from ​​Lost Voices in Jazz. Music for the evening was provided by dance community favorites Michelle Kinney and Joe Strachan.

The 2016 Honorees were presented with an award designed by visual artist, Christian Holstad. Award recipients were selected by an anonymous group of peer panelists for outstanding work presented in the past year.

2016 SAGE AWARD HONOREES

2016 SAGE Awards Special Citation

Derek Phillips

2016 Outstanding Educator

Gadu Doushin

2016 Outstanding Performer

Judith Howard​ – PEOPLE I KNOW: 9 x 22

Christine Maginnis ​– 4 Duets and One More

2016 Outstanding Performance

Lorca’s Women – Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre

Ovarian Fortitude - PaviElle French

2016 Outstanding Design

​Film ​Reflections on Ice: Climate Change in Peru - Leila Awadallah

Set design, Costume & Make-up for ​ ​Burger Queen//Dairy King – Stephanie Stoumbelis

2016 Outstanding Ensemble

S.H.E. (She Who Holds Everything) in ​9th Inning-

Aaliyah Elfstrom, Ashley Yangtao, Averie Mitchell-Brown, Bella Roberts, Destiny Anderson, Iman Siferllah-Griffin, Jaylen Franklin, Joelle Fernandez, Khadijah Siferllah-Griffin, Kylie Redding, Mia Johnson, Rachel Harris

SAGE Awards Will Gracefully Exit

The Minnesota SAGE Awards for Dance has announced that it will gracefully exit, effective immediately. After twelve years of continued programming, SAGE Award co-coordinators Dana Kassel and Stuart Pimsler have decided to conclude operations. Both coordinators expressed similar reasons for their decisions.

“Our funders from the very beginning were quite clear that award programs were not part of their missions. Our primary funder, the McKnight Foundation has been incredibly supportive from its inception and decided that they would not continue to financially support the SAGE Awards.

For twelve years, the SAGE Awards addressed an important need in the Minnesota dance community – engaged conversations about artistic quality conducted by an anonymous panel of peers. Along the way, panelists challenged each other in dialogues focusing on aesthetics, identity, access, diversity and power. Our hope is that these types of conversations will continue in other formal and informal situations. We thank the community that has continued to support the SAGE Awards with much enthusiasm, as panelists, performers, and audience, as well the venues and artists that have generously provided tickets to the panels.

Our decision to exit is intentional and not the result of any financial deficits. We are proud of our achievements including the production and curating of twelve awards ceremonies, the honoring of hundreds of Minnesota dance artists and the commissioning of local and national artists to create the SAGE Award. Our most memorable moments were being present for the passionate conversations by artists in advocating for work that moved them.”

In preparing for their exit, Kassel and Pimsler have met with funders and the family of Sage Cowles. “Sage graciously lent her name to the program and we felt it was important to honor that gift,” said Pimsler. “The program name and logo will respectfully be retired with our thanks.”

About The Minnesota SAGE Awards for Dance

Since 2004, the Minnesota SAGE Awards have been presented annually to honor choreographers, dancers, educators, presenters, scenic and lighting designers, visual artists and others who continue to make the Twin Cities a national center of dance. The awards, named in honor of the late Sage Cowles, were created to celebrate the dance community and bring national attention to the tremendous amount of high caliber dance activity in the Twin Cities.

Dana Kassel and Stuart Pimsler serve as coordinators for the SAGE Awards in collaboration with an advisory panel representing the Twin Cities dance community. The Minnesota SAGE Awards for Dance are made possible by the McKnight Foundation, Dancing Fair, HRK Foundation, Barre and The Cowles Center for Dance & The Performing Arts.

For additional information contact: ​brenda.k.martinson@gmail.com​ or visit sageawards.org