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The 2018 Bessie Nominations

Outstanding Production:

Geoff Sobelle
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BAM Harvey

Hofesh Shechter
Grand Finale
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House

Matthew Bourne
The Red Shoes
New York City Center

Bouchra Ouizguen
Corbeaux (Crows)
Brooklyn Museum CLF

David Thomson
he his own mythical beast
Performance Space New York

Marjani Forté-Saunders
Memoirs of a… Unicorn
Presented by New York Live Arts at Collapsable Hole

Kota Yamazaki
Darkness Odyssey Part 2:I or Hallucination
Baryshnikov Arts Center

Jonathan Gonzalez
ZERO
Danspace Project

Gillian Walsh
Moon Fate Sin
Danspace Project; Co-presenter: PERFORMA 17

Jimmy Robert
Imitation of Lives
The Glass House; Co-commission: PERFORMA 17

Nami Yamamoto
Headless Wolf
Roulette

2018 Outstanding Revival Nominees

Early Shaker Spirituals
The Wooster Group
Performing Garage

40th Anniversary Retrospective
Jane Comfort and Company
Ellen Stewart Theatre at La MaMa

Rite of Spring
Pina Bausch
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House

Outstanding NY Dance and Performance Award for Outstanding “Breakout” Choreographer (*indicates award recipient)

Hadar Ahuvia
Hadar Ahuvia bravely interrogates the complex and fraught history of Israeli folk dance’s past and present through innovative, contemporary techniques that integrate dance, video, text and the audience. “Everything You Have is Yours” is startling, very funny, beautiful, and starkly moving.

Lauren Lovette
Lauren Lovette is an inspired, theatrical, boundary breaking choreographer who has created acclaimed ballets for New York City Ballet and The Vail Dance Festival. In her creations she is reimagining movement within the classical ballet structure.

Kyle Marshall
Kyle Marshall’s choreography works between dance forms and their many value systems to engage contemporary issues of identity on the concert stage. His use of rhythm and timing, a compelling, tight, visceral use of vocabulary, energy, and group work transports his dancers into different relationships and realities.

Mariana Valencia*
For seamlessly blending ethnography, memoir, and observation of cross-cultural identities in choreography that engages from start to finish. For a unique vision that uses humor and sadness, reality and imagination, to push dance and performance into new territory.

2018 Juried Bessie Award

Kyle Marshall

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Digital photos are available on request.

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Outstanding Performer:

Courtney Cook
Sustained achievement with Urban Bush Women, Maria Bauman, and Marguerite Hemmings

Duane Cyrus
Virago-Man Dem
Choreographer: Cynthia Oliver
BAM Fisher

Julian Barnett
Darkness Odyssey Pt 2:1 or Hallucination
Choreographer: Kota Yamazaki
Baryshnikov Arts Center

Shamar Watt
Sustained achievement with Nora Chipaumire

William Roberson
Indumba
Choreographer: Fana Tshabalala
Deeply Rooted Dance Theater
BAM Fisher

Germaine Acogny
Mon élue noire (My Black Chosen One): Sacre #2
Choreographer: Olivier Dubois
BAM Fisher

Elizabeth DeMent
17C
Choreographer: Big Dance Theater
BAM Harvey

Kaneza Schaal
Petra
Choreographer: Dean Moss
Performance Space New York

Laurel Atwell
ANTHEM
Choreographer: Milka Djordjevich
The Chocolate Factory

Sara Mearns
For sustained achievement with New York City Ballet, and various artists

Jacqueline Green
For sustained achievement with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Zoey Anderson
For sustained achievement with Parsons Dance

Outstanding Visual Design:

Black Kirby (John Jennings and Stacey Robinson) and John Boesche
Virago-Man Dem
Choreographer: Cynthia Oliver
BAM Fisher

Wade Kavanaugh and Stephen B. Nguyen
Keen [No. 2]
Choreographer: Ivy Baldwin
Abrons Art Center; co-presented with The Joyce Unleashed and The Chocolate Factory

Mimi Lien, Peiyi Wong, Tuçe Yasak, Meena Murugesan, and Richard Forté
Memoirs of a… Unicorn
Choreographer: Marjani Forté-Saunders
Presented by New York Live Arts at Collapsable Hole

Lez Brotherston, Duncan McLean, and Paule Constable
The Red Shoes
Choreographer: Matthew Bourne
New York City Center

2018 Outstanding Music Composition / Sound Design Nominees

Jeremy Toussaint-Baptiste
Sustained achievement in music composition with choreographers Jaamil Olowale Kosoko, Jonathan Gonzalez, André M. Zachery/Renegade Performance Group, and Will Rawls

Zen Jefferson
Let ‘im Move You: This Is a Success and Let ‘im Move You: A Study
Choreographers: jumatatu m. poe`and Donte Beacham
American Realness at Abrons Arts Center, co-presented by Gibney

Alim Qasimov, Johnny Gandelsman, and Colin Jacobsen
Layla & Majnun
Choreographer: Mark Morris
Rose Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

Ryan Seaton
What will we be like when we get there
Choreographer: Joanna Kotze
New York Live Arts