Isadora Duncan Dance Awards announces nominees

The Isadora Duncan Dance Awards, a.k.a. The Izzies, announced award nominees on 15th April 2025.

The viewing year is 2023-2024. Final awardees will be announced on 15th May.

The Isadora Duncan Dance Awards is to honor dance artists for outstanding achievements in San Francisco Bay Area, California, the United States.

Following are the nominees.

Outstanding Achievement in Performance — Individual 

○ Nikisha Fogo, Swan Lake, Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco

○ William Brewton Fowler, Jr., The People's Palace, Artistic Director & Choreographer Joanna Haigood of Zaccho Dance Theatre, SF City Hall, San Francisco

○ Babatunji, Welcome Table from Spring, Artistic Director & Choreographer Alonzo King, YBCA Blue Shield Theater, San Francisco

○ Mizuho Sato, Crescent Occupation, Dance Mission, San Francisco

○ SeQuoiia, Hippest Trip-The Soul Train Musical, Choreographer Camille A. Brown, Toni Rembe Theater, San Francisco

○ Wei Wang, 2023-2024 Season, Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco

○ Maurya Kerr, Sisters, Artistic Director & Choreographer Randee Paufve, ODC Theater, San Francisco

Outstanding Achievement in Performance — Ensemble 

○ Megan Lowe & Roel Seeber, in A Quiet Space to Dance With as part of Megan Lowe Dances presents Just a Shadow, choreography by Megan Lowe & Roel Seeber, Joe Goode Annex, San Francisco

○ Brandon Graham & Kyle Limin, Loving Still, choreographed by Ryan T. Smith and Wendy Rein, 836M Gallery, San Francisco

○ Babatunji Johnson & Charmaine Butcher, James Graham's Dance Lovers, choreography by Babatunji Johnson & Charmaine Butcher, Joe Goode Annex, San Francisco; CONCEPT 31, RAWdance, choreography by Babatunji Johnson & Charmaine Butcher, The Green Room - SF War Memorial, San Francisco.

○ Corps de Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Swan Lake, Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco

○ Clarissa Rivera Dyas and ainsley elizabeth tharp, forever failing, KH Fresh Festival, Dance Mission Theater, San Francisco

Outstanding Achievement in Performance — Company 

○ Academy of Hawaiian Arts - Wahine, He inoa ahi no Kalākaua, Director Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu, The Academy of Alameda, Alameda

○ Smuin Contemporary Ballet, 2023 - 2024 Season, Artistic Director Celia Fushille, Associate Artistic Director Amy Seiwert

○ San Francisco Ballet, Swan Lake - Helgi Tomasson after Marius Petipa & Lev Ivanov; Song of the Earth - Kenneth MacMillan; Broken Wings - Annabelle Lopez Ochoa; Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco

○ SFDanceworks, The Broken Glass, Choreographer Bryan Arias, Artistic Director Dana Genshaft, ODC Theater, San Francisco

○ Diamano Coura West African Dance Company, "Homage la Aline Sitoe Diatta", "Fulani/Bao", and "Doundounba", Choreographer Ibrahima Diouf, Director Naomi Gedo Diouf, Odell Johnson Performing Arts Center-Laney College, Oakland

○ ODC/Dance, Dance Downtown 2024, Artistic Director Brenda Way, Blue Shield Theater of CA at YBCA, San Francisco

Outstanding Achievement in Visual Design (Costumes, Lights, and Sets) 

○ Abou Gangue of Baba Haby's Fashion Production - Costume Design / Costume Construction, Adia Tamar Whitaker - Costume Design / Costume Visioning, Following the Road to Ose Tura, Dance Mission Theater, San Francisco

○ Jack Beuttler - Lighting designer, If I Give You My Sorrows, Artistic Director & Choreographer Jo Kreiter/Flyaway Productions, Space 124, San Francisco

○ Maria Guzman Capron - Scenic Curtain Design, Dos Mujeres, Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, San Francisco Ballet War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco

○ Mary Domenico - Costume Designer, Loving Still, Choreographer/Director Ryan T. Smith and Wendy Rein, 836M Gallery, San Francisco

○ Mark Johns - 3D Design, Blooming Flowers and the Full Moon, Natasha Adorlee - Choreographer, Z Space, Joe Goode Annex, San Francisco

Outstanding Achievement in Music, Sound, Text 

○ Guy De Chalus - Musical Director / Composer / Arranger, Adia Tamar Whitaker - Choreographer / Artistic Director / Composer, Tossie Long - Lead Vocalist, Tilishia Goveia - Lead Vocalist, Miles Lassi - Supporting Musician / Sound Editing, Following the Road to Ose Tura, Dance Mission Theater, San Francisco

○ Carola Zertuche - Artistic Director / Choreographer / Original Idea / Flamenco Dancer, Juani de la Isla – Music Director / Composer / Flamenco Guitar, Pascual Martinez - Composer / Electronic Music, Diego Amador Jr. - Flamenco Singer / Drums, Mario Silva - Trumpet, Roberto Aguilar – Electric Guitar, Adrian Santana - Guest Flamenco Dancer, Nol Simonse - Guest Modern Dancer/Choreographer, Claudia Deveze & Lea Kobeli - Flamenco Dancers, Un Mundo Sin Tiempo 2024, ODC Theater, San Francisco

○ Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points - Composer / Musician / Producer, Mere Mortals, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco

○ Joel St. Julien - Composer/Musician, Loving Still, 836M Gallery, San Francisco

○ Chinary Ung - Composer, Paul Dresher - Music Direction & Musician, Joel Davel, Susan Ung and Vân-Ánh Võ - Musicians, The Rebirth of Apsara, Z Space’s Steindler Stage, San Francisco

Outstanding Achievement in Direction or Choreography 

○ Brenda Way, A Brief History of Up and Down, ODC, Blue Shield Theater of CA at YBCA, San Francisco

○ David Harvey and Babatunji, Chimera, ODC Theater, San Francisco

○ The Straw Dogs: Manuelito Biag, Kara Davis, Tristan Ching Hartmann, Nol Simonse, and Victor Talledos; Guest Choreographer: Mary Carbonara, The Stories of the People Next to Us, Shack 15, San Francisco

○ Amy Foley, Aurora Sad Magic, ODC Theater, San Francisco

○ Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Tupelo Tornado, for Smuin Contemporary Ballet, Blue Shield Theater of CA at YBCA, San Francisco

Outstanding Achievement in Restaging, Revival, or Reconstruction 

○ Joanna Haigood, reconstruction of Dying While Black and Brown (2011), Zaccho Dance Theater, for SFBATCO’s New Roots Festival - Brava Theater, San Francisco

○ San Francisco Ballet, restaging of Song of the Earth, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco

○ Smuin Ballet, revival of Zorro, Blue Shield Theater of CA at YBCA, San Francisco

○ RAWdance, revival of Requiem (2017), Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco

○ KT Nelson and Mia J. Chong, revival of Dead Reckoning (2015), ODC Dance, Blue Shield Theater of CA at YBCA, San Francisco

Special Achievement Award for Outstanding Production Honoree 

○ The People's Palace, choreography conceived and directed by Joanna Haigood, Produced by Dancers’ Group and Zaccho Dance Theatre, San Francisco City Hall

○ Dancing with Hafez, Dance Mission, San Francisco

○ OYSTERKNIFE (Chibueze Crouch-Anyarogbu and Gabriele Christian) for the Outstanding Production mouf//full

Special Achievement Award Honorees 

○ Alonzo King and Rich + Tone Talauega (choreography), Misty Copeland and Babatunji (performance) and Raphael Saadiq (music) for the dance film FLOWER

○ Inna Bayer for outstanding teaching and nurturing the next generation and receiving significant recognition in top national and international competitions. Additionally, for her contributions towards the preservation of Marius Petipa’s works

Sustained Achievement 

○ Yuan Yuan Tan for outstanding and sustained performance achieving widespread recognition in a career spanning decades

○ Sam Weber for outstanding and sustained performance, teaching and choreography attaining a global reputation in a career of remarkable longevity.

○ RAWdance for outstanding and sustained performance

--

Congratulations!