Dance Center Bestows Horton Awards

Named after the Los Angeles-based modern dance pioneer who died in 1953, the annual Lester Horton Awards celebrate excellence in local concert-dance through voting by the membership of the Dance Resource Center service organization.

On Saturday, the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center hosted the fourth awards ceremony, with honoree Bella Lewitzky honoring Horton during the acceptance speech for her sustained achievement honor and reminding everyone that “this remarkable man . . . never received an award in his lifetime.”

Lewitzky received a standing ovation Saturday, as did Royal Ballet alumnus and instructor Stanley Holden for his teaching award. In addition, unusually prolonged applause greeted Don Hewitt, who received a special award for his directorship of the annual “Dance Kaleidoscope” series.

For the fourth year in a row, modern-dance choreographer and company director Loretta Livingston took home an award. Two awards each went to the Aman International Music and Dance Ensemble and Los Angeles Chamber Ballet.

The big news, however, may have been the two awards given the long-dormant Los Angeles Dance Theatre, which strongly re-established its identity with a program of classic modern dance reconstructions (“Weeping Women in Dance”) in April, 1994, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Ironically, the company has just changed its name to the American Repertory Dance Company.

The winners:

* Choreography: Ferne Ackerman, for “Perseverance” (Pacific Dance Ensemble).

* Performance/Individual: Janet Eilber, for her solos in the “Weeping Women in Dance” program (Los Angeles Dance Theatre).

* Performance/Company: Loretta Livingston and Dancers, for its 10th anniversary program.

* Music for Dance: John Zeretzke and Laura Dean, for “Light” (Aman International Music and Dance Company).

* Restaging/Revival/Reconstruction: Bonnie Oda Homsey and Janet Eilber, for “Weeping Women in Dance.”

* Staging Traditional Dance: Aman International Music and Dance Company (30th anniversary program).

* Set Design: Yu-Ming Chien, “The Nutcracker” (Los Angeles Chamber Ballet).

* Costume Design: Francine Le Coultre, “The Nutcracker” (Los Angeles Chamber Ballet).

* Lighting Design: Stephen Bennett, for a program of Hae Kyung Lee choreography.

* Teaching: Stanley Holden.

* Sustained Achievement: Bella Lewitzky.

* Special Award: Don Hewitt, for “Dance Kaleidoscope.”

* DRC “Thank-You” Awards: Martin Kagan and the Dance Gallery; Duane Ebata and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center; David Plettner, outgoing DRC board member.