[title]
The Bessies—or the New York Dance and Performance Awards—announced the winner of its outstanding emerging choreographer award on Wednesday night, and it's a puzzler. Well, that's a kind way to put the result: It's actually a tie. The award will be split between Jessica Lang, "for the formation of her own company and its impressive inaugural season" (I beg to differ) and Jen Rosenblit, "for a confident voice investigating the fluidity of identity, the pulse of time, and the nature of what it is to dance in a Natural dance."
RECOMMENDED: See more on the Bessie Awards
The 30th annual Bessie ceremony takes place Oct 19 at the Apollo Theater. Here are the rest of the nominations, many perplexing (wow!—visual design for Vectors, Mary, and Snow by Brooklyn Ballet?) and others warranted (Sarah Michelson's 4, Twyla Tharp's Bach Partita and Linda Celeste Sims of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, pictured). The problem, increasingly, is that it's hard to take any of it seriously. With 38 people on the nominating committee (and that's only because two dropped out), the awards are mired in compromise.
Outstanding Performer
Maggie Cloud in Passagen by Pam Tanowitz
Sean Donovan in the work of Witness Relocation, Jane Comfort, Faye Driscoll, and others
Julia Hausermann in Disabled Theater by Jerome Bel and Theater HORA
Sean Jackson in Rhythm in Motion by Lisa LaTouche
Mickey Mahar in the work of Miguel Gutierrez, Adrienne Truscott, Ryan McNamara, and Gillian Walsh
Angela "Angel" McNeal, for her hip-hop battle improvisations at Harlem Stage E-Moves 15 Battle
Sara Mearns, New York City Ballet
Aakash Odedra in Get On the Good Foot, organized and shaped by Otis Rasheed as part of A Celebration in Dance at the Apollo Theater
Tiler Peck, New York City Ballet
Rebecca Serrell-Cyr in Fire Underground by Donna Uchizono
Linda Celeste Sims, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Stuart Singer in Within Between by John Jasperse
Outstanding Music Composition/Sound Design
Complete, with guitarist Giuliano Modarelli for Exit/Exist choreographed by Gregory Maqoma
G. Lucas Crane for This Was the End created by Mallory Catlett
Steven Taylor for Aubade choreographed by Douglas Dunn
Nicholas Young for his inventive tap "percussion platforms" in Rhythm in Motion
Outstanding Revival
Dark Swan by Nora Chipaumire (the Joyce)
Myth or Meth (or Maybe Moscow?) by Radiohole, Tom Murrin Full Moon Performance Festival at La MaMa
State of Heads by Donna Uchizono (New York Live Arts)
Bach Partita by Twyla Tharp (American Ballet Theatre)
Outstanding Production
Asase Yaa African American Dance Theatre, Djembe in the New Millennium (Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts)
Camille A. Brown, MR. TOL E. RAncE (Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts)
Mallory Catlett, This Was the End (The Chocolate Factory)
Liz Gerring, Glacier (Montclair State University)
Maria Hassabi, Premiere (The Kitchen)
John Jasperse, Within Between (New York Live Arts)
Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, En Atendant/Cesena (Brooklyn Academy of Music)
Akram Khan, Desh (Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center)
Sarah Michelson, 4 (Whitney Museum of American Art)
MIMULUS Cia de Danca, Dolores (The Joyce)
Okwui Okpokwasili, Bronx Gothic (Danspace Project)
Aki Sasamoto, Sunny in the Furnace (The Kitchen)
Outstanding Visual Design
Thomas Dunn for New Work for the Desert by Beth Gill
Patricia Forelle with Jenny Mui, Avram Finkelstein and Kathy Morganroth of YMX by Yellowman; and Nicholas Vermeer, Olivia Barr and William Ward of NYC Resistor for Vectors, Mary, and Snow by Brooklyn Ballet
Peter Ksander, Olivera Gajic, Ryan Holsopple, Chris Kuhl, and Keith Skretch for This Was the End by Mallory Catlett
Tim Yip for Desh by Akram Khan