Brigham Young University's Ballroom Dance Company won first place in two categories - standard ballroom championships and Latin American championships - at the British Open Ballroom Dance Championships in Blackpool, England. It was their 10th first-place ranking at the prestigious competition.
The BYU dancers competed May 29 against teams from Germany, England, Wales and New York. Lee Wakefield is artistic director, and choreographies were by him and his wife and partner, Linda Wakefield, with Brian and Susan Puttock of Las Vegas and Corky and Shirley Ballas of London. Musical arrangements were by Kurt Bestor and costumes by Randy Christensen.- JOAN WOODBURY, co-artistic director of the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, will serve as a member of the 1992 "Arts Plus" dance panel, under the arts in education program of the National Endowment for the Arts. Woodbury is one of six selected nationwide. "Arts Plus" supports partnerships between professional arts organizations and schools.
This is the latest in a long series of national honors for Shirley Ririe and Woodbury, who have been involved in arts in education since the early 1950s. Ririe was one of five national consultants for "Impact," the first grant for NEA arts education. Both women worked as national consultants for the NEA artists-in-schools program in the 1970s and their company conducted one-third of all community residencies in the United States. They have choreographed two programs specifically for children, commissioned by the Kennedy Center Alliance for the Arts and have designed a
video/workbook presentation, "Teaching Advanced Group Dance Improvisation."
- YASAMINA & JASON ROQUE, directors of the Kismet Dance Company and Kismet School of Danse Orientale in Salt Lake City, won first place in the duet category in the 19th annual Belly Dancer of the Year pageant, held in San Francisco May 29-30. Alexandria, a member of Kismet, placed fourth in the solo category.
The duo will perform their winning dance at the Meeting of the Tribes, on Saturday, June 20, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. in the Masonic Temple, 650 E. South Temple. Admission is $3 at the door.
- THE UTAH ALLIANCE for Arts And Humanities Education has announced awards to individuals and groups who have demonstrated support for and commitment to high-quality arts and humanities education programs in Utah's schools. Categories and recipients are:
Organizational administrator: F. Ross Peterson, director of the Mountain West Center for Regional Studies, chair of the Utah Humanities Council, professor of history at Utah State University and editor of Dialogue.
Higher education administrator: Sherwin Howard, dean of the School of Arts and Humanities, Weber State University, poet, playwright, teacher and community leader.
Elementary school administrator: Melinda Sherrell, principal of Shelley Elementary School in American Fork, where arts and humanities are an integral part of the curriculum.
District administrator: Gail Bock, director of gifted and talented education and social studies in Davis School District.
UAAHE's businessman of the year: Gibbs Smith, Perigrine Smith Books, Layton - photographer, painter, naturalist and publisher of Utah Art.
Foundation of the year: Edward and Blanche B. Rich Foundation, which gives student awards in connection with Ogden's spring Festival of the Arts.
Community leader of the year: Dorothy Crofts, of West Valley Arts Council, for stimulating free monthly arts events.
Outstanding arts specialist: Patricia Wade, Ogden School District music specialist. Outstanding elementary teacher: Linda Wilson, South Elementary School, Cedar City, who incorporates arts into her daily teaching.
Artist of the year: Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, for its comprehensive coverage of Utah schools in dance education residencies.
Special recognition for outstanding commitment to arts in education goes to Enoch Elementary School in Cedar City; Sprucewood Elementary School; and Cyprus High School. The Salt Lake City school district and the University of Utah Museum of Fine Arts were honored for demonstrating the numerous instructional benefits that can result when community organizations work in collaboration with the schools.
- THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH Symphony Orchestra, Utah Philharmonia and their music director, Robert Debbaut, have received an award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) for performance of American orchestral music composed since 1950.