Aristotle once said, “If you would understand anything, observe its beginnings and development.”

It seems that dancers do just that, or at least those that were in attendance at the 2009 Dance Magazine Awards. This year, Jason Samuels Smith, Sara Rudner, Ohad Naharin and Allegra Kent were the recipients of this honor. A 55 year tradition in itself, the awards paid homage to the dance greats of today and yesterday and as I watched in awe of the dancers and choreographers that paraded before me, I could taste the richness of history embedded in them.

Presented by Dianne Walker, Samuels Smith was the first to receive his award. Like most of us, Walker commended Samuels Smith’s spirit; it’s obvious to anyone watching him that he LOVES what he does and his talent actually plays second fiddle to the power of his emotion. I’ve been watching him for 15 years (since his start in Bring in the Noise Bring in the Funk) and have never once thought, “oh, that’s par the course for Jay Sam–I want to see something new.” It ALWAYS seems fresh (and at the same time riddled with tradition) when he gets on the stage and I often find myself envisioning him in some dusty borough studio practicing for hours, destroying some floor and drenched in the sweat that every dancer secretly relishes because it means they’ve worked through something. I can’t speak to whether or not that’s his actual process, but the product is quite different than the delicate ballet performances we’re accustomed to—he’s a leviathan.

 But only, it seems, when he taps. Soft spoken, generous and urgent in his acceptance he thanked tap’s legends and gave recognition where it was due (many young dancers these days, are quick to forget their origins). I was particularly touched by his mention of Savion Glover, “Thank you,” he says, “for giving me the tools to do what I do” and his call to action, “I challenge you to put us on stage,” he yells. Historically, tap does not see the same level of touring and showcasing that many modern, contemporary and ballet companies do (and I won’t even begin to touch on the lack of hip hop shows being presented) and it makes keeping the legacy alive difficult. How do you add to the cultural dialogue when even the voices and genres within it are being marginalized?

Then there are those voices that are so loud that even in the smallest of spaces it can be heard. Such was the sparkling Sara Rudner who was full of more joie de vivre than anyone I’ve encounter in my twenty (something) years. In the midst of the ever-articulate Carolyn Brown’s presentation, Ruder, quite literally, bounced to the stage from the wings and began to play a performance game with the audience (one of her dancers injured themselves so the original scheduled Trio, could not be danced)—a nod to something Twyla Tharp used to do with her. While Ruder moved in athletic, abstract and pedestrian ways audience members shouted questions at her, which she would answer without stopping. Laughter filled the theater and we were altogether fascinated and engaged.

Quite the contrary, but with similar effect to Rudner’s impish delights, was Ohad Naharin’s wit and sarcasm as he accepted his award from Lawrence Rhodes by reading pithy passages from a book about how to be a dance critic. Dancers from Cedar Lake Contemporary performed a duet from Naharin’s Mabul that reminded me of how delicately pleasure and pain can be interlaced. Each movement was like a lyrical wave crashing against a stone wall, beautiful in its commitment to keeping flowing despite its unbending adversary.

To wrap up the evenings honors was Jacque D’Amboise’s presentation to Allegra Kent and a performance of “The Unanswered Question” from Ivesiana. Ms. Kent was everything that I would have imagined her to be from the words Balanchine so fondly spoke of her; a muse, a goddess, and someone that didn’t dance enough. I kept hoping I’d see her port de bras or pirouette just so I could walk away having seen the great Allegra Kent dance, but I’d settle for the striking force of her poised presence, which is enough to keep my heart a flutter for years. Just watching her walk opens a plethora of delight and answers many of the questions the newer generations are seeking in their own attempts to create art and wonder.