Alvin Mayes and JCCGW Dance Department
October 28, 2013
The JCCGW community has been enriched through its long association with renowned dance professional Alvin Mayes.
Alvin Mayes has been on the JCCGW dance staff since 1982 when he began teaching modern dance for adults, and he has presented more than 20 concerts in our Kreeger Auditorium. In addition, he has taught workshops for children, and participated in the Camp JCC dance program, and in their Summer Dance Academy in 2001. Mr. Mayes was a judge for the JCC Maccabi Games hosted by the JCCGW in 2004, and has been choreographing for our award- winning JCC Maccabi dance team since then.
A respected and honored artist, Mr. Mayes has choreographed for most of the DC metropolitan area’s companies, including City Dance and Maryland Youth Ballet. He has presented concerts in most of the major houses, including Kennedy Center and Dance Place.
Mr. Mayes has received the Pola Nirenska Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance, the Metro Dance D.C Award, the Maryland Council of Dance Service Award, and the Maryland Council of Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance Education.
JCCGW is fortunate and honored that such a highly-accomplished dance professional, whose performing and choreographic experience is known internationally, has been associated with our dance department for more than three decades. When asked why he has chosen to maintain this meaningful partnership, Mr. Mayes explains:
“The JCCGW has been an extraordinary laboratory for the development of dance the D.C. area. Such programs as the annual dance competition for regional choreographers were started at JCCGW, and that programs legacy continues at the Clarice Smith Art Center. The JCCGW has hosted many dance companies, scholars, choreographers and performers who have gone on to develop national reputations. The Center has been a forum for connecting all of the performing arts. It is still a place where people can expand their creative expression through dance from childhood through retirement.”
The Alvin Mayes Modern Dance Workshop will be held at the JCCGW on Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.- 10:45 a.m., from October 3 through November 21 and from December 5 through January 30. For more information, please visit jccgw.org or contact Dance Director Bunnye Levey at 301.348.3777 or blevey@jccgw.org.
Read the article in JCCGW's newsletter here.
