SAN FRANCISCO — The Isadora Duncan Dance Awards Committee, celebrating its 22nd anniversary, announced the names of the award winners for the 2006-2007 performance viewing season. The awardees were announced on  April 28, 2008 at The Bay Area Dance Awards (Bada), presented jointly by Dancers’ Group, Bay Area National Dance Week, VoiceofDance.com, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and the Izzies committee. This annual gala event highlighted the best of Bay Area dance and drew together various dance communities to celebrate their artistic efforts. Second only to New York in its plethora of dance opportunities, the Bay Area is home to an incredible richness of dance genres.

The Izzies awards celebrate the unique richness, diversity, and excellence of Bay Area dance. They were awarded in nine categories for outstanding achievement by dancers, choreographers, their collaborators, composers, and others contributing to the vitality and advancement of the Bay Area’s dance community. The list of Izzies finalists for the viewing cycle September 1, 2006 through August 31, 2007 follows:

• Music/Text/Sound – two awards given: Abbos Kosimov “Shodiana”, 2007 San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival Under the Radar team w/ musical direction by Matthias Herrmann, “Under the Radar”
• Visual Design: Jo Kreiter, David Fredrickson & Stephen McCaffery/figureplant, Sean Riley, “Live Billboard Project”, Flyaway Productions
• Individual Performance: Ibrahima Diouf, “Jusat”, Diamano Coura West African Dance Company, 2007 San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival
• Ensemble Performance: Danny Luong, Peter Luong, “Lion Leaping Through the Plum Blossom Mountain to Reach the High Green, Leung’s White Crane Lion and Dragon Dance Association”, 2007 San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival
• Company Performance: Jess Curtis/Gravity, “Under the Radar”
• Restaging/Revival/Reconstruction: “Misa Flamenca”, Miguel Santos, Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco
• Choreography: Under the Radar team with direction by Jess Curtis, Under the Radar
• Sustained Achievement: Miguel Santos of Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco
• Sustained Achievement: Pam Hagen of SF Dance Center and co-founder of Lines Ballet and San Francisco Dance Center
• Sustained Achievement: Pick School of Ballroom Dancing
• Special Award: “Diaspora Negra”, Gabriela Shiroma, Director of De Rompe y Rajas Afro-Peruvian Cultural Association
• Special Award: “Kathak at the Crossroads International Festival & Symposium”, Chitresh Das, director

The Likha-Pilipino folk ensemble is nominated for Company Performance for “Kadayawan” presented at the 2007 San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival. Likha, whose name in the Tagalog language means “creativity,” was established in 1992 by 12 individuals who came together to celebrate Philippine dance and culture. The company now boasts an active membership of over 45 performers under the artistic direction of Rudi Soriano, former soloist with the acclaimed Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company.

Likha’s mission is to propagate Philippine folk traditions by practicing and educating community members and diverse audiences about Philippine culture through music and dance.Through a staged representation of indigenous dances of Davao, Likha Pilipino Folk Ensemble commemorates the diverse folklore traditions of these glorious tribes. The richly textured dance reflects their multi-faceted nature, while simultaneously calling to the Bagobo, Mandaya, Manobo, B’laan, and Mansaka tribes to celebrate their unity with thanksgiving festivities. The piece titled Kadayawan, is a native expression in the Dabawnon language meaning “anything of excellence that brings good fortune.”