This year’s Metro DC Dance Awards honored the best of the city’s dancers, choreographers, and companies on Monday night at the Kennedy Center. As evidence of the flourishing dance hub Washington is consistently becoming, it was standing room only for the sold out ceremony.

Awards at the 8th annual ceremony were presented in 15 categories ranging from Emerging Choreographer to Excellence in Costume Design.

Photo of Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company courtesy of Dance/Metro DC.

“The awards recognize the syncretic work our company is creating by working with Bharata Natyam and Modern dance. This award validates our unique vision and offering to the community,” said Daniel Phoenix Singh, artistic director of Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company in reference to the group’s awards for Emerging Group and Excellence in Costume Design.

Douglas Yeuell was given the Alan M. Kreigsman Award for lifetime achievement, named for the Pulitzer Prize winner and former Washington Post dance critic. Yeull was chosen for the honor for his work as Executive Director of Joy of Motion Dance Center and the studio’s inclusive philosophy that “Dance is for everyone.”

And of course it wouldn’t be a ceremony honoring dancers without some performance opportunities. The ceremony featured performance by area companies including Tappers with Attitude Youth Ensemble, Human Landscape Dance, Gesel Mason Performance Project, Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company and Lesole’s Dance Project.

A full list of the night’s honorees is as follows:

Outstanding Individual Performance
Jonathan Jordan in The Washington Ballet’s “There Where She Loved” at Harman Center for the Arts, January 30-February 2, 2008

Outstanding Group Performance
Life, Rhythm, Move Project in "Am I On ?" at The Kennedy Center 's Millennium Stage, September 6 & 7, 2007

Outstanding Youth Performance
The Washington School of Ballet in "Annual Spring Performance" at THEARC Theater, May 31, 2008

Outstanding New Work
Step Afrika! for "Nxt/Step" at The Lansburgh Theatre, December 1, 2007

Emerging Performer or Group
Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company in " Bell Song" at Lincoln Theatre, October 26-28, 2007

Emerging Choreographer
Tzveta Kassabova for "to blue" at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, February 2, 2008

Excellence in Costume Design
Daniel Phoenix Singh & Roxann Morgan Rowley for Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company's "Bell Song" at Lincoln Theatre, October 26-28, 2007

Excellence in Lighting Design
Cathy Eliot for Laura Schandelmeier and Stephen Clapp's "Portals" at Dance Place, June 23 & 24, 2008

Excellence in Sound Design/Original Composition
Matt Jones and Amikaeyla Gaston for CityDance Ensemble's "Falling" at Lansburgh Theatre, March 9, 2008

Excellence in Stage Design/Multimedia
Brian Williams in Step Afrika!'s "Nxt/Step" at Lansburgh Theatre, December 1, 2007

Overall Production – Small Venue
"Dance Bethesda " at The Round House Theater, March 3, 2008

Overall Production – Large Venue
CityDance Ensemble for "Shakespeare Sonnets" at the Harman Center for the Arts, March 7 - 9, 2008

Outstanding Achievement in Dance Education
Rima Faber

Alan Kriegsman Award
Doug Yeuell

Founders Award
Aysha Upchurch

Pola Nirenska Award
Mary-Averett Seelye
Kim Chan
Helanius Wilkins