Daniel Lewis (choreographer)
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Daniel Lewis is a choreographer and author, and Dean of Dance at the New World School of the Arts. Internationally recognized dancer, teacher, choreographer and author
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[edit] Biography
Lewis is a graduate of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in 1958 and Juilliard in 1962.
For twelve years from 1962, he danced with the José Limón Dance Company originating many roles. As Limón’s assistant, Lewis completed the choreography of The Waldstein Sonata, which Limón had started just prior to his death.
Lewis joined the dance faculty in 1967, and was Assistant to the Director of the Dance, Martha Hill, at the Juilliard School between 1984-87. He was also an Adjunct Professor at New York University and a Professor at Amherst College for six years while his company was in residence there.
In 1987, Lewis joined New World School of the Arts of the Miami Dade College as founding Dean of Dance. He created the dance division’s eight-year Bachelors of Fina Arts (BFA) program which begins in the ninth grade.
In 1988, he formed Miami Dance Futures, Inc., production company for the Miami Balanchine Conference, the Dance History Scholars’ Conference, the National High School Dance Festival and the Modern Dance Sampler.
[edit] Other achievements
He has staged works for such companies as the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, the American Ballet Theatre, the National Ballet of Canada, He has been commissioned to create works by many companies including the Dallas Civic Opera, the American Opera Center at Lincoln Center, the Juilliard School and the University of California.
[edit] Other posts
He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Schools of Dance, has served as a dance panelist on the Fulbright Screening Committee and for the National Endowment for the Arts, dance panelist and advisor to the Canada Council and the Florida Department of State’s Division of Cultural Affairs.
[edit] Awards and recognition
- the "Gold Medal for Lifelong Achievement in Dance" from the National Society of Arts and Letters (1990)
- "Outstanding Service Award" from the Florida Dance Association (1991 and 2000)
- the "Florida Arts Recognition Award" from the Florida Arts Council (2001).
- "Honorary Chairmanship of dance4life" (2002)
- "Life time achievement award" and the "Nancy Smith Award" at the Florida Dance Festival (2002)
[edit] Published works
- The Illustrated Dance Technique of Jose Limon, Princeton Book Company Publishers, ISBN 0-87127-209-1(also translated in German, Spanish and Japanese)
- Dance in Hispanic Cultures, M.E. Sharpe (June 1, 1994) ISBN 3-7186-5534-9
