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NEW YORK,
August 21,
2012 - The
skies
cleared up
after heavy
rain and the
sun shone
brightly at
the start
time of
Evidence, A
Dance
Company's
9th Annual
"On Our
Toes" In The
Hamptons
Summer
Benefit on
August 18,
on the
grounds of
the
Hayground
School in
Bridgehampton,
NY.
The festive
summer
soiree --
one of the
premier
cultural
events of
the Hamptons
social
season --
raised funds
to support
the
contemporary
dance
company's
outreach
programs and
full
benefits for
dancers. The
internationally-acclaimed
Evidence, A
Dance
Company is
under the
direction of
Founder and
Artistic
Director
Ronald K.
Brown, a
world-renowned
choreographer
of Tony
Award-winning
The
Gershwins'
Porgy and
Bess and
2012
recipient of
the Fred and
Adele
Astaire
Award for
Outstanding
Choreographer
in a
Broadway
show.
Chaired by
international
financier
Reginald
Canal, this
year's
elegant
afternoon
benefit
celebrated
generations
of arts and
culture from
the African
Diaspora.
The
legendary
Ruby Dee,
Actress,
Playwright,
Activist and
Philanthropist,
was honored
with the
2012
Lifetime
Achievement
Gatekeeper
Award; and
Jason Moran,
Award-winning
Jazz
Musician and
Composer,
received the
2012
Visionary
Gatekeeper
Award.
Nearly 300
distinguished
guests from
the arts and
entertainment
industry and
the business
community
attended the
annual
summer
event. Event
Co-Chairs
were artist,
educator and
activist Jon
Snow,
co-founder
of the
Hayground
School; and
financial
advisor Lola
C. West,
Managing
Director,
WestFuller
Advisors
LLC. Jenna
Bond-Louden
was the
Young
Patrons
Chair.
The benefit
committee
included
Susan L.
Taylor and
Khephra
Burns;
Tamara Tunie
and Gregory
Generet;
Lynn
Whitfield;
Maurice and
Andrea
DuBois;
Reginald Van
Lee; Zaid
Abdul-Aleem;
Alvin Adell;
Monica F.
Azare;
Bershan Shaw
Bradley;
Marvet
Britto;
Tracy Davis;
Joanne E.
Hill; Leslie
Mays; Gail
Monroe-Perry;
Joyce
Mullins-Jackson;
Larry
Satterfield
and Sabir
Amen; Debra
Simmons;
Jocelyn
Taylor;
Margot
Daniels
Tyler; Dr.
Ancy Verdier;
Alexis
Welch; and
Nicole Winn.
Notable
guests in
attendance
were Star
Jones,
lawyer and
TV
personality,
Victor
Williams of
CBS? "The
King of
Queens", Dr.
Julianne
Malveaux,
economist,
author and
commentator,
and Cora
Barry
Masters,
former ?rst
lady of the
District of
Columbia and
Founder and
CEO of the
Recreation
Wish List
Committee (RWLC)
of
Washington
DC, among
other
guests.
During the
cocktail
hour, guests
enjoyed
signature
cocktails
and fine
wines
courtesy of
Belvedere
Vodka.
Guests
feasted on
an array of
delectable
appetizers
catered by
Harlem's
famed 5 and
Diamond
Restaurant,
which
specializes
in modern
American
foods with a
Spanish
influence.
Following
cocktails,
guests
entered a
large tent
furnished
with white
lounge
chairs and
sofas and
high tables
for the
awards
presentation,
live
auction, a
light
dinner,
dessert and
Evidence's
signature
"Dancing
with the
Dancers".
As the sun
broke
through the
gray sky,
Gail
Monroe-Perry,
Evidence's
Board
Secretary,
opened the
summer
benefit by
welcoming
guests and
thanking
them for
supporting
the 9th
Annual "On
Our Toes"
event.
For the 2012
Lifetime
Achievement
Gatekeeper
Award,
Monroe-Perry
introduced
Evidence
Artistic
Director
Ronald K.
Brown, who
offered a
personal
tribute to
honoree Ruby
Dee.
Evidence
performed
WALKING OUT
THE DARK, a
pulsating,
rhythmic
dance set to
African
music and
chants in
her honor.
The
90-year-old
Dee was not
able to
accept the
award in
person due
to doctor's
orders.
"Thank you
so much for
this
singular
honor, for
gathering
this
afternoon to
grace me
with the
Gatekeeper
Award for
Lifetime
Achievement,"
said Dee in
written
remarks read
by Susan L.
Taylor,
Essence
Magazine
editor-in-chief
emerita and
Founder and
CEO of
National
CARES
Mentoring.
"I must
admit that
Lifetime
Achievement
Awards make
me a little
nervous.
Just a nice
way to say,
Hey, you're
getting
kinda old
there, Ruby!
And it's
true: I am
getting
kinda old,
thank God
I'll be 90
come
October" she
exclaimed.
Event
Co-Chair
Lola C. West
presented
the 2012
Visionary
Gatekeeper
Award to
Jason Moran
for his
outstanding
contributions
to the jazz
world. In
accepting
the award,
the
37-year-old
MacArthur
?genius?
fellow and
musical
adviser for
jazz at the
Kennedy
Center
expressed an
interest in
collaborating
with
Evidence, A
Dance
Company in
the future.
Event Chair
Reginald
Canal was
joined by
Associate
Artistic
Director and
dancer
Arcell
Cabuag and
dancers
Clarice
Young and
Annique S.
Roberts in
leading a
"Bricks and
Mortar" and
live auction
that raised
almost
$20,000 to
support the
dance
company. An
online
auction at
Charitybuzz.com
featuring
dinners and
theatre
tickets with
actress
Tamara Tunie;
dinner and
tickets to a
jazz show
featuring
Rhonda Ross;
golfing with
WCBS anchor
Maurice
DuBois;
diamond
jewelry
pieces;
internships,
among other
luxury items
will be live
until August
28 at
www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/evidencesummer
.
To top off
the awards
presentation,
the dance
company
performed
for guests a
spectacularly
spirited
dance work,
BETTER DAYS,
choreographed
by Brown,
which pays
homage to
friends of
the
choreographer
who have
passed away
and
illustrates
a nonlinear
juxtaposition
of present
and past.
After the
performance,
the DJ
turned some
high-energy
tunes that
brought
guests to
the dance
floor to
work up a
sweat and
close out
the magical
evening.
Corporate
Sponsors for
"On Our
Toes" were
Belvedere
Vodka,
Prudential
and Garvey
Lundy
Jewelry.
ABOUT
EVIDENCE, A
DANCE
COMPANY:
Founded in
1985 by
internationally-acclaimed
choreographer
Ronald K.
Brown,
Evidence, A
Dance
Company's
mission is
to promote
understanding
of the human
experience
in the
African
Diaspora
through
dance and
storytelling
and to
provide
sensory
connections
to history
and
tradition
through
music,
movement and
spoken word
leading
deeper into
issues of
spirituality,
community
responsibility
and
liberation.
For more
information,
please visit
www.evidencedance.com
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