Annaleigh Ashford, Jennifer Damiano Amongst Clive Barnes Awards Finalists

The finalists for the first Clive Barnes Awards have just been announced. This year's awards will be presented by Frederic Franklin, CBE and Nina Arianda, last year's recipient. The Annual Awards Ceremony on December 5, 2011 at 3PM at The Walter Reade Theater.

The Clive Barnes Awards Selection Committee includes Edward Albee, Howard Kissel, Patrick Pacheco, Gwin Joh Chin, George Dorris, Jacques le Sourd, Richard Chen See, Valerie Taylor-Barnes, Damian Woetzel and Craig Wright.

Clive Barnes was an influential dance, theater and opera critic for over 40 years in New York, the last 30 years of his career as the chief critic for the New York Post. The Clive Barnes Foundation was established by Valerie Taylor-Barnes in 2009, one year after her husband's death, mainly to form the Clive Barnes Awards and to continue his lifelong spirit of artistic support for young talents.

The 2011 finalists are as follows:

Dance
Isabella Boylston, American Ballet Theatre
Barrington Hinds, Stephen Petronio Company
Natalie Mackessy, Stephen Petronio Company
Michael Novak, Paul Taylor Dance Company

Theatre
Annaleigh Ashford, RENT
Jennifer Damiano, Spiderman. Turn off the Dark
Joseph Grisetti, Enter Laughing
Mj Rodriguez, RENT

For additional information, visit: http://theclivebarnesfoundation.com