FINI DANCE INTERNATIONAL GALA AND AWARDS Announced At Ailey Citigroup Theater

A Celebration of Italian and International Dance Artists with guests from the U.S. and Italy, Thursday August 15 at 8 PM Ailey Citigroup Theater, 405 West 55 Street Tickets: $40; $20 for students and seniors; $90 for performance and cast party Reservations: www.eventbrite.com

Antonio Fini announces the 9th annual Fini Dance International Gala and Awards Presentation, Thursday August 15, at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, 9th Avenue & 55th Street. The event will be hosted once again by co-founder, the charming Tabata Caldironi of Milan, and vivacious Ornella Fado, originally from Italy and current resident of New York and host of the TV show Brindiamo. Companies from Italy and New York will perform in a spirit of exchange and collaboration, and awards will be presented to costume designer Christina Giannini, Katherine Crockett, and Maria Vittoria Villa.

The roster of performing companies includes Alessandra Corona Works Buglisi Dance Theater Michael Mao Dance, all from New York, and guests from Dancing with the Stars Giorgia Pia Gatto from Reggio Calabria and Marek Pisanu from Cagliari, Sardinia.

Christina Giannini will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for her years of outstanding costume design; the Extraordinary Dance Award will be presented to Katherine Crockett, former member of the Martha Graham Dance Company; and the Rising Star Award will go to Maria Vittoria Villa. Past recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award are Luigi, Edward Villella, Alessandra Corona, Alessandra Ferri, Jacqulyn Buglisi, Terese Capucilli, Marie Lorene Fichaux, and Petra Conti.
The Gala and Award event is the grand finale of the Fini Dance Summer Intensives, which are held annually in Italy and New York City.

The Calabria native is founder of the Fini International Dance Festival, which showcases solo artists and ensembles from Italy and the U.S. with an Italian connection. The Festival also presents awards to outstanding contributors to the field of dance, either as dancers, teachers, choreographers, or, in 2019, a noted costumer for dance. Fini is a longtime principal dancer with Michael Mao Dance and has appeared as guest with the Martha Graham Dance Company, Erick Hawkins Dance Company, National Ballet of Kosovo, and more. A popular teacher, Fini has taught at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in NYC and in schools in Italy, Spain, Switzerland, France, Kosovo and Alaska.
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