Alvin Mayes
Alvin Mayes’ research involves making dance for diverse communities. In summer 2012 he was invited to Manta, Ecuador to work with contemporary dance company Compañía Ceibadanza. Los Ojos Sobre Manabí, which he created there, was accepted into XI Festival Internacional “Fragmentos de Junio” 2013 in Guayaquil, Ecuador. In summer 2013 he received a grant from the Greenbaum Charitable Foundation to return to Ecuador to create a new work for the youth of Manta, Escenas del Oeste, and a collaborative work with Compañía Ceibadanza, Momentos en Tiempo (por fotografías de nos famílias) and Désdamona.
Education/Training:
Alvin Mayes holds a BA in Mathematics from the University of Michigan and teacher certification. He studied modern dance technique with Elizabeth Bergmann, Gloria Newman and Jan Van Dyke, Ballet with Karen Shanley and Eric Hampton, Partnering with Antony Tutor, Choreography and Improvisation with Phyllis Lamhut, voice with Ysaye Maria Barnwell and music composition with Jerry Bilik.
Areas of Specialization/Interest:
Mayes specializes in Partnering, Choreography, and Performance Coaching for dance.
Professional Affiliations:
He works regularly with the Maryland Youth Ballet, The Bender Jewish Community Center, Montgomery College in Rockville and the Community College of Baltimore County CCBC at Essex.
Representative Productions:
Mayes works with a team of students from the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington preparing them for the Maccabi Games, which have been in Miami, FL, Memphis, TN, New York, NY, Detroit, MI, Houston, TX, and Rockville, MD.
He has made new works regularly for Montgomery College each spring since 1985, most recently he collaborated with composer Bernard Meiterman in 2013 for Shadow of the Shades and 2016 for Harbor Me, with Jeffrey Dorfman for From the Stoop 2014 and Silencio de la Noche 2017.
In January 2016 he created As Quiet As … with the dancers of CCBC. He has also created Dream Catchers 2103 and Early Fall 2011, which was choreographed as a 10 year remembrance of the 9/11 tragedy. Performed for the Baltimore city-wide memorial concert at Dundalk Community Center.
on campus he worked collaboratively with Theatre Professor Scot Reese for: The Wild Party, The Me Nobody Knows, In the Red and Brown Water, The Colored Museum, Sophisticated Ladies, and off campus for Free to Sing for the opening of the Music Center at Strathmore, Rockville, Maryland.
Honors and Awards:
- 2017, dancers from the Bender JCC of Greater Washington won a Gold Medal with my choreography in the category of modern dance at the 2017 Maccabi Games Miami, FL.
- 2017, Just out of Reach was one of two works selected to represent the University of Maryland for the American College Dance Association.
- 2015, Promoted to the rank of Principal Lecturer in the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at the University of Maryland.
- 2015, Greenbaum Charitable Foundation Grant to create a work with children where dance is less assessable.
- 2014, “Best of 2014” honors by DC Metro Theater Arts for The Me Nobody Knows co-directed by Alvin Mayes and Scot Reese
- 2013, Greenbaum Charitable Foundation Grant to work with children where dance is less assessable.
- 2012, “Best of 2012” honors by DC Metro Theater Arts for In the Red and Brown Water co-directed by Alvin Mayes and Scot Reese
- 2012, Outstanding Service Award by Maryland Council of Dance.
- 2011, Pola Nirenska Award for Life Achievement in Dance presented by Washington performing Arts society.
- 2009, Metro DC Dance Award for Tahquamenon Falls staged on the Maryland Youth Ballet.
- 2008, Edgeworks Dance Ensemble Men of Honor Recipient for leadership and involvement in the Greater Washington Metro community.
- 2007, Metro DC Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance Education.
- 2004, American College Dance Festival, East Central Region, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan - Adjudicator.
- 2003, Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Award for the Center of Teaching Excellence at the University of Maryland.
- 1996, Arts Achievement Award presented by Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.
- 1994, The National Dance Association Plaudit Award
- 1986, The Michigan Dance Association Plaudit Award for contributions to Dance and Dance Education