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 Desdamona.
Mayes works regularly with Montgomery College in Rockville and the Community College of Baltimore County CCBC at Essex.
He has made new works regularly for Montgomery College each spring since 1985. Some recent works there are: Lullaby to Morning Song 2015, From the Stoop 2014 with a score created by Jeffrey Dorfman and Shadow of the Shades 2013 collaborating with composer Bernard Meiterman to create an original score A Fond Good-by.
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.
He worked collaboratively with Theatre Professor Scot Reese for: The Me Nobody Knows, In the Red and Brown Water, The Colored Museum, Sophisticated Ladies, and Free to Sing for the opening of the Music Center at Strathmore, Rockville, Maryland.
Education/Training:
B.S. in Mathematics, University of Michigan 1969, Teaching certification 1970. Modern dance Elizabeth Bergmann and Gloria Newman. Choreography with Gloria Newman and Phyllis Lamhut. Partnering and support with Antony Tudor and Gloria Newman.
Representative Productions:
Tahquamenon Falls, a contemporary ballet: commissioned by the Maryland Youth Ballet in 1993, reconstructed and performed at Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center in Rockville, MD, May 16 & 17, 2009.
Love Come Down: a dance concert with 22 dancers and 13 musicians; Dance Place, October 18 & 19, 2008.
Days of Stars, Moon and Dreams, "Evenings with my Dad viewing the northern night sky"; Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington in October 2007 The Colored Museum, April 19 – 28, 2007, and Sophisticated Ladies, October 17 – 25, 2003, choreographer; Scot Reese, Director, University of Maryland Department of Theatre.
Representative Publications/Research Activities:
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, a multicultural, multigenerational and volunteer theater group performing Gilbert and Sullivan.
I work with a team of students from the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington preparing them for the Maccabi Games, which have been in Memphis, TN, New York, NY, Detroit, MI, Houston, TX, and Rockville, MD Montgomery College Dance Company: Each spring I choreograph a work for the company, which include Ellipse, Eclipse 2009, Brentwood Sway 2007, and Kender in the Woods 2005.
Honors and Awards:
- 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