Dance: 26th Annual Izzie Awards presented

An atmosphere of casual collegiality pervaded the crowded ODC Theater on Monday night as the Bay Area dance world gathered for the 26th Annual Isadora Duncan Awards, affectionately known as the Izzies, hosted by choreographer Val Caniparoli and Oakland cultural maven Denise Pate-Pearson.

In the production categories, Lines Ballet's production of Alonzo King's "Scheherazade" was a big winner, taking home awards for music and visual design.

Miami City Ballet director Edward Villella was on hand to present a Sustained Achievement Award to Deborah DuBowy for her ongoing lecture series "Words on Dance."

Still, there was a sad irony in that Cathleen McCarthy and Joan Lazarus received kudos for their work with the WestWave Dance Festival in a year when harsh economic realities have forced a scaling back of much of the summer festival's performances. Among the literally thousands of artists whom WestWave has brought to the stage were Alex Ketley, Kara Davis, Katie Faulkner and Manuelito Biag, whose collaborative effort "Terra Incognita, Revisited," which debuted last year on a WestWave program, took home top choreographic and company performance honors.

For a complete list of nominees and winners, visit www.izzies.org.

Dance: 26th Annual Izzie Awards presented