|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SCOTT WELLS /ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
[continued]
In 1994, the San Francisco Bay Guardian honored Scott with a GOLDIE (Guardian Outstanding Local Discovery) Award for his distinctive choreography. The following year, Scott was commissioned by the Pacific Dance Ensemble of Los Angeles. He was awarded the Lester Horton Award for Best Contemporary Choreography (Los Angeles) for this work. In 1998 Scott Wells & Dancers received a 1998 Black Box Award for Best Dance Ensemble from the San Francisco Weekly for Urban Folk Dance.
In 2000 SW&D presented both Boxing with Mozart and One Fell Swoop. Creating and presenting two major productions in one year was a challenging accomplishment, especially considering the wide range of material. Boxing with Mozart is a music visualization set to Mozart's Requiem. One Fell Swoop is a collaboration with skateboarders. One Fell Swoop was a huge success and brought contemporary dance to a new and wide audience. It sold out Theater Artaud for nine shows. This work was not only a big draw for theater audiences and skateboard fans it had positive impact on the skateboarders who are variously coming out of gangs, prison experience and at risk lives. The process began with both sides wary, but the challenge and excitement of performance brought the dancers and skateboarders close. The skateboarders were happy to receive the appreciation the audience gave them for their art. In 2001 One Fell Swoop toured to Montana and Wells created a site specific version of the dance in a skatehall in Würzburg, Germany. Also in 2001, Wells created the evening length work Acrobatic Heartbreak.
Under Wells' direction and administration, Scott Wells & Dancers has grown significantly. In the last three years SW&D has received funding from CAC, San Francisco Grants for the Arts and also the SFAC Cultural Equity Program, CASH and Zellerbach Family Fund. The income for 2001-02 will double more than double the income from 2000-01 and the artists’ fees have tripled.
