The Asian American Arts Alliance Announces Annie Heath as the Recipient of the 2021 Jadin Wong Fellowship for Dance

The Asian American Arts Alliance has announced the selection of Annie Heath for its 2021 Jadin Wong Fellowship, which includes a $6,000 unrestricted cash award and eight months of professional development training and career support to foster the next milestone of Heath's artistic career.

Among this year's competitive applications, the review panel also created a special award, Artist of Exceptional Merit, to recognize Selina Shida Hack and the excellence of her work. This award provides one-on-one consultations with respected leaders in the dance field and ongoing engagement with A4.

As a tribute to the life and work of renowned Chinese American actress, dancer, and comedienne Jadin Wong (1913-2010), a pioneer and innovator of Asian American performing arts, the Jadin Wong Fellowship is awarded to an early-career, New York City-based Asian American dance artist whose work shows outstanding promise and who may benefit from further professional artistic development. This award is made possible by the Jadin Wong Educational Fund at the New York Community Trust, established to continue her dream of supporting aspiring artists, musicians, and dancers of Asian descent.

The 2021 Jadin Wong review panel was composed of the following esteemed leaders in the field of dance: Rohan Bhargava, Dancer, Choreographer, and 2020 Jadin Wong Fellow; Phil Chan, Co-founder of Final Bow for Yellowface; Nai-Ni Chen, Artistic Director of Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company; Sam Kim, Dancer and Choreographer; and Preeti Vasudevan, Artistic Director of Thresh Dance.

Vasudevan. Reflecting on Heath's application, panelist Sam Kim said, "As a young dance maker, Annie Heath possesses a rare sensitivity and alertness to the potential of the dance form. She is also, point-blank, a stunning powerhouse of a dancer. I am excited to bear witness to her continuing artistic journey and am thrilled that she is the 2021 recipient of the Jadin Wong Fellowship."

Panelist and the 2020 Jadin Wong Fellow, Rohan Bhargava, added, "Annie's body of work shows a mature and deep commitment to the choreographic process, bringing forth vital questions of identity, belonging, and intersectionality. Her application proved that she is ready to take the next step in her career, and I look forward to seeing her grow and evolve with the support from the Jadin Wong Fellowship and the Asian American Arts Alliance."

"On behalf of the A4 team, I am thrilled to administer this prestigious award in the memory of Jadin Wong," said Lisa Gold, A4's Executive Director. "i??Annie shares Jadin's passion for uplifting her community and holding space for their unique experiences. I look forward to supporting and engaging with Annie and her work for a long time to come."

Annie Heath is a choreographer and dancer based in Brooklyn, New York. She received a BA in Dance and BS in Environmental Science at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her work has been presented at New York Live Arts, ISSUE Project Room, New Dance Alliance, LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Movement Research at the Judson Church, Chen Dance Center, Access Theater, Center for Performance Research, Dixon Place, TADA! Youth Theater, Triskelion Arts, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, West End Theater, and Alchemical Laboratory. She has performed original works by RoseAnne Spradlin, Doug LeCours, Gabriella Carmichael, and Pavel Machuca-Zavarzin. Heath was a resident artist at La Escuela Profesional de Danza de Mazatlán (Mazatlán, Mexico) and is currently a 2019-2021 Fresh Tracks resident artist at New York Live Arts.

To post a comment, you must register and login.