American Dance and Music Celebrates Santa Barbara Dance Icon Albert Reid during Special Event at The Dance Hub

International dance artist and Santa Barbara resident will be in attendance in support of The Dance Hub and its community programs

American Dance & Music and its Board of Directors will host a very special fundraising event, Albert Reid: A Tribute to His Illustrious Life in Modern Dance on Friday, October 11th, 6:00-9:00 p.m. 2019, at The Dance Hub, 22 East Victoria Street. 

The evening will acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of Albert Reid to the Santa Barbara dance community, as well as his extensive career as a choreographer, teacher, and dancer. Santa Barbara will have an opportunity to look back on his life, including Albert’s tenure with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Albert was featured in the company’s first 6-month world tour in 1964, setting the stage for Cunningham’s career as a seminal international modern dance choreographer and dancer. Albert danced with the company for four years and has maintained a relationship with the organization throughout his life, even after the passing of Merce Cunningham in 2009. This year marks the Centennial Year of Merce Cunningham, whose work is being celebrated internationally. This past April, Albert staged a solo that he had originally performed with the company for the Los Angeles centennial event, Night of 100 Solos.

Albert has been an avid supporter of AD&M since its inception and still attends classes there. Artistic Director, Carrie Diamond is proud to present this tribute to Reid and says, “Albert has taken my ballet class since I started teaching in Santa Barbara in 2005, but I have always considered him a role model and an inspiration, rather than simply a student. As many in the community can attest, his discipline, dedication, and artistic integrity are unwavering, and it has been my pleasure and honor to know him and be in the studio with him.”

The celebration will feature a screening of the D.A. Pennebaker film RainForest (1968) documenting the first performance of Cunningham’s signature piece of the same name. The documentary includes a wonderful duet between Albert and Carolyn Brown, Cunningham’s early muse, music direction by John Cage, and set design by Andy Warhol. Albert will share his memories about making the film and dancing with the company. (Note: Pennebaker recently passed away on August 1, 2019.) In tribute, Indy Award-winning choreographer Weslie Ching will present a solo danced by Robin Wilson of Santa Barbara Dance Theater, and the duo of Eric Valinsky, pianist and AD&M Music Director, and Adelle Rodkey, oboist, will provide a musical performance. Additional tributes to Albert will be given by members of the local dance community including Julie McLeod, Vicki Finlayson, Carrie Diamond, and others.

There will be a silent auction with original art and other unique items, and exquisite tapas and libations will be served. Tickets range from $100 – $250 per ticket, or a table of five can be purchased for $1,000. For tickets and information, visit https://adam-bsb.org/events/albert-reid/. All proceeds support The Dance Hub and its community-based activities. The Dance Hub is a not-for-profit program of American Dance and Music, Inc. and a portion of the ticket price is tax-deductible.

About The Dance Hub and American Dance and Music

The Dance Hub, AD&M’s new space opened in the winter of 2017 and boasts two beautiful studios, a custom floating floor, and a Steinway grand piano. The Dance Hub offers diverse classes for adults and children and is the home for many local dance and theater groups. The Dance Hub fulfills important needs of the dance community which includes providing the following benefits: affordable studio space; scholarships for students of all ages; free community performances; and rent subsidies for local choreographers in support of the creation of new work.

Founded and directed by former New York City dance professional Carrie Diamond, American Dance & Music is a nonprofit organization devoted to fostering dance as an art form in Santa Barbara. Founded in 2005 as Ballet Santa Barbara and incorporated as American Dance and Music, Inc., they gave their first performance at the Marjorie Luke Theater in March of 2006. In 2012, the performing company was renamed American Dance & Music Performance Group because its programming evolved beyond the expectations associated with classical ballet. The Performance Group has presented original ballets and contemporary works performed by resident dancers who have performed with such companies as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, and Santa Barbara Dance Theater. AD&M presents the choreography of its artistic director, Carrie Diamond, of local choreographers, and of guest artists from New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. AD&M is committed to making dance performance accessible to the local community.

American Dance & Music is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which relies on the generosity of our local community to pursue its work. To support American Dance & Music with a tax-deductible donation please visit www.adam-bsb.org.

Biography Information

Albert Reid

Originally from Pasadena, Albert Reid started his career during college and began studying dance in Los Angeles at the Lester Horton Studios (modern) and with Carmelita Maracci (ballet). He moved to New York in the late 1950’s and performed with a veritable galaxy of modern dance luminaries including Alwin Nikolais, Murray Louis, Erick Hawkins, and Yvonne Rainer and was involved both as performer and choreographer in the Judson Church concerts of the early 1960’s. In 1964, he was invited to dance with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company on their first world tour that ultimately clinched the company’s international reputation. He danced with the company until 1968. In 1969, he began his thirty years of teaching modern dance and choreographing at Bard College where he eventually became a Full Professor of Dance. Throughout this time, he remained active in the New York City dance community and taught at the Cunningham studio. He traveled extensively to teach in Canada, England, Holland, Sweden, France, and Finland in addition to teaching in the United States. Until 1992, Mr. Reid choregraphed for his own group of dancers who performed frequently in New York City, around the United States, and in Europe. In addition, his work has been commissioned by dance companies in Canada, Venezuela, and England as well as in the United States. Over the course of his career, Mr. Reid choreographed over 90 dances. In the late 1970’s, Mr. Reid’s relationship with Santa Barbara started when his parents moved here. He began teaching at UCSB and at Julie McLeod’s Dance Warehouse. Mr. Reid eventually moved to Santa Barbara in 1998 and continued to teach locally and along the West Coast. He has attended ballet classes with Susan Manchak and Carrie Diamond at the AD&M Studio, now The Dance Hub, and modern dance classes with instructor, Susan Alexander (who was his student in New York). Today, at age 85, Albert continues to take classes regularly. Albert has been a stalwart supporter of the Santa Barbara dance community and has generously supported the Santa Barbara Dance Alliance, SummerDance, Danceworks, UCSB Dance, and American Dance & Music.

Carrie Diamond

Carrie Diamond is the President of American Dance & Music (AD&M), Executive and Artistic Director of The Dance Hub, and Artistic Director of AD&M Performance Group. Ms. Diamond is a 2019 Recipient of an Apogee Award for Excellence in Education and received an Indy Award for the creation of The Dance Hub. Her lifelong interest in dance developed early on by the mentorship of three individuals: Don Hewitt (ballet), Marilyn Allen Suleiman (choreography), and Virginia Storie-Crawford (modern dance). She later trained with Cecchetti master teacher, Margaret Craske, and such luminaries as Lawrence Rhodes, David Howard, and Benjamin Harkarvy. Ms. Diamond danced professionally in New York City for over fifteen years and holds an M.F.A from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. After graduating, she founded New American Ballet Ensemble, a New York City company that promoted new music and choreography. Ms. Diamond was an instructor for the Alvin Ailey School, the 92nd Street YM/YWHA, Peridance, and Marymount Manhattan College. In Santa Barbara, Ms. Diamond co-founded American Dance and Music in 2006 with Eric Valinsky, where she directed the AD&M Studio, AD&M Performance Group, and Moving To Learn, a curricular dance program for elementary school children. In 2017, the AD&M board of directors opened The Dance Hub, a thriving community dance space where Ms. Diamond serves as the executive and artistic director and principal ballet teacher for adults of all levels and ages. She is dedicated to bringing as many people as possible into (and back into) dance at The Dance Hub, whether they are 18 months old or 85 years old.

Eric Valinsky

A native Manhattanite, Eric Valinsky has, for more years than he would like to admit, maintained dual careers in computer systems architecture and music. He was educated at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the University of Illinois, finally achieving his DMA in music composition from Columbia University. He studied composition with Walter Aschaffenburg, Salvatore Martirano, Jack Beeson, and Darius Milhaud; piano with Sara Crawford Drogheo and Emil Danenberg; and conducting with Harold Farberman. While living in Los Angeles, he became music director and composer-in-residence or The Storie-Crawford Dance Theatre Ensemble. Returning to New York, he served in a similar capacity for Danny Buraczeski’s Jazzdance, Uris Bahr and Dancers, and The New American Ballet Ensemble as well as composer-in-residence for The Rachel Harms Dance Company, Opera Uptown, and the Dance Department at City College of New York. He is currently President of the Santa Barbara Music Club and is founder and partner of Inlineos LLC, a strategic Internet consulting company.