2006 Recipient: Donald Saddler

The Capezio Ballet Makers Dance Foundation Presents Donald Saddler with its 55th Annual Capezio Dance Award

Totowa, NJ / New York, NY : The Capezio Ballet Makers Dance Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the world’s leading dance footwear and apparel manufacturer Capezio Ballet Makers is proud and delighted to announce the selection of Donald Saddler as the 55th recipient of the Capezio Dance Award.

Awarded annually since 1952, the Capezio Dance Award celebrates significant contributions to American dance by an individual, company or institution. It honors recipients who bring respect, stature and distinction to dance and who exhibit innovation, creativity and imagination. Mr. Saddler’s lifetime achievements in and contributions to dance exemplify and epitomize these ideals.

Commencing with a performing career of distinction – first as an original member of Ballet Theatre (now American Ballet Theatre), where he became a soloist upon his return from service in World War II, and later in High Button Shoes, Dance Me A Song, Bless You All, Brigadoon and other shows – Mr. Saddler made his first foray into choreography in 1950 as assistant choreographer for the original production of Call Me Madam. This was to prove to be the first step of an extraordinarily versatile, prolific and distinguished career as a choreographer, stager and director of musicals, operas, ballets, films and television productions.

In 1953, Mr. Saddler won his first Tony Award for choreography of Wonderful Town. A second Tony followed in 1971 for the musical staging of the revival of No, No Nanette, for which he also won a New York Drama Desk Award. Other Tony Award nominations included his choreography for the New York Shakespeare Festival’s 1972 production of Much Ado About Nothing and the 1983 revival of On Your Toes. Other Broadway credits over the years include a revival of My Fair Lady, Milk and Honey, Wish You Were Here, John Murray Anderson’s Almanac, Rodgers and Hart and The Robber Bridegroom.

Mr. Saddler’s work in opera includes choreography for the New York City Opera’s productions of The Student Prince and The Merry Widow, the Metropolitan Opera’s La Perichole, the Dallas Civic Opera’s Aida, and the Washington Opera’s Weiner Blut, Die Fledermaus and The Dream of Valentino. Amongst his ballet credits are Dreams of Glory for the Robert Joffrey Ballet, Koshare and Vaudeville for the Harkness Ballet, This Property is Condemned for his alma mater, the American Ballet Theatre, and Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts for the Cincinnati Ballet. His television credits include the PBS production of Alice in Wonderland, the CBS production of Much Ado About Nothing and the Tony Awards. His film work includes Woody Allen’s Radio Days, April in Paris with Doris Day, By the Light of the Silvery Moon, and Young at Heart with Frank Sinatra. Mr. Saddler was awarded the Dance Magazine Award in 1984, was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 1998 and in 2001 received both the Dance Library of Israel Living Legend of Dance Award and the Theater Development Fund’s Astaire Lifetime Achievement Award.

As the 55th recipient of the Capezio Dance Award, Mr. Saddler joins dance luminaries Martha Graham, Jerome Robbins, Mark Morris, Alvin Ailey, Savion Glover and last year’s recipient, Suzanne Farrell. The Capezio Ballet Makers Dance Foundation is devoted to creating a greater appreciation of dance as an art form and, in addition to the Award, makes annual grants to national, regional, state and local dance organizations, programs and projects.

The Capezio Ballet Makers Dance Foundation will present the 2006 Award and the accompanying Ten Thousand Dollar honorarium to Mr. Saddler at a ceremony to be held at The Pierre on June 5, 2006.