Leo Gold Shoe Winner, Patti Rutland-Simpson
I'm extremely proud of my friend and dance buddy Patti Rutland-Simpson. She won Leo's competitive event that recognizes Jazz Dance Choreography. The Gold Leo Award is a gold jazz shoe presented at the Jazz Dance World Congress. The Congress is five spectacular days of jazz dance classes and concerts in Chicago this year. Dancers come from all over the world to take from the renowned faculty and to be treated to nightly concerts by some of the world's best dance companies. The festival took place at Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago's Millennium Park August 3-6.
Part of the Congress is witnessing the judging of new jazz dance choreography in competition for the prestigious Leo Award. Hundreds of video tapes are screened to determine who will be an entrant to the competition. All entries must be jazz, including lyrical jazz, African jazz, musical comedy, classic, contemporary, jazz tap, or any combination of these jazz styles. Choreography is evaluated on creativity and imagination, on effectively combining movement of steps and style, time/rhythm/musical quality, use of space, staging, and performance. In the official rules the length of the entry can't exceed 7 minutes and only group works with 6 or more dancers. These are high standards to fulfill, but Patti did it with her number titled "A.M." This is not her first Leo Award; in 1996 she won the Bronze Award for her number "No Victims Song," performed at the Kennedy Center.
Jazz Dance World Congress was created by Gus Giordano, the renown founder of Giordano Jazz Dance style over 50 years ago. Patti adores Gus and has identified him as her mentor of the 25 years I have known her. When I danced in her com-pany, we would often times attend competitions and workshops where Gus was a master teacher. One in particular was Panoply, an Art Festival in Huntsville, Alabama where they have a choreography competition. The competition has division winners (ballet, contemporary, jazz, and tap) and the best overall winner that can come from any division. Patti won the best overall for her piece "Bridge Over Troubled Water." It was this number that Gus (who was a guest judge and teacher that year) told her she must choreograph because that's where her talents lie.
I asked Patti what was her inspiration for "A.M." After a long pause and then laughter, she preceded to tell me that in the past she always choreographed what she thought the judges would be looking for to win the award. She tried to choreograph something clever with some kind of a theme, but always the Gold Shoe eluded her. Patti started her family and basically retired from the Congress. One evening two of her dancers and performers in "A.M.," Vince Johnson and Ashley Spears, were chatting about dance in general and when the congress was brought up Patti admitted she always wanted that Gold Shoe. Vince said, "Why don't you do it." It had been five years since Patti submitted anything and she just couldn't shake off Vince's encouragement. Later that evening she made the decision to choreograph one more time, but this time she was doing it for fun and with a group of friends.
Patti hand-picked 10 friends to set her piece with, she wanted good positive energy and she could trust these young dancers to surround her with just that. Patti has always been a big clown and loads of fun, so she decided she wanted to do something comical for a change. She also wanted to incorporate some of Vince's Hip Hop movements, so he suggested using "Doomdahdah" by the Roots as the music. She said the music was strange but catchy, and the more she listened to it the more she loved it. Finally the music spoke to her, she decided it would be funny if the dancers were in their underwear and would dress on-stage as if to start their morning. The limitless elements of the music could dictate all this activity. There were different accents in the music where she could incorporate FUN. The dancers had fun performing and the audience had fun watching it. Patti's choreography is always relating a message, and although she did this piece for fun, she feels laughing is a message.
The dancers she used were in various states, so setting this piece was going to be quite a challenge. Having everyone in the studio at the same time was very rare. Actually, there were only a few times that every dancer was there for rehearsals and that was just prior to going to the Congress. I asked the daughter of one of the ladies I dance with, Megan Dalbey, to give me a little insight to preparing and performing in Patti's number. Megan was away at college in Georgia when Patti called her with her plan. She told Megan there would be 5 rehearsals throughout the summer. Megan said initially she thought Patti was crazy, but because her enthusiasm and determination were irrefutable Megan agreed to commit. Patti began their first rehearsal by explaining the studio would be the place where they would unite and dance, and their differences and attitudes were to be left at the door. Megan said at their last rehearsal Patti sat everyone in a circle and explained that each one brought something different to the group and were all vital to the Company's success. Because of Patti's encouragement, they left for Chicago confident and excited.
Megan remembered after their performance in the competition, they knew they had done great things. Patti was waiting in the lobby crying and desperately trying to explain how she felt. Megan said her smile was priceless, her tears genuine, and her words were inspirational. Megan watched Patti accept the Gold Shoe with sheer happiness. She said it hit her then how blessed she was to be a part of Patti's dream. She led Megan and the others on an amazing journey and created indescribable memories, the prize was just the icing. I remember when Megan's mother, Marilee, called me that night with the news of Patti winning the Gold Shoe; I was amazed, shocked, and very proud because I know how huge this is in the Dance World..
Some wonderful things have happened for Patti since winning. Keith Kline, who owns an advertising agency, and Eliot Burkett of Signalflow, Inc. are going to sponsor the group and introduce them to New York. They will perform this venue next summer. In 2007; they are going to try to go to the So Ho Festival. But most importantly, Patti wants to give back to her community because she has received so many blessings she knows she must share her talents. We have a Cultural Arts Center in Dothan. and Patti is going to open a studio to teach underprivileged kids who would not otherwise have the opportunity to take dance. This outreach of generosity is so much Patti's personality. She teaches more than dance. She teaches these kids how to grow in life and how to behave. She gives them love and hope.
Life has it's twists and fate and Patti isn't exempt from them. A couple of weeks after winning the Gold Shoe she found out she had breast cancer. She elected to do double mastectomy so the cancer would be gone so she would be here with her two beautiful sons, wonderful husband, her dance company, and the youth of Dothan. She is amazed at the concern and care of people. She said after 14 years of participating in the Congress, you become close with each other. After her surgery, the love and support she received was over-whelming. Susan Quinn, Nan Giordano, Ben Hodge, Ryan Miller, KC Patrick, Patty Obie, Carol Sumner, and many more have called to check on her. Patti refers to them as her family called Dance. She says it's much bigger than winning the Gold Shoe, it was the path to meeting these friends who are encouraging of her future. She's vowed to never take life for granted again, and when someone else has to take this path she will be there for them as others have been there for her. Her goal now is to start dancing through life again. I look forward to viewing more of Patti's marvelous choreography. She is pure genius.