The Bessies Award Special Citation 2020 Honoree Jacqulyn Buglisi for the Table of Silence Project
Juilliard President's Medal presented to Jacqulyn Buglisi by President Damian Woetzel
Juilliard Convocation Citation in Honor of Jaqulyn Buglisi
Wednesday, August 21, 2022
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For over four decades, you have created a powerful legacy as a dancer, choreographer, artistic director, master teacher, and advocate for dance and for art in our society. Your work and vision embody the power of the modern form, and bring to life with searing honesty testaments to the essence of our humanity.
Following in the footsteps of pioneers, including Martha Graham for whom you were a principal dancer, your commitment to dance and its students builds on our history in creating today’s artistic truths. You have collaborated with composers, instrumentalists, and visual artists to bring interdisciplinary practice to the forefront of artistic achievement, generating works that join human physicality with the sights and sounds of our time. Making an impact on countless individuals and audiences, your affiliation and leadership of companies and schools of dance has empowered young artists to lead lives of excellence, intention, and meaning.
A native daughter of New York City, you have channeled the indomitable spirit of our shared home in your work as a citizen artist. A hallmark of this- the extraordinary Table of Silence Project 9/11, which you conceived and choreographed- challenges us each year to reach for peace, justice, and tolerance in our society. Resounding from the plaza of Lincoln Center across the world, you have given voice to that hope, memorializing those lost on September 11, 2001 and combining the influences of meditation and ritual repetition to transcend earthly divisions with a vision of uniting humanity. Since its first performance in 2011, hundreds of Juilliard students have been part of this transformational experience. This annual gift evokes the best in them and in all of us, artistically inspiring us to demand a brighter future in the face of a complex and uncertain present.
Jacqulyn Buglisi, you are a shero for Dance and the performing arts. In my capacity as President, it is my great honor to bestow upon you the President’s Medal.
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Presented by President Damian Woetzel