LOS ANGELES DANCE GROUP GIVES AWARDS BUT GETS FLAK.

Los Angeles loves awards and the ceremonies connected with them--not to mention the spectacle of red carpets, paparazzi, and outlandish gowns. What's more, these splashy events aren't bad for the economy. But while dollars flow fast to Oscar or Grammy winners, for the cash-poor dance community, an awards ceremony doesn't necessarily lead to better funding--a reality that has some questioning the Los Angeles-based Dance Resource Center's decision to turn the tenth Lester Horton Awards, held in April, into a black-tie event.

Aside from the clout a Horton adds to an artist's bio, the award confers no practical benefits. In these hard-bitten days, struggling troupes must depend on support from their patrons just to survive. So there might be more that the DRC could do for the greater good than spend time bestowing honors.

At least, that's what some think about the ceremony, which honors L.A.-area artists with the award, named after the dance pioneer who launched the careers of Alvin Ailey, Bella Lewitzky, and Carmen de Lavallade.

"Considering that the DRC board is a volunteer group", says Benita Bike, a former board member, "it has only limited time to devote. So why shouldn't that effort be used to help in practical ways, like securing performing space in small theaters, for instance? Instead, the awards take a top-down approach, hoping to make a splash," she says. In previous years, Hortons were bestowed in small, informal ceremonies joined to an unrelated dance concert.

Others, however, feel that the Hortons have great symbolic importance. "They show the rest of the country that we have the stuff here," says former DRC president Serena Tripi. "Some will always dislike awards and find them unfair. What matters is having them, no matter the format."

The current DCR president, Denise Grande, agrees that it's impossible to avoid criticism if you're giving awards. "It's the same old controversy," she says, "the feeling that the same nucleus of people always win. The truth is, there will inevitably be artists who are deserving, but get passed over."

Still, many talented artists were honored. Among them were Francisco Martinez, who won for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for 1999 and 2000. (The Hortons were not held in 2000; 1999 awards were given this year.) Diana McNeil and John Pennington of American Repertory Dance Company; David Rousseve, director of Reality; independent artist Parijat Desai; and Oguri of Body Weather Laboratory all won Best Individual Performance awards.