LERMAN, Liz (A.) 1947-

PERSONAL: Born December 25, 1947, in Los Angeles, CA; married Jon Spelman (a storyteller); children: Anna. Education: University of College Park, B.A. (with honors), 1970; George Washington University, M.F.A., 1982.

ADDRESSES: Offıce—7117 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912; fax: 301-279-2626. E-mail—mail@ danceexchange.org.

CAREER: Dancer and choreographer. Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Washington, DC, founder and director, 1976—.

AWARDS, HONORS: Five fellowships, Commission on the Arts and Humanities; eight choreography fellowships, National Endowment for the Arts; Mayor's Art Award, Washingtonian Magazine; Excellence in Artistic Discipline award, 1988; Washingtonian of the Year award, National Corporate Fund for Dance, 1988; American Choreographer Award, Washingtonian, 1989; named among Washington's Twenty-five Most Talented People, 1993; Golda Award, American Jewish Congress; Pola Nirenska Award.

WRITINGS:

Teaching Dance to Senior Adults, forewords by Anna Halprin and Solomon Jacobson, Charles C. Thomas (Springfield, IL), 1984.

Contributor to Dance, USA Journal, Movement Research, New Menorah, Poor Dancer's Almanac, Alternate Roots, High Performance, and Grantmakers in the Arts.

SIDELIGHTS: Liz Lerman sees dancing as a way to tell a story and connect with others. She believes that dance is beneficial for all people, regardless of race, age, size, or gender. As a result, she founded the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, a non-profit dance company that began in 1976, whose dancers are of all ages—including senior citizens—races, genders, sizes, and skills. The company performs all types of dance, which may include narrative and theatre. They perform on the stage, but also in locations such as schools, parks, and gardens. Lerman is director, choreographer, and dancer for the company. She has choreographed more than fifty-five dances in her career.

In Teaching Dance to Senior Adults Lerman shares her own experiences of teaching seniors to dance and explains how other people can share dance with seniors. An Aging contributor commented, "The book is an inspiring invitation to wonderful new possibilities that are as old as the human spirit."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

periodicals

Aging, January, 1985, review of Teaching Dance toSenior Adults, p. 42.

Dance, January, 1996, Cathryn Harding, "Liz Lerman: Seeking a Wider Spectrum," p. 78.

Washington Times, June 13, 1997, "Liz Lerman," p. 2.

other

John F. Kennedy School of Government, HarvardUniversity Web site,http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/ (April 12, 2002), "The Saguaro Seminar Civic Engagement in America: Liz Lerman."

Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, http://www. danceexchange.org (April 12, 2002).

Walker Art Center Web site,http://www.walkerart.org/ (April 12, 2002), "Liz Lerman Dance Exchange Concludes Walker Residency with Performance of Dance-Theater Work Hallelujah/Minneapolis in Minneapolis Sculpture Garden."*