Dow Named Artistic Director In Milwaukee - Simon Dow - Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Brief Article

Dance Magazine, Nov, 1999

Simon Dow was named artistic director of Milwaukee Ballet as of September 20, replacing Basil Thompson, who is now a professor of dance at the University of Iowa. Dow's wide range of experience as a principal dancer with the Australian, Stuttgart, Washington, San Francisco, and Boston ballets will affect his leadership style. "I will focus on communication," he says, "seeking windows of improvement and change." Dow hopes to increase the profile of Milwaukee Ballet within the dance community.

Dow expects to be "very involved in fundraising, marketing, and basic brainstorming. It's beyond comprehension that we live in a world where the arts are seen as nonessential." He plans an international choreography competition to encourage dancemakers to expand the confines of classicism. A fan of Japanese butoh, Dow favors choreography that is "most human, with a certain truth. A spiritual connection to art is part of who I am," he explains. "But it's often the conversation that stops a dinner party."

Robert D. Stern and Roslyne Paige Stern, chairman and president of Dance Magazine, were honored with the Dance Library of Israel's 1999 Documentary of Dance Award at a ceremony at The Supper Club in New York City on October 17. The award is given annually to people who have made a difference in the international dance community.