Now, more than ever, it is important for us to remember the brave people who sought to connect us through true understanding and compassion. Ian Horvath was a passionate advocate for equality for the LGBTQ community and was a dedicated AIDS awareness activist during the height of the crisis in the 1980s. Having been the founding artistic director of Cleveland Ballet and having held key positions of influence with Dance USA, The National Endowment for the Arts, New York City Center, The Carlisle Project, and the Limón Company (to name just a few), he specialized in helping arts organizations to properly and respectfully relate to their employed artists effected by the AIDS virus. This allowed artists to continue to work and create without fear of stigma, misinformation, or termination.
Ian was himself AIDS positive and was very open with the media about his experience. He also shared his story through his choreography, by creating a piece for six men for the Limón Company which deals with his struggles with the disease, including his impending death, and depicts a beautiful love story. This was a revolutionary work and to honor Ian’s openness and artistic talent, we have remounted the work No Dominion for our film.
Ian loved dance deeply from childhood until the day he died. He spent the majority of his life working diligently to further the art form as both an artist and a champion. Much of the success and advantages dancers and dance companies in the US experience today can be attributed to the tireless effort of Ian Horvath. He was a champion for support and appreciation of dance on a national level and we in the arts community owe him a great deal of gratitude. Dance USA, the largest national service organization for dance (for which he worked), created an award to honor Ian after his passing in January 1990 that is still presented yearly. It is given to the unsung heroes of dance. We are honored to share the full story of Ian’s remarkable life in our film.
