Dance Source Houston Announces Recipients of 2025 Honors

Dance Source Houston (DSH), an arts service organization dedicated to the local dance community, proudly announces the two individuals to be recognized for its 2025 SPARK distinctions – Cecil C. Conner, Jr. as the Giannelli Service Awardee and Karen Stokes as the Dance Source Houston Artistic Honoree. Dance Source Houston began its annual community awards presentation in 2022 to spotlight local dance leaders for their artistic and service contributions. 

Conner and Stokes will be presented with their recognitions at SPARK on March 1, 2025, at Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston (MATCH). The annual event gathers dance supporters and artists to celebrate Houston’s vibrant dance community and honor individuals who have made a significant, sustained impact.

Conner served as Managing Director of Houston Ballet from 1995-2012 and remains an active dance advocate, serving on boards of local, national, and international organizations. Stokes was the Director of Dance at the University of Houston from 1998-2022 and has been the Artistic Director of Karen Stokes Dance since 1997. 

“With this year’s SPARK event, we have the opportunity to honor two incredible leaders and shine a light on our organization’s 20th-anniversary milestone,” said DSH Executive Director Mollie Haven Miller. “We are excited to honor CC and Karen for the undeniable impact they’ve made on dance in our city and can’t wait to celebrate them with our community.”  

In addition to being a community celebration, SPARK is Dance Source Houston’s annual fundraiser event and includes light bites, drinks, raffle packages, a short performance, and of course, lots of dancing. Funds raised will support DSH’s programs that address the needs of freelance dancers and small dance companies.

Tickets for SPARK are on sale now at dancesourcehouston.org/spark.

2025 Giannelli Service Awardee

CECIL C. CONNER, JR. is a native of Greensboro, NC. He studied at the University of Vienna in Austria, received his BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his LLB from Columbia University School of Law. Mr. Conner is a retired US Navy Lieutenant. Mr. Conner retired in 2012 after 17 years as Managing Director of Houston Ballet. He currently serves on the boards of American Festival for the Arts, Dance Source Houston, Houston Arts Alliance, Houston Contemporary Dance Company, and the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science. He previously served on the boards of the American Guild of Musical Artists Retirement and Health Fund, Career Transition for Dancers, Dance/USA (Chair), Houston First Corporation, the National Association of Regional Ballet, the Texas Institute for Arts in Education, Theater District Houston, and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts in New York. Mr. Conner served as Executive Director of The Joffrey Ballet from May 1992 until April 1995, as the Executive Director of the Pauline Koner Dance Consort from 1976-1981, and as an agent with Tornay Management in New York. He has served on grant panels for Federal, State and local arts agencies. He also has lectured on dance at Rice University and the University of Houston. Mr. Conner’s background in the arts is complemented by his extensive law background. From 1980 – 1995, Mr. Conner served as managing partner of and later of counsel to Mandelbaum, Schweiger & Conner in New York City. Previously, Mr. Conner was with Goldman Sachs & Co., and Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett, both in New York.

2025 Dance Source Houston Artistic Honoree

KAREN STOKES  is the Artistic Director of Karen Stokes Dance (1997-current) and former Director of Dance and Professor Emerita at the University of Houston (1998-2022). As a choreographer, Stokes has premiered fourteen evening-length projects, over 50 repertory works, and nine dance films that have performed in Houston, Dallas, Philadelphia, New York, Cleveland, Toronto, and Sweden. Her non-profit company KSD was the first dance company to receive a Masterminds award by Houston Press. The Houston Press also twice named Stokes “Best Choreographer in Houston.” Her choreography has been awarded multiple grants, including thirteen Houston Arts Alliance grants. Stokes also received two commissions from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. Stokes co-founded Big Range Dance Festival in Houston at the Barnevelder Movement Arts Complex, where she was a recipient for the Houston Buffy Award in the Best Evening Length work category (Hometown). Her dance film “Gallery Construction I” received “Editor’s Choice” from Dance Magazine. Her educational program “Framing Dance” served 3000+ students annually at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts and in HISD from 2008- 2020. As a dancer, Stokes performed in New York and nationally with David Gordon and Stephan Koplowitz, as well as in regional/touring musical theater productions of “The Music Man,” “Annie,” and “A Chorus Line.” She also performed a mermaid at the NYC nightclub “Visage.” As a dance educator, Stokes received the UH Distance Education Teaching Award, the regional Teaching Award, the Lence Arts Teaching Award, and was recognized by the Provost for outstanding achievement in the Arts. Stokes has served on the dance faculty at Connecticut College and Kent State University. Stokes has degrees from the High School for Performing & Visual Arts in Houston, the Ohio State University (BFA in dance) and UCLA (MFA in Choreography).

About Dance Source Houston

Dance Source Houston is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the diverse individuals and organizations working in the field of dance throughout the Greater Houston region by means of advocacy, inclusive community engagement and support services. Founded in 2005, Dance Source Houston is a resource for all things dance in the Greater Houston area and provides programs and services to address the evolving needs of the local dance community. Dance Source Houston is funded in part through support from The City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, the Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts, Houston Endowment, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Texas Commission on the Arts. dancesourcehouston.org

EVENT INFORMATION

DATE: Saturday, March 1, 2025
TIME: 7:00-10:00pm
LOCATION: MATCH, 3400 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002
TICKETS: 
Early Bird – $50 through 1/3/25
Regular – $75 
Supporter – $100
DSH members – $40 with discount code
URL: dancesourcehouston.org/spark

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