WEBVTT 00:00:09.108 --> 00:00:11.108 Hello, everyone. My name is Beth Lasar and I have a good fortune to be 00:00:14.220 --> 00:00:19.276 chair of the dance department with Elina and Cliff for hire. So that's why 00:00:19.309 --> 00:00:23.067 I find it to tell you a few little stories about them. So it's my pleasure 00:00:23.100 --> 00:00:27.806 to welcome you here and to uh share a few anecdotes with you. Can you hear 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:34.065 me? OK. But I do have to read my notes because otherwise I get excited and 00:00:34.098 --> 00:00:41.167 start telling stories and I'd be way over time. Here we go. Um Of course, 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:44.277 we're celebrating Elana Moon tonight. Her individual professional 00:00:44.310 --> 00:00:50.156 accomplishments and her 47 year collaboration with Cliff Ker. You know, 00:00:50.189 --> 00:00:55.936 when I was a graduate student studying dance history, Elina and Cliff were 00:00:55.969 --> 00:01:03.207 in New York making dance history. I saw their name in print. Then I took a 00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:07.736 workshop with Charles Weidman to learn those gorgeous bronze waltzes. 00:01:07.769 --> 00:01:13.117 Guess who he choreographed on Elina Moone. So who could have ever thought 00:01:13.150 --> 00:01:20.286 that we would be together at a su uh on a I never dreamed 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:24.066 I'll give you just a small amount of background because you have wonderful 00:01:24.099 --> 00:01:29.055 notes in your program living in New York. Uh of course, the lion studied 00:01:29.088 --> 00:01:33.397 with and are performed with nearly all of the great historical figures uh 00:01:33.430 --> 00:01:37.936 of modern dance. And of course, very soon they were established and uh 00:01:37.969 --> 00:01:41.676 performers and choreographers in their own right. And both formed 00:01:41.709 --> 00:01:48.230 companies, Elina Mooney dancers and Cliff Ker dance company. Elina was the 00:01:48.263 --> 00:01:52.882 principal dancer for Cliff. Sometime after the birth of their first son 00:01:52.915 --> 00:01:58.742 Matthew. In 1977 they received an invitation to come to San Jose State 00:01:58.775 --> 00:02:04.842 University as a visiting artist. For one semester, Elina went first and 00:02:04.875 --> 00:02:09.156 then when Cliff's company schedule permitted, he came, they decided to 00:02:09.189 --> 00:02:13.245 make California their home, they closed their New York companies. And in 00:02:13.278 --> 00:02:18.126 1978 they moved to California 00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:23.555 in time. Both Ilia and Cliff were burning up the freeways. They divided up 00:02:23.588 --> 00:02:28.366 uh teaching and choreographic responsibilities and floated among San Jose 00:02:28.399 --> 00:02:32.616 State University, Santa Clara University and University of California, 00:02:32.649 --> 00:02:37.555 Santa Cruz Cliff. At, at, at this time, started that wonderfully 00:02:37.588 --> 00:02:42.316 successful new dance company in San Jose and Elana was a soloist with the 00:02:42.349 --> 00:02:47.316 group. They both continued to do a lot of guest choreography. Their second 00:02:47.349 --> 00:02:52.547 son Nathaniel was born in 1979 and they continue to do their work there in 00:02:52.580 --> 00:02:57.106 California for about 10 years. 00:02:57.139 --> 00:03:04.146 So how did they get to Arizona? We had a job open in 1988 and Daniel Mavin 00:03:04.179 --> 00:03:10.196 called Cliff to encourage him to apply at the time, the uh situation in 00:03:10.229 --> 00:03:14.487 California made funding and administration of the new dance company more 00:03:14.520 --> 00:03:19.305 and more difficult. So he did. But he was considering moving. He came for 00:03:19.338 --> 00:03:24.737 an interview and was clearly the artist we wanted. Dean Cy Rosen was very 00:03:24.770 --> 00:03:30.126 impressed with both Cliff and Ilia. And we all knew that they would be 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:35.525 making a great addition to our program, Cy Rosen created a temporary 00:03:35.558 --> 00:03:39.957 position free lineup for the first year and then moved her to a tenure 00:03:39.990 --> 00:03:45.745 track. The next year, this incredible and seldom used administrative 00:03:45.778 --> 00:03:50.225 action was a wonderful thing for all involved. The department gained two 00:03:50.258 --> 00:03:54.547 extraordinary artists and for Elina and Cliff, it would be the first time 00:03:54.580 --> 00:03:59.225 since they left New York that they would be professionally based together. 00:03:59.258 --> 00:04:03.396 We're all grateful to signify this. 00:04:03.429 --> 00:04:09.686 So here we are 20 years later, acknowledging the end of the Mooney Ker A 00:04:09.719 --> 00:04:17.024 SU era in 2005, we had a celebration of Cliff's retirement and I wrote him 00:04:17.057 --> 00:04:22.406 a love letter in celebration of Elaina's retirement. Here is my love 00:04:22.439 --> 00:04:30.217 letter to her dearest. El You are such a special person. I hope I can find 00:04:30.250 --> 00:04:34.627 a few words that will help create insight into the qualities that I and 00:04:34.660 --> 00:04:41.067 others so enjoy and admire you lovingly patiently taught a bazillion 00:04:41.100 --> 00:04:46.305 classes, choreographed work for all levels of students. You mentored 00:04:46.338 --> 00:04:51.895 students, graduate and undergraduate served on many sometimes very 00:04:51.928 --> 00:04:56.437 difficult committees. You're a wonderful choreographer, a beautiful and 00:04:56.470 --> 00:05:02.486 inspiring name to national and international credentials. 00:05:02.519 --> 00:05:06.937 You reach out for the unusual you make inroads, like working with the 00:05:06.970 --> 00:05:11.236 theater department being the dance liaison for the Institute for studying 00:05:11.269 --> 00:05:16.096 the arts, collaborating with artists like Native American composer Brent 00:05:16.129 --> 00:05:22.426 Davis and mask maker Zarco, working for three years with a new music and 00:05:22.459 --> 00:05:28.286 dance ensemble, experimenting with video, computer generated images and 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:34.317 chance selection of events. And boy could you spot talent? You had a way 00:05:34.350 --> 00:05:40.616 of zeroing in and you will always right, never know these observations 00:05:40.649 --> 00:05:47.395 tell us a lot. But there's more, you are a very courageous woman. You're 00:05:47.428 --> 00:05:52.937 not afraid to take artistic risks. You appear to be a woman of very few 00:05:52.970 --> 00:05:59.106 words. But when you speak, the words reflect great wisdom and clarity in 00:05:59.139 --> 00:06:04.757 difficult situations. You are always judicious in choice of words. You are 00:06:04.790 --> 00:06:12.145 the voice of reason. You are strong and abound in race. 00:06:12.178 --> 00:06:18.067 You may be a tiny little person, but you have a huge heart. You are filled 00:06:18.100 --> 00:06:23.145 with compassion, understanding and human. 00:06:23.178 --> 00:06:27.745 Your powerful and enduring commitment to the arts is similarly and 00:06:27.778 --> 00:06:34.416 intensely present in your personal life as a devoted wife and mother. It 00:06:34.449 --> 00:06:39.666 has been a joy to be your colleague, to dance with you, take class with 00:06:39.699 --> 00:06:45.257 you and work with you in many capacities. It's just a joy to know you in 00:06:45.290 --> 00:06:50.687 life. As you move into this new chapter of your life. May you always 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:56.536 remain in love with life and art. May all good things for all time. Be 00:06:56.569 --> 00:07:03.567 yours. May you dance forever? Love them. Thank you very much and enjoy the 00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:11.600 show. 00:07:20.189 --> 00:07:28.189 Yeah. 00:08:14.028 --> 00:08:22.028 Ok. 00:08:28.298 --> 00:08:36.298 Oh, 00:12:38.700 --> 00:12:46.700 yeah, 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:58.000 I, 00:14:03.969 --> 00:14:08.297 yeah. 00:14:08.330 --> 00:14:16.330 Mhm. 00:14:21.269 --> 00:14:25.706 Mhm. 00:14:25.739 --> 00:14:33.739 Yeah. Ok. 00:14:59.399 --> 00:15:07.399 Yeah. 00:15:13.509 --> 00:15:15.677 Hello. 00:15:15.710 --> 00:15:23.710 Yeah. 00:15:44.619 --> 00:15:52.619 Yeah. 00:18:16.910 --> 00:18:23.196 Yeah. 00:18:23.229 --> 00:18:31.229 Yeah. 00:18:51.118 --> 00:18:59.118 Mhm. Yeah. 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:14.956 I, yeah. 00:19:14.989 --> 00:19:22.989 Yeah. Yeah. 00:19:28.269 --> 00:19:36.269 Ok. 00:19:37.588 --> 00:19:41.406 Yeah. 00:19:41.439 --> 00:19:45.446 Yeah. Ok. 00:19:45.479 --> 00:19:53.479 Yeah. 00:19:54.650 --> 00:20:02.650 Ok. 00:20:13.338 --> 00:20:19.545 Yeah. 00:20:19.578 --> 00:20:27.578 Yeah. 00:20:37.578 --> 00:20:42.186 Mm. Mm. 00:20:42.219 --> 00:20:45.436 Ok. 00:20:45.469 --> 00:20:53.469 Yeah. 00:21:00.910 --> 00:21:03.016 Ok. 00:21:03.049 --> 00:21:11.049 Yeah. 00:24:14.338 --> 00:24:22.338 Yeah. 00:25:11.529 --> 00:25:19.529 Ok. 00:26:02.199 --> 00:26:10.199 Ok. 00:26:15.019 --> 00:26:23.019 Yeah. 00:26:43.029 --> 00:26:51.029 Yeah. 00:26:51.789 --> 00:26:54.946 Ok. 00:26:54.979 --> 00:27:01.956 Ok. 00:27:01.989 --> 00:27:09.989 Yeah. 00:28:19.489 --> 00:28:24.006 Mhm. 00:28:24.039 --> 00:28:26.706 Business, 00:28:26.739 --> 00:28:34.739 so. 00:29:24.400 --> 00:29:32.400 Ok. 00:33:41.469 --> 00:33:46.637 One second. 00:33:46.670 --> 00:33:54.670 Yeah. 00:36:38.849 --> 00:36:42.997 Yeah. 00:36:43.030 --> 00:36:47.135 Yeah. 00:36:47.168 --> 00:36:55.168 Yeah. Ok. 00:37:09.969 --> 00:37:12.997 Yeah. 00:37:13.030 --> 00:37:16.997 Mhm. 00:37:17.030 --> 00:37:20.206 Ok. 00:37:20.239 --> 00:37:28.239 Yeah. Yeah. 00:37:33.030 --> 00:37:38.195 Mhm. Yeah. 00:37:38.228 --> 00:37:45.836 Mm. 00:37:45.869 --> 00:37:49.586 Yeah. 00:37:49.619 --> 00:37:57.396 Yeah. 00:37:57.429 --> 00:38:05.429 Ok. Ok. 00:38:14.269 --> 00:38:22.269 Mhm. 00:38:23.570 --> 00:38:29.026 Yeah. 00:38:29.059 --> 00:38:37.059 Mhm. 00:38:39.119 --> 00:38:43.675 Mm. 00:38:43.708 --> 00:38:48.396 Mhm. 00:38:48.429 --> 00:38:56.429 Mhm. 00:39:23.010 --> 00:39:31.010 Yeah. 00:41:12.760 --> 00:41:20.760 Yeah. 00:43:35.260 --> 00:43:41.756 Yeah. 00:43:41.789 --> 00:43:45.586 Yeah. 00:43:45.619 --> 00:43:53.619 Yeah. 00:47:58.898 --> 00:48:06.898 Yeah. 00:49:17.188 --> 00:49:25.188 Yeah. 00:49:26.648 --> 00:49:34.648 I, 00:49:39.168 --> 00:49:47.168 yeah. 00:50:23.260 --> 00:50:31.260 Yeah. 00:50:55.840 --> 00:50:59.456 To. 00:50:59.489 --> 00:51:07.489 Mhm. 00:52:14.780 --> 00:52:22.780 Mhm. 00:52:32.840 --> 00:52:39.477 Yeah. 00:52:39.510 --> 00:52:47.510 You, 00:53:40.269 --> 00:53:48.269 yeah. 00:53:48.739 --> 00:53:56.739 Yeah. 00:54:10.789 --> 00:54:12.789 Yeah.