Senate Bill 2630

    Florida Senate - 1998        (NP)                      SR 2630

    By Senator Silver





    38-1835A-98

  1                    Senate Resolution No.     

  2         A resolution honoring Edward Villella, Founding

  3         Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet and

  4         recipient of the National Medal of Arts.

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  6         WHEREAS, Edward Villella has had one of the most

  7  spectacular careers of any American male dancer and, during

  8  his performance career with the New York City Ballet,

  9  originated numerous roles and introduced the public to

10  neoclassical and classical dance and the work of George

11  Balanchine through his work on television's "Bell Telephone

12  Hour" and the Public Broadcasting series "Dance in America,"

13  and

14         WHEREAS, Edward Villella was presented with the 1997

15  National Medal of Arts by President William Clinton and First

16  Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton during ceremonies on the South

17  Lawn of the White House on September 29, 1997, and

18         WHEREAS, on December 7, 1997, Edward Villella was once

19  again greeted at the White House by President Clinton as a

20  recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in recognition of his

21  artistic achievements and contributions to the cultural life

22  of this country, and

23         WHEREAS, as Miami City Ballet enters its thirteenth

24  season, Edward Villella is exerting perhaps his greatest

25  influence as the founding artistic director of a premier dance

26  company that has presented over 81 ballets, including 32 world

27  premieres, and that performs throughout the United States and

28  in Europe, Israel, and Central and South America, NOW,

29  THEREFORE,

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31  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1998        (NP)                      SR 2630
    38-1835A-98




  1         That the Florida Senate commends Edward Villella for

  2  his achievements as an extraordinary performer and also for

  3  his contribution to the state in molding Miami City Ballet

  4  into one of the fastest growing and most exciting ballet

  5  companies in the country.

  6         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution,

  7  with the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to Edward

  8  Villella, Founding Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet.

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