ARNIE ZANE (1948-1988) was a native New Yorker born in the Bronx and educated at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton. In 1971, Arnie Zane and Bill T. Jones began their long collaboration in choreography and in 1973 formed the American Dance Asylum in Binghamton with Lois Welk. Mr. Zane’s first recognition in the arts came as a photographer when he received a Creative Artists Public Service (CAPS) Fellowship in 1973. Mr. Zane was the recipient of a second CAPS Fellowship in 1981 for choreography, as well as two Choreographic Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts (1983 and 1984). In 1980, Mr. Zane was co-recipient, with Bill T. Jones, of the German Critics Award for his work, Blauvelt Mountain. Rotary Action, a duet with Mr. Jones, was filmed for television, co-produced by WGBH-TV Boston and Channel 4 in London.
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater commissioned a new work from Mr. Zane and Bill T. Jones, How to Walk an Elephant, which premiered at Wolftrap in August 1985. Mr. Zane (along with Mr. Jones) received a 1985-86 New York Dance and Performance (“Bessie”) Award for Choreographer/Creator. Continuous Replay: The Photographs of Arnie Zane was published by MIT Press in April 1999.
