<B>The Birthday Honours List</B><P>The list is published today and here are the awards that are relevant to the dance world. The ranking below goes CBE (Commander of the British Empire), OBE (Order etc.), MBE (Member etc.). There were no Knighthoods, Dames etc in dance this year. <P><BR><B>CBE</B><P>John Ashford, Director, The Place Theatre. For services to Dance. <P><B>OBE</B><BR>Miss Betty LAINE Founder, Laine Theatre Arts, Surrey. <BR> For services to the Performing Arts.<P> Mrs Ray Piali, Director, SAMPAD. For services to the <BR> Arts.<P><B>MBE</B><P>Ms Lea Anderson, Choreographer. For services to Dance. <P>Dorothy Stevens, For servervices to Dance in Halifax, West Yorkshire.<P>Miss Daphne HARRIS For services to Dancing and to the <BR> community in North London.<P><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited June 15, 2002).]

Congratulations to all those who have been recognised in this year's Birthday Honours.<P><B>John Ashford</B> commands a lot of respect in UK dance and has made the Robin Howard Theatre (previously The Place Theatre) in London into one of the leading dance venues in Europe. He has also nurtured fledgling choreographers through the annual Resolution! Season. <P><B>Betty Laine</B> is a ballet teacher with a fine record for preparing dancers.<P><B>Ray Piali</B> is an important figure in South Asian dance. <P><B>Lea Anderson</B> is the Artistic Director of the Cholmondeleys and the Featherstonehaughs and has been a creative force in UK contemporary dance for many years. Her productions often have an emphasis on theatricality and humour. I really enjoyed 'Smithereens', her show from a couple of years ago inspired by Berlin Cabaret from the 1920.<P>Congratulations also to <B>Dorothy Stevens</B> and <B>Daphne HARRIS</B>. I have to confess that I have been unable to find out anything about these two recipients, who I imagine have made an important contribution to dance at a grass-roots level. Do tell us more if you know them.<P><BR><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited June 15, 2002).]

John Ashford really has done a great deal for dance and I know is a wonderful mentor for young dancers and chroreographers. Congratulations to him.

The Stage gives an overview of the Birthday Honours for the Arts, including John Ashford:<P><B>Nunn and Miller lead honours list</B><BR>by John Martland for The Stage<P><BR>Once again showbusiness was well represented in the Queen's Birthday Honours list with four knighthoods going to theatre directors Trevor Nunn and Jonathan Miller, artist Peter Blake and to Rolling Stone Mick Jagger. <P>In addition, playwright Harold Pinter, who refused to accept a knighthood from the Conservative government, has been appointed as a Companion of Honour.<P>Elsewhere in the world of stage and screen, there was a CBE for John Ashford, director of The Place theatre, while OBEs went to Belfast actress and playwright Marie Jones, Betty Laine, the founder of Laine Theatre Arts, veteran drag artist Danny La Rue and actor David Suchet. Choreographer Lea Anderson and film costume designer Phyllis Dalton were both awarded the MBE, as was Vicky Ireland, artistic director of the Polka children's theatre. <P><A HREF="http://www.thestage.co.uk/paper/0225/0102.shtml" TARGET=_blank><B>click for more</B></A>

<B>John Ashford awarded CBE</B><BR>THE PLACE'S THEATRE DIRECTOR IS RECOGNISED IN THE QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY HONOURS<BR>from londondance.com<P><BR>The Place is delighted that John Ashford, its theatre director, has been awarded a CBE for services to dance in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, which was announced on Saturday.<P>John Ashford has been Theatre Director at The Place since 1987, producing contemporary dance programmes for the Robin Howard Dance Theatre, which he has made Britain's busiest dance venue. <P><A HREF="http://www.londondance.com/Content.asp?Level=2&SubSection=878" TARGET=_blank><B>click for more</B></A><BR>