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A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
21-246
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
July 12, 2016
To recognize and honor Carla Perlo and Deborah Riley for their more than 35 years of service as the Co-Directors of Dance Place.
WHEREAS, Carla Perlo co-founded Dance Place in 1980 to serve as an educational and performing arts company;
WHEREAS, Dance Place moved to 3225 8th Street, N.E., in the Brookland/Edgewood neighborhood of Ward 5 in 1986;
WHEREAS, Deborah Riley joined Dance Place in 1987, serving as artist in residence, faculty member, and administrator before becoming Co-Director in 1999;
WHEREAS, Dance Place was the second dance organization to own and operate its space in the United States;
WHEREAS, Carla Perlo and Deborah Riley worked diligently to raise funds to create a premier dance facility;
WHEREAS, Dance Place has been recognized as the most prolific presenter and top training facility for diverse dance forms in Washington, D.C.;
WHEREAS, Dance Place has created a variety of after-school programs to engage local youth;
WHEREAS, Carla Perlo and Deborah Riley partnered with the District Department of Housing and Community Development and Artspace Projects to create the Brookland Artspace Lofts, which provide low-cost housing for artists;
WHEREAS, Carla Perlo and Deborah Riley have worked diligently to establish the newly created 8th Street Arts Park;
WHEREAS, Carla Perlo and Deborah Riley have greatly contributed to the development of an Arts Campus in Brookland and Edgewood;
WHEREAS, Carla Perlo was honored with the Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence in Service to the Arts, as Washingtonian Magazine’s Washingtonian of the Year, WETA’s Hometown Hero, and Metro DC Dance Awards’ Special Recognition;
WHEREAS, Deborah Riley received one of the first Local Commissioning Grants from the Kennedy Center, the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities – Artist Fellowship, and the inaugural award of Distinguished Alumni in Fine Arts from Ohio University; and
WHEREAS, Carla Perlo and Deborah Riley will retire in August 2017, leaving a lasting impression on the Washington, D.C. arts and education communities.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “Carla Perlo and Deborah Riley Dance Place Recognition Resolution of 2016”.
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and honors Carla Perlo and Deborah Riley, on the occasion of their retirement, for their commitment to Dance Place and the District of Columbia.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.
