Join Dance Source Houston for SPARK, an annual event spotlighting the contributions of local dance leaders and celebrating Greater Houston’s vibrant dance community! This year we will recognize C.C. Conner as the 2025 Giannelli Service Awardee and Karen Stokes as the 2025 Dance Source Houston Artistic Honoree. Karen and C.C. were selected for the sustained impact of their service and artistry to dance in Houston.

Enjoy drinks, light bites, and, of course, lots of dancing at this memorable evening supporting Dance Source Houston’s 20th anniversary. Funds raised will support Dance Source Houston programs that provide direct support to danceworkers, including Artists In Residence, Dancer Fund, Dancer Physical Therapy Clinic, Day of Dancer Health, and more.

Raise a glass, show off your moves, and take the floor in celebration of dance!

HOST COMMITTEE

MEET THE HONOREES

2025 Giannelli Service Awardee – Cecil C. Conner, Jr.

Cecil C. Conner, Jr. is a native of Greensboro, NC. He studied at the University of Vienna in Austria, received his BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his LLB from Columbia University School of Law. Mr. Conner is a retired US Navy Lieutenant. Mr. Conner retired in 2012 after 17 years as Managing Director of Houston Ballet. He currently serves on the boards of American Festival for the Arts, Dance Source Houston, Houston Arts Alliance, Houston Contemporary Dance Company, and the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science. He previously served on the boards of the American Guild of Musical Artists Retirement and Health Fund, Career Transition for Dancers, Dance/USA (Chair), Houston First Corporation, the National Association of Regional Ballet, the Texas Institute for Arts in Education, Theater District Houston, and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts in New York. Mr. Conner served as Executive Director of The Joffrey Ballet from May 1992 until April 1995, as the Executive Director of the Pauline Koner Dance Consort from 1976-1981, and as an agent with Tornay Management in New York. He has served on grant panels for Federal, State and local arts agencies. He also has lectured on dance at Rice University and the University of Houston. Mr. Conner’s background in the arts is complemented by his extensive law background. From 1980 – 1995, Mr. Conner served as managing partner of and later of counsel to Mandelbaum, Schweiger & Conner in New York City. Previously, Mr. Conner was with Goldman Sachs & Co., and Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett, both in New York.

2025 Dance Source Houston Artistic Honoree – Karen Stokes

Karen Stokes is the Artistic Director of Karen Stokes Dance (1997-current) and former Director of Dance and Professor Emerita at the University of Houston (1998-2022). As a choreographer, Stokes has premiered fourteen evening length projects, over 50 repertory works, and nine dance films that have performed in Houston, Dallas, Philadelphia, New York, Cleveland, Toronto, and Sweden. Her non-profit company KSD was the first dance company to receive a Masterminds award by Houston Press. The Houston Press also twice named Stokes “Best Choreographer in Houston.” Her choreography has been awarded multiple grants, including thirteen Houston Arts Alliance grants. Stokes also received two commissions from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. Stokes co-founded Big Range Dance Festival in Houston at the Barnevelder Movement Arts Complex, where she was a recipient for the Houston Buffy Award in the Best Evening Length work category (Hometown). Her dance film “Gallery Construction I” received “Editor’s Choice” from Dance Magazine. Her educational program “Framing Dance” served 3000+ students annually at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts and in HISD from 2008- 2020. As a dancer, Stokes performed in New York and nationally with David Gordon and Stephan Koplowitz, as well as in regional/touring musical theater productions of “The Music Man,” “Annie,” and “A Chorus Line.” She also performed a mermaid at the NYC nightclub “Visage.” As a dance educator, Stokes received the UH Distance Education Teaching Award, the regional Teaching Award, the Lence Arts Teaching Award, and was recognized by the Provost for outstanding achievement in the Arts. Stokes has served on the dance faculty at Connecticut College and Kent State University. Stokes has degrees from the High School for Performing & Visual Arts in Houston, the Ohio State University (BFA in dance) and UCLA (MFA in Choreography).