THE BESSIES ANNOUNCE RECIPIENTS OF 2024 & 2025 NEW YORK DANCE AND PERFORMANCE AWARDS

New York, NY (January 20, 2026) – The New York Dance and Performance Awards, the Bessies, tonight announced the 2024 and 2025 award recipients at the 41st Bessie Awards Ceremony. Nicky Paraiso and Patricia Hoffbauer hosted this year’s celebratory event, which was held at Dixon Place, 161A Chrystie Street, New York. NY 10002. A complete list of the 2024 and 2025 awards follows below.

Bessie Awards were presented to artists for outstanding choreographer/creator, performer, sound design or music composition, visual design, outstanding revival, and breakout choreographer—an award that honors an artist who has made an exceptional leap in their career in this last couple of years.

Music composer and performer, Jonathan Howard Katz, presented his own composition -Ipseities: No. 4 (2020) and Ipseities: No. 24 (2021).

The 2024 & 2025 Bessie Awards Ceremony was co-produced by Sangeeta Ghosh Yesley and Charles Vincent Burwell.

During the 2024 and 2025 award cycles, The Bessies underwent significant organizational restructuring while facing funding limitations. As a result, honoraria were not issued to award recipients in these 2 years. We extend our sincere appreciation to all honorees for their artistry, generosity of spirit, and understanding as the organization works toward long-term sustainability.

THE 2024 NEW YORK DANCE AND PERFORMANCE AWARD RECIPIENTS AND CITATIONS:

2024 Lifetime Achievement in Dance Award

Dyane Harvey-Salaam

For a lifetime of extraordinary rituals melding dance, theatre, and the profound embodiment of an artist’s way of being. Her presence is a lighthouse, guiding artists toward refuge, courage, and inspiration. As the devoted holder and répétiteur of Eleo Pomare’s work, she safeguards what came before while illuminating what is still possible. Through unwavering generosity and resolve, she teaches us the endless power of persistence and the art of never giving up.

Beyond the studio, her impact radiates through quiet, consistent leadership mentoring artists toward their own authority, sharpening their craft while protecting their spirit. She holds space for complexity and keeps the path lit when the road is uncertain, reminding us that endurance is not an accident but a practice. In honoring her, we honor a lifetime of disciplined care, the rare artist who preserves the past without freezing it, and who insists, again and again, that what is possible is still unfolding.

Outstanding Service to the Field of Dance Award

Ballet Tech

Ballet Tech is a cornerstone of American dance education, dedicated to training the next generation of dancers by instilling the skill, discipline, and artistic passion required to excel in this demanding art form. In doing so, it not only preserves the tradition of ballet but actively advances its relevance in today’s world. As the only public school in the United States devoted exclusively to Dance, Ballet Tech uniquely combines high-quality academic education with intensive dance training through a tuition-free collaboration between the New York City Department of Education and the Ballet Tech Foundation.

Serving students in grades 4 through 8 at its home at 890 Broadway, Ballet Tech has, since 1978, auditioned 900,000 public school children and enrolled 25,430 students, dramatically expanding access to excellence for young people from all backgrounds—many of whom would otherwise never have the opportunity to study dance. Its impact extends far beyond technique and performance. Ballet Tech creates a vibrant, deeply connected community where the shared experience of learning and performing builds lasting bonds among students, teachers, and families, offering connection and continuity in an increasingly fast-paced and disconnected world.

That sense of community reaches well beyond its classrooms, through collaborations with choreographers, dancers, and arts organizations that generate interdisciplinary work and enrich the broader cultural landscape. Ballet Tech’s alumni have gone on to perform with leading companies including Alvin Ailey, Dance Theatre of Harlem, New York City Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, The Jose Limon Dance Company, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and on Broadway, and to pursue higher education at institutions such as Juilliard, NYU, Brown, Columbia, and Yale.

Today, as we celebrate 47 years of achievement and honor Ballet Tech with the 2024 New York Dance and Performance Awards—The Bessies Award for Service to the Field, we recognize an institution whose commitment to excellence, inclusivity, access, and community has profoundly shaped the lives of its students and strengthened the future of dance. Under the leadership of Principal Veronica York and Artistic Director Dionne Figgins, Ballet Tech stands as a model of what public education and professional arts training can achieve together, and why its mission continues to deserve our collective support and recognition.

Outstanding Visual Design

Reid Bartelme, Harriet Jung, Andrew Jordan
for JEUX + A CHILD’S TALE, Christopher Williams/
Baryshnikov Arts Center
Their costumes captivate and narrate, honoring Ballets Russes innovation while powerfully advancing story, character, and atmosphere.

Outstanding Sound Design or Musical Composition

yuniya edi kwon, Haruko Crow Nishimura, Joshua Kohl of Degenerate Art Ensemble
for Boy mother/faceless bloom, Juni One Set
New York Live Arts

yuniya edi kwon is a visionary dancer, vocalist, and musician whose interdisciplinary work Boy mother/faceless bloom is both immersive and transformative. In collaboration with Senga Nengudi, the work weaves mythology, autobiography, ritual, and stunning duet performance into an expansive, otherworldly experience.

Outstanding Revival

The Rite of Spring (1975)
Pina Bausch; Restaged by Josephine Ann Endicott, Jorge Puerta Armenta and Clémentine Deluy and a specially assembled company of 34 dancers from 14 African countries for The Pina Bausch Foundation, École des Sables & Sadler’s Wells
Park Avenue Armory

Thirty-Four dancers from across the African continent—many without prior contemporary dance training—brought living, soulful movement to Stravinsky’s score, filling the space with breath, presence, and ferocity. Guided with exceptional care by artists who worked intimately with Bausch, the performance honored the choreography’s rigor while igniting it anew. From the elemental staging and soil-covered floor to the power of Black bodies in motion, this revival was riveting, masterful, and unforgettable.

Outstanding Performer

Abdiel
at Fort Greene Park
Abdiel is a masterful, culturally aware performer who, in an unexpected Brooklyn cypher under rain and heat, danced Latin Hustle at Fort Green Park with full presence, creating a show simply by doing what they love.

Paul Hamilton
for CEREMONIA, Antonio Ramos
at Abrons Arts Center

For CEREMONIA, Antonio Ramos at Abrons Arts Center Bold and nuanced, his performance celebrates the body, movement, and expression, leaving a vibrant imprint lingering in one’s memory.

Edisa Weeks
for 3 Rites: Liberty, DELIRIOUS Dances
at Mark O’Donnell Theater

For 3 Rites: Liberty, Edisa Weeks, DELIRIOUS Dances at Mark O’Donnell Theater For a work that combined rigorous intellectual, emotional, and corporeal demands with humor and deep engagement, featuring unforgettable imagery—such as the performer tethered to evocative objects by her hair—masterful facilitation, excellent visual design, and the communal roots embedded in the backdrop, creating an extraordinary and lasting impact.

The Rite of Spring – Ensemble
at Park Avenue Armory

For filling the space with breath, presence, and ferocity. Guided with exceptional care by Germaine Acogny and Malou Airaudo and restaged by Josephine Ann Endicott, Jorge Puerta Armenta and Clémentine Deluy, the performance honored Pina Bausch’s choreography with rigor while igniting it anew. From the elemental staging and soil-covered floor to the power of Black bodies in motion, this revival was riveting, masterful, and unforgettable.

Cast: Aoufice Junior Gouri, Amadou Lamine Sow, Amy Collé Seck, Aníque Ayiboe, Anthony Lomuljo, Astou Diop (Tousa), Aziz Zoundi, Babacar Mané, Bazoumana Kouyaté, Brian Otieno Oloo, Carmelita Siwa, Didja Kady Tiemanta, Estelle Foli, Florent Nikiema, Franne Christie Dossou, Gloria Ugwarelojo Biachi, Gueassa Eva Sibi, Harivola Rakotondrasoa, Inas Dasylva, Khadija Cisse, Luciény Kaabral, Oliva Randrianasolo (Nanie), Pacôme Landry Seka, Profit Lucky, Rodolphe Allui, Rokhaya Coulibaly, Sahadatou Ami Touré, Serge Arthur Dodo, Shelly Ohene-Nyako, Sonia Zandile Constable, Stéphanie Mwamba, Tom Jules Samie, Vasco Pedro Mirine, Zadi Landry Kipre.

Outstanding Breakout Choreographer

Baye & Asa

Childhood friends since first grade have become a powerful duo. They move with certainty, aware of who they are and how the world has seen them. Once they start dancing, powerful, playful, bold, and jarring; their genuine presence makes their movement deeply relatable. Their work is rooted in trust, nourished by a long history of connection. Bursting with ideas, their artistry is in full bloom, emerging as groundbreaking choreographers.

Outstanding Choreographer/Creator

Hyejin Jeong, Sung Hoon Kim, Jaeduk Kim
for One Dance at David H. Koch Theater
at Lincoln Center

For One Dance at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center For a visually mesmerizing, contemporary reinterpretation of ceremonial Korean traditional dance demonstrating a perfect balance between stillness and movement, and culminating in an explosive, athletic, contemporary dance. For a show that takes you on a journey, and leaves you feeling light-hearted and elated.

Nia Love
for UNDERcurrents
at Harlem Stage

For a transporting experience, taking the audience through an immersive and sensory journey of live performance and projected visuals. Historical research and personal memories are woven together to pose questions to the audience- with urgency and compassion.

Shamel Pitts
for Touch of RED
at New York Live Arts

Shamel Pitts crafts a viscerally charged work where physical rigor meets emotional intimacy. Touch of RED at New York Live Arts explores vulnerability and connection through hypnotic, rhythm-driven movement that fuses boxing footwork, Lindy Hop, and club culture, transforming confrontation into a shared, communal experience.

Wanjiru Kamuyu
for A Disguised Welcome…aka An Immigrant’s Story
at The Chocolate Factory Theater

For A Disguised Welcome… aka An Immigrant’s Story at The Chocolate Factory Theater A perfect solo: a powerful singular presence transforms a deeply personal narrative into a universal experience. Through her bold physicality, storytelling, and the simple use of upside-down chairs, she invites intimacy and connection. The work explores displacement and belonging, which anyone could experience, with vulnerability, strength, and profound emotional resonance.

THE 2025 NEW YORK DANCE AND PERFORMANCE AWARD RECIPIENTS AND CITATIONS:

2025 Lifetime Achievement in Dance Award

Garth Fagan

The generator of a thrillingly distinctive choreographic style, Garth Fagan’s artistry manifests humanity. His technique threads jazz’s polyrhythms through the specificities of Afro-Caribbean, modern dance and ballet forms. Founding a world class dance company — Garth Fagan Dance in Rochester, NY — Fagan mined the native talent forming an ensemble of incomparably kinetic dancers. Able to suspend themselves in eternal balances and levitate without preparation, the elite dancers reveal the intricacy of Fagan’s mind, ultimately inspiring him for over 5 1/2 decades. Fagan’s choreography astonishes audiences from the groundbreaking Griot NY created in collaboration with Wynton Marsalis, to Julie Taymor’s “Lion King,” ballets for Dance Theater of Harlem, NYC Ballet and countless concert halls all over the world. Garth Fagan is a man of uncompromising values and artistic integrity.

Outstanding Service to the Field of Dance Award

Gibney Dance

Gibney Dance is recognized for its long-standing commitment to providing essential infrastructure, resources, and leadership in support of artists and the broader dance field. Through its consistent dedication to access, equity, and artist well-being, Gibney has strengthened the conditions necessary for creative practice, dialogue, and exchange.

In the tradition of the BESSIE Awards, which acknowledge not only artistic excellence but lasting contribution to the field, Gibney Dance exemplifies service rooted in responsibility, care, and continuity. Its work has supported generations of artists and institutions, contributing to a more resilient and inclusive dance ecosystem.

Outstanding Visual Design

Clifton Taylor
for Many Angels for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
at New York City Center

An emissary of light and shadow, commanding color with rare authority. Luminous and precise, a world built for dancers to inhabit, and for audiences to remember. Your transcendent manipulation of photons lets us see things as they could be, inviting us to bask in a warm embrace in Lar Lubovitch’s Many Angels for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at City Center.

Outstanding Sound Design or Musical Composition

Angie Pittman, Cody Jensen 
for Black Life Chord Changes at Out-Front! Festival
at BAM Fisher Hillman Studio

A rigorous, transporting aural world that holds the audience with care while carving a brave space for Black Life Chord Changes at the Pioneers Go East Collective’s Out Front! Festival at BAM.

Outstanding Revival
Grace (1999)
Ronald K. Brown
for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
at New York City Center

For a work that returns not as nostalgia but as necessity, Ronald K. Brown’s Grace revives the stage as a site of deliverance where modern dance and West African lineage braid into a communal ritual of radiance, mercy, and forward motion. Performed by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at New York City Center, this collective prayer is precise, ecstatic, and fiercely human, carrying dancers through joy, struggle, and release with undiminished power and heightened relevance.

Outstanding Performer

Jacquelin Harris
for Many Angels, Lar Lubovitch for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
at New York City Center

With quiet authority and crystal-clear intention, she honored the continuing legacy of Ailey’s leading women bringing celestial clarity to the terrestrial stage in Lar Lubovitch’s Many Angels for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at New York City Center.

Cast of CATS: The Jellicle Ball
at Perelman Performing Arts Center

For a felicitous requiem of movement and motivation serving the body politic with prrr prrr vibes and regimented performances juxtaposed with unmatched fabulosity in Cats: The Jellicle Ball at PAC NYC. Where disciplined bodies in radiant revolt, make community look inevitable.

Cast: André De Shields, Baby Byrne, Bebe Nicole Simpson, Bryce Farris, Capital Kaos, Dava Huesca, Dudney Joseph Jr., Emma Sofia, Garnet Williams, Ivy Mugler, Jenny Mollet, Jonathan Burke, Jovan E’Sean, Junior LaBeija, Kai B. White, Kendall Grayson Stroud, Nora Schell, Phumzile Sojola, Primo, Robert “Silk” Mason, Rodrick Covington, Sydney James Harcourt, Tara Lashan Clinkscales, Teddy Wilson Jr., “Tempress” Chasity Moore, Xavier Reyes, Zachary A. Myers.

Jake Roxander
for Onegin for American Ballet Theatre at Metropolitan Opera House
at Lincoln Center

Dancing measured, controlled, and alive with meaning pulling us into Lensky’s inner life with his performance of John Cranko’s Onegin, performed by American Ballet Theatre at the Metropolitan Opera House. With unmistakable urgency and musical intelligence, he met each moment with care and courage.

House of Juicy + House of Telfar,Performance as a House,
Draw inspiration from one of Alvin Ailey’s iconic dance pieces
at The Whitney Museum

A sermon of movement that honored Ballroom Culture, Modern Dance, and new futures in mo-tion, carrying forward the stories of the marginalized, and those who live unapologetically at the Whitney Museum for the Ailey Ball.

House of Juicy Couture – Alexis Wan, Jayden Benbow, Tyreel Simpson, Baby Byrne, Mateo Roska, Nicholas Sterling, Shaquill Blanding, Veyonce Deleon, Tyrone Reese.

House of Telfar – Dava Huesca, Bryce Farris, Omarion Burke, Xavier Villafañe, Travon Williams, Myles Porter.

Outstanding Breakout Choreographer

Amy Hall Garner

With her deep Southern lineage, muscular musicality and verve, she spins bodies into bonfires of joy, perseverance, and familial warmth at the core. Through bold commissions across the dance community, she proves how invention and imagination cultivates form.

Outstanding Choreographer/Creator

Fredrick Earl Mosley
for Unleashed
at Ailey Citigroup Theater

For his enduring commitment to creating dance works and performances, and for fostering cross-generational mentorship and meaningful community through his Hearts of Men series—expanding visibility, possibility, and legacy within the field.

Lar Lubovitch
for Many Angels
at City Center December

For a choreography steeped in yūgen the quiet, inexhaustible depth of what can only be suggested, this work turns an old paradox (“how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?”) into a living mystery. With restraint as virtuosity, Lar Lubovitch’s Many Angels performed by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at New York City Center makes the smallest space feel infinite, letting absence, silence, and precision summon the unseen.

Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons
for CATS: The Jellicle Ball
at Perelman Performing Arts Center

For an unmatched synthesis of Ballroom Culture and Musical-Theater mayhem, storytelling included, Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles conjure a new way of being in CATS: The Jellicle Ball at PAC NYC. With feline personas as their runway mythology, they blend soft and dramatic vogue with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score, whipping and dipping it into an unlikely, irresistible potion.

Yoko Murakami
for Blink
at Triskelion Arts

For an imaginative and exquisite use of movement and visuals that draws viewers into another dimension, exploring the body’s existence through light, shadow, and the manipulation of perception—inviting us into a dreamlike state where time and space blend.

ABOUT THE BESSIES

The New York Dance and Performance Awards have saluted outstanding and groundbreaking creative work in the dance field in New York City for 39 years. Known as “The Bessies” in honor of revered dance teacher Bessie Schönberg, the awards were established in 1984 by David R. White at Dance Theater Workshop. They recognize choreography, performance, music composition,  visual design, legacy, and service to the field of dance by independent dance artists and organizations. Nominees are chosen by a selection committee composed of artists, presenters, producers, and writers. All those working in the dance field are invited to join the Bessies Membership and participate in annual discussions on the direction of the awards and nominate members to serve on the selection committee. For more information about The Bessies, visit www.bessies.org.

The 2023–2024 Bessie Awards Selection Committee: Tyler Ashley, PeiJu Chien-Pott, Yoshiko Chuma, Duke Dang, Porshia A. Derival, Gregory English, Hannah Garner, Celia Ipiotis, William Isaac, Anabella Lenzu, Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, Shalewa Mackall, zavé martohardjono, Yoko Murakami,, David Persky, Lynn Schwab, Rakia Seaborn, Alex Smith, Ivan Talijančić, Kate Thomas, Farren Wood, and Nami Yamamoto.

The Bessies Steering Committee (2023-2024): Paz Tanjuaquio (chair), Yvonne H. Chow, Stanford Makishi, maura nguyễn donohue, Nicky Paraiso, Craig Peterson, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, george emilio sanchez, and Charmaine Warren.

The 2024–2025 Bessie Awards Selection Committee: Tyler Ashley, PeiJu Chien-Pott, Yoshiko Chuma, Duke Dang, Gregory English, Jens Richard Giersdorf, Kyla Gordon, Celia Ipiotis, William Isaac, Raelle Myrick Hodges, Suzzanne Ponomarenko, Rakia Seaborn, Alex Smith, Kate Thomas, Farren Wood, Nami Yamamoto, and Sangeeta Ghosh Yesley.

The Bessies Steering Committee (2024-2025): Stanford Makishi, maura nguyen donohue, Nicky Paraiso, Craig Peterson, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, george emilio sanchez, and Charmaine Warren.

Press contact: Audrey Ross, 929.222.3973, Email: audreyrosspub@aol.com

Follow The Bessies on Facebook, X, and Instagram: #theBessies / @bessieawards

2025:
GARTH FAGAN TO RECEIVE AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE AND GIBNEY DANCE TO RECEIVE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE FIELD OF DANCE

The New York Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies, New York City’s premier dance awards honoring outstanding creative work in the field, are delighted to announce that Dyane Harvey-Salaam, will receive the 2024 Bessie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance and Garth Fagan will receive the 2025 Bessie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance.  Ballet Tech will receive the award for the 2024 Outstanding Service to the Field of Dance and Gibney Dance will receive the award for the 2025 Outstanding Service to the Field of Dance.  Both awards for each year will be presented at the 41st Bessie Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, January 20 at 7 p.m., at Dixon Place Theater, 161A Chrystie Street, NY 10002. Admission is free. Please register here: https://dixonplace.org/performances/41st-annual-bessies-announcement-1-20-2026/

2024
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE

Dyane Harvey-Salaam is an accomplished performing artist, BESSIE award nominee (2019) and winner (2017), dance educator, choreographer, certified Pilates instructor, and board member of the American Dance Guild. Daughter, Sister, Wife, Mother and Grandmother, she has performed as a principal soloist with many recognized dance companies and is a founding member and assistant to director Abdel R. Salaam, of The Forces of Nature Dance Theatre Company and wishes to acknowledge with deep gratitude this long relationship.

Having appeared nationally and internationally with concert dance companies including: The Eleo Pomare Dance Company, Joan Miller’s Dance Players, Chuck Davis Dance Company, Walter Nicks Dance Company, Otis Sallid’s New Art Ensemble, George Faison’s Universal Dance Experience, Dance Brazil, and The Repertory Dance Theatre of Trinidad and Tobago, she knows that the values instilled while dancing with these companies have prepared her for a richly satisfying life.

She has served as guest artist in Sydnie L. Mosely’s Purple, A Ritual In 9 Spells, first produced for Lincoln Center’s Rose Theatre, DancePlace in Washington, D.C., other iterations of the “Purple Universe” include a residency at Penn State University and most recently in collaboration with Dr.Kim Hall’s exquisite quilt exhibit at the Milstein Library, Barnard College.
Commercial appearances include The Wiz (original Broadway and film) Timbuktu!, Spell #7, Your Arms Too Short ToBox With God (Paris Company) Ailey Celebrates Ellington (CBS Special) Free To Dance (Forces of Nature Dance Theatre-PBS Special)
Her choreography for Black Theatre companies has earned AUDELCO Awards: Oya the Dance Drama, and Great Men of Gospel, and The United Solo and Broadway Berkshire Awards for Becoming Othello a Black Girl’s Journey. Other awards include: Abundance Arts Keeper of the Flame Award, the Asase Yaa Foundational Legacy Award, A.I.R. Living Legends Award (Miami Dade Community College), Distinguished Woman Award (Harlem Arts Alliance and Harlem Chamber of Commerce), and the ModArts Legacy Award.

Aspects of her life have been recorded for the Lincoln Center Performing Arts Library Jerome Robbins Dance Division, Oral History Project, and she participated in The Dance Historian Is In, a video presentation in which her major career achievements were highlighted. Along with dance colleagues, she assisted in the curation of two The Dance Historian Is In segments celebrating the lives of her mentor Eleo Pomare and Joan Miller, as well as a special evening honoring the lifework of Talley Beatty.

Her published article, “Making Movement as an Act of Listening, Riding With the Muse” was included in the CLAJ Special Edition dedicated to the legacy of collaborator, Ntozake Shange. Additional literary offerings include a chapter in the book edited by Reverend Melody McGant, Good is Powerful , entitled “The Goodness of SweetHoney” and for the Dance Enthusiast, “Impressions:DanceAfrica 2025, Movement! Magic! Manifestation!”

An educator, she continues to teach and design courses at both Princeton and Hofstra Universities, where she shares her philosophy about the dance of life itself.

Ase’ to all who have come before!

2024
OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE FIELD OF DANCE

Ballet Tech, founded in 1974 by choreographer Eliot Feld, is a pioneering New York City dance institution dedicated to cultivating the next generation of ballet artists through unparalleled access, opportunity, and training. Formally known as the New York City Public School for Dance, Ballet Tech has built a national reputation for its innovative approach to classical ballet education, combining rigorous training with equity, inclusion, and a deep commitment to nurturing young dancers from all backgrounds.

At the heart of Ballet Tech is its groundbreaking audition program, which brings ballet directly into NYC public schools, offering thousands of children the opportunity to discover their talent for dance at no cost. Students who show promise are invited to train at Ballet Tech’s state-of-the-art studios, where they receive exceptional technique classes, artistic mentorship, and academic support designed to help them thrive both as dancers and individuals.

In 2021, Dionne Figgins, a celebrated American ballerina, Broadway performer, and arts leader, was appointed Artistic Director of Ballet Tech. Her appointment marks a new chapter in the institution’s evolution, bringing a powerful vision centered on excellence, diversity, and expanded visibility for young dancers. Figgins’ leadership builds on Eliot Feld’s legacy while guiding the school toward a more dynamic, contemporary, and culturally responsive future.

Known for its annual Kids Dance performances at The Joyce Theater, Ballet Tech continues to inspire audiences and empower students through joyful, high-caliber performances. With its unique fusion of artistry, education, and accessibility, Ballet Tech remains one of New York City’s most impactful and enduring dance institutions.

2025
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE

Garth Fagan is the visionary founder and Artistic Director of Garth Fagan Dance and one of the most influential choreographers of his generation. Born in Jamaica and based in the United States since the 1960s, Fagan has developed a groundbreaking movement language that blends modern dance, ballet, Afro-Caribbean traditions, and postmodern experimentation. His technique—celebrated for its polyrhythmic complexity, strength, and emotional depth—has shaped generations of dancers and established him as a master craftsman of the form.

Fagan’s choreography has been commissioned by major companies worldwide, including the Dance Theatre of Harlem, for whom he created the critically acclaimed Footprints Dressed in Red, a work praised for its bold musicality, cultural resonance, and unique movement invention. His expansive body of work also includes The Dispossessed, Griot New York, Prelude: Discipline is Freedom, and the landmark Broadway production of Disney’s The Lion King, for which he received the Tony Award for Best Choreography.

Throughout his career, Fagan has been honored with numerous accolades, including the Bessie Award, Guggenheim Fellowship, NYC Mayor’s Award for Arts and Culture, and the Order of Distinction (Commander Class) from the Jamaican government. His company, founded in 1970 in Rochester, New York, remains a cornerstone of American contemporary dance.

With a career spanning more than five decades, Garth Fagan continues to inspire audiences with choreography that is both technically profound and deeply human, solidifying his legacy as a transformative force in the world of dance.

2025
OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE FIELD OF DANCE

Gibney is one of New York City’s most influential and progressive arts institutions, recognized internationally for its unique integration of contemporary dance, social action, and community engagement. Founded in 1991 by choreographer Gina Gibney, the organization has grown from a small dance company into a multi-faceted cultural hub with two Manhattan locations—Gibney 280 Broadway and Gibney 890 Broadway—together offering some of the largest and most vibrant studio spaces for training, creation, and performance in the city.

At its core, Gibney champions artistic innovation through its resident company, presenting programs, and extensive artist support initiatives, including residencies, commissions, subsidized studio rental, and professional development resources. Its performance series brings forward emerging and established artists, fostering a diverse range of voices and perspectives in contemporary dance.

Gibney is nationally recognized for its groundbreaking Community Action program, which uses movement workshops to support survivors of gender-based violence. Through partnerships with social service organizations, the program provides tools for self-expression, healing, and empowerment, exemplifying Gibney’s belief in dance as a vehicle for social change.

A leader in arts advocacy, Gibney also supports the professional dance field through the Dance Mobility Initiative, training programs, and a commitment to equitable practices, accessibility, and artist-centered values. The institution regularly collaborates with local and international organizations, strengthening its role as a connector within the global dance community.

With its blend of artistic excellence, community engagement, and forward-thinking leadership, Gibney stands as a transformative force in New York City’s cultural landscape and a model for how the arts can drive meaningful social impact.

A list of the 2024 & 2025 Bessie nominees can be found at 2024 Bessie Nominees & 2025 Bessie Nominees.

EVENT DETAILS

The 41st Bessie Awards Event
Tuesday, January 20, 7 p.m.
Dixon Place Theater,
161A Chrystie Street, New York, NY 10003.
Location link.

FREE ADMISSION (with live streaming option). Click Here.

ABOUT THE BESSIES

The New York Dance and Performance Awards have saluted outstanding and groundbreaking creative work in the dance field in New York City for 41 years. Known as “The Bessies” in honor of revered dance teacher Bessie Schönberg, the awards were established in 1984 by David R. White at Dance Theater Workshop. They recognize choreography, performance, music composition, visual design, legacy, and service to the field of dance by independent dance artists and organizations. Nominees are chosen by a selection committee composed of artists, presenters, producers, and writers. For more information about The Bessies, visit www.bessies.org.

The 2023–2024 Bessie Awards Selection Committee: Tyler Ashley, PeiJu Chien-Pott, Yoshiko Chuma, Duke Dang, Porshia A. Derival, Gregory English, Hannah Garner, Celia Ipiotis, William Isaac, Anabella Lenzu, Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, Shalewa Mackall, zavé martohardjono, Yoko Murakami,, David Persky, Lynn Schwab, Rakia Seaborn, Alex Smith, Ivan Talijančić, Kate Thomas, Farren Wood, and Nami Yamamoto.

The 2024–2025 Bessie Awards Selection Committee: Tyler Ashley, PeiJu Chien-Pott, Yoshiko Chuma, Duke Dang, Gregory English, Jens Richard Giersdorf, Kyla Gordon, Celia Ipiotis, William Isaac, Raelle Myrick Hodges, Suzzanne Ponomarenko, Rakia Seaborn, Alex Smith, Kate Thomas, Farren Wood, Nami Yamamoto, and Sangeeta Yesley.

The Bessies Steering Committee (2023-2024): Paz Tanjuaquio (chair), Yvonne H. Chow, Stanford Makishi, maura nguyễn donohue, Nicky Paraiso, Craig Peterson, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, george emilio sanchez, and Charmaine Warren.

The Bessies Steering Committee (2024-2025): Stanford Makishi, maura nguyen donohue, Nicky Paraiso, Craig Peterson, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, george emilio sanchez, and Charmaine Warren.

Press contact:

Audrey Ross, (929.222.3973), Email: audreyrosspub@aol.com

Follow The Bessies on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: #theBessies / @bessieawards

41ST ANNUAL BESSIE AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT EVENT  SET FOR JANUARY 20, AT
DIXON PLACE.

New York, NY (November 24, 2025) – The New York Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies, New York City’s premier dance awards honoring outstanding creative work in the field, today announced the nominees for the 2024 & 2025 Bessie Awards. The Bessie Awards announcement will be held on Tuesday, January 20, at 7pm, at Dixon Place, 161A Chrystie Street, NY 10002.

Nominations are made by the Bessie Awards Selection Committee, an independent committee of dance industry professionals. Performances presented between April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024 AND April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, were eligible for consideration. Award categories include Outstanding Choreographer/Creator, Outstanding Performer, Outstanding Revival, Outstanding Sound Design or Music Composition, Outstanding Visual Design, and Outstanding Breakout Choreographer. Additional awards are given for Lifetime Achievement, Service to the Field of Dance.

The Bessies continues its restructuring process, which began in 2024 with a focus on long-term sustainability and organizational growth. Guided by its inaugural Board of Directors, the Bessies is working toward establishing independent nonprofit status, strengthening its internal framework, and building partnerships that advance its mission to celebrate and support New York City’s diverse dance community.

Currently, the Bessies is on hiatus, and the viewing of dance works is temporarily paused as the organization focuses on completing this transition. The pause is expected to be lifted in the near future, as the Bessies prepares to resume its activities with renewed clarity, purpose, and sustainability.

THE 2024 BESSIE AWARDS NOMINATIONS

Outstanding Choreographer/Creator

Amanda Castro, Arielle Rosales, Brinda Guha
Can We Dance Here?
The Joyce Theater

Mai Le Ho
LayeRhythm:Rhythm Conductor
Nublu

Hyejin Jeong, Sung Hoon Kim, Jaeduk Kim
One Dance
David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center

Chanon Judson and mame Diarra Speis of Urban Bush Women
Haint Blu
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Harlem, NYC

Wanjiru Kamuyu
A disguised welcome…” aka “An Immigrant’s Story
The Chocolate Factory Theater

nia love
UNDERcurrents
Harlem Stage

Kyle Marshall|
Onyx
The Joyce Theater

Sydnie L. Mosley, et al
PURPLE: A Ritual In Nine Spells
Clark Theater at Lincoln Center

Koma Otake
You
Danspace Project

Shamel Pitts| TRIBE
Touch of RED
New York Live Arts

Annie Rigney
Get Up My Daughter
For Martha Graham Company
The Joyce Theater

Hofesh Shechter
Cave
For Martha Graham Company
The Joyce Theater

Outstanding Performer

LaTasha Barnes
SW!NG OUT, Caleb Teicher and their Braintrust
The Joyce Theater

Lena Engelstein
Deepe Darknesse, Lisa Fagan and Lena Engelstein
The Collapsable Hole

Tamisha Guy
Rain (1989), Bebe Miller/ A.I.M by Kyle Abraham
The Joyce Theater

Paul Hamilton
CEREMONIA, Antonio Ramos
Abrons Arts Center

Dyane Harvey
Purple: A Ritual In Nine Spells, Sydnie L. Mosley Dances
Clark Theater at Lincoln Center

Barrington Hinds
Curriculum II, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company
New York Live Arts

Catherine Hurlin
Like Water for Chocolate, Christopher Wheeldon/American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center

Abdiel
Fort Greene Park

Edisa Weeks
3 Rites: Liberty, Edisa Weeks/DELIRIOUS Dances
Mark O’Donnell Theater

Ensemble
The Rite of Spring, Pina Bausch; restaged with a specially created ensemble of dancers from countries across Africa
Park Avenue Armory

Ensemble
Weathering, Faye Driscoll
New York Live Arts

Ensemble:The Missing Element
The Beatbox House
Works & Process at SummerStage in Marcus Garvey Park

Outstanding Revival

Big Apple Contest (1939)
Frankie Manning, restaged by Evita Arce, Latasha Barnes, Nathan Bugh, Caleb Teicher, and Eyal Vilner as part of SW!NG OUT
The Joyce Theater

Castor & Pollux (1980)
Mark Morris
The Joyce Theater

Dance (1979)
Lucinda Childs
New York City Center

The Rite of Spring (1975)
Pina Bausch; Restaged by Josephine Ann Endicott, Jorge Puerta Armenta and Clémentine Deluy and a specially assembled company of 34 dancers from 14 African countries for The Pina Bausch Foundation, École des Sables & Sadler’s Wells
Park Avenue Armory

Outstanding Sound Design or Musical Composition

Amanda Castro, Arielle Rosales, Brinda Guha, Ryan Stanbury, Okai Musik, AJ Jagannath
Can We Dance Here?, Soles of Duende
The Joyce Theater

yuniya edi kwon, and Haruko Crow Nishimura & Joshua Kohl of Degenerate Art Ensemble
Boy mother/faceless bloom, Juni One Set (yuniya edi kwon, and Haruko Crow Nishimura & Joshua Kohl of Degenerate Art Ensemble)
New York Live Arts

Okwui Okpokwasili, Peter Born, Will Johnson, Deah Love Harriott
adaku, part 1: the road opens, Okwui Okpokwasili and Peter Born
BAM Fisher

Eyal Vilner Big Band
SW!NG OUT!, Caleb Teicher and their Braintrust
The Joyce Theater

Outstanding Visual Design

Bob Crowley (sets), Natasha Katz (lights), and Luke Halls (projections)
Like Water For Chocolate, American Ballet Theater
Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center

Reid & Harriet Design and Andrew Jordan (costume)
JEUX + A CHILD’S TALE, Christopher Williams
Baryshnikov Arts Center

Janet Wong (video design) and Robert Wierzel (lighting design)
Curriculum II, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company
New York Live Arts

Tuçe Yasak (installation and lighting design), Hao Bai (video design)
Whale Fall Oracle, mayfield brooks
Performance Space New York

Outstanding Breakout Choreographer

Baye & Asa
Fadi Khouri
Tiler Peck 
Ogemdi Ude   

THE 2025 BESSIE AWARDS NOMINATIONS

Outstanding Choreographer/Creator

Camille A. Brown
I am
The Joyce Theater

Rennie Harris
Jacob’s Ladder
For Dayton Contemporary Dance Company
The Joyce Theater

Akram Khan
GIGENIS
The Joyce Theater

Ralph Lemon and Darrell Jones
Low
MoMA PS 1

Lar Lubovitch
Many Angels
For Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
New York City Center

Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles
CATS:“The Jellicle Ball”
Perelman Performing Arts Center

Dianne McIntyre
In the Same Tongue
The Apollo Stages at The Victoria Theater

Fredrick Earl Mosley
Unleashed
Ailey Citigroup Theater

Yoko Murakami
BLINK
Triskelion Arts

TweetBoogie
The TweetBoogie Experience
Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture

Urban Bush Women
Scat! ..The Complex Lives of Al & Dot, Dot & Al Zollar
Perelman Performing Arts Center

Waacking Community (Curated by Princess Lockeroo)
Fabulous Waacking Festival Winter Edition
Imperial Ballroom Dance Studio

Outstanding Performer

Khalia Campbell
High Life
Ronald K. Brown/Evidence
The Joyce Theater

Shaquelle Charles
In The Same Tongue, Dianne McIntyre Group
The Apollo Stages at The Victoria Theater

Jeffrey Cirio/Yue Shi
Ein von Viel, Sabrina Matthews for Boston Ballet
New York City Center

Jacquelin Harris
Many Angels
Lar Lubovitch for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
New York City Center

Demetia Hopkins
In The Same Tongue, Dianne McIntyre Group
The Apollo Stages at The Victoria Theater

Niall Jones
JohnsonJaxxxonJefferson, Niall Jones
Danspace Project

Joy-Marie Thompson
JOYBOY
Triskelion Arts

King Molasses
Untitled 8/2 (Live) – Kendrick Lamar, King Molasses
Bushwig

Jake Roxander
Onegin, John Cranko/American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center

Symara Sarai
I want it to rain inside, Symara Sarai
New York Live Arts

Cast of Cats
CATS:“The Jellicle Ball”, Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles
Perelman Performing Arts Center

House of Juicy + House of Telfar
Performance as a House, Draw inspiration from one of Alvin Ailey’s iconic dance pieces
The Whitney Museum

Outstanding Revival

Big Bertha (1970)
Paul Taylor American Dance Company
The Joyce Theater

Grace (1999)
Ron Brown
For Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
New York City Center

Quartiers libres revisited (2012)
Nadia Beugré
New York Live Arts

Recuerdo de Campo Amor (1985)
Talley Beatty
For Ballet Hispanico
New York City Center

Outstanding Sound Design or Musical Composition

Justin Ellington (sound designer), Zane Mark (music supervisor)
I am, Camille A. Brown
The Joyce Theater

Angie Pittman (singing), Cody Jensen musical composition
Black Life Chord Changes, Angie Pittman
Out-Front! Festival at BAM Fisher Hillman Studio

Dave Price
GIGENIS, Akram Khan
The Joyce Theater

Mel Mercier (composer)
Begin Anywhere, John Scott
Irish Arts Center

Outstanding Visual Design

Ximena Garnica and Shige Moriya
A Meal (Set, Film, Costume) for LEIMAY
Here Arts Center

Jill Sigman
Set Design
Re-Seeding (Encounter #4: The Seamstress), Jill Sigman
Out-FRONT! Festival at Judson Memorial Church

Clifton Taylor
Lighting
Many Angels for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
New York City Center

Cao Yuxi (JAMES)
Set Design
Dear Lord, Make Me Beautiful, Kyle Abraham
Park Avenue Armory

Outstanding Breakout Choreographer

Wendell Gray II
Amy Hall Garner
Ishita Mili
Anh Vo

ABOUT THE BESSIES

The New York Dance and Performance Awards have saluted outstanding and groundbreaking creative work in the dance field in New York City for 41 years. Known as “The Bessies” in honor of revered dance teacher Bessie Schönberg, the awards were established in 1984 by David R. White at Dance Theater Workshop. They recognize choreography, performance, music composition, visual design, legacy, and service to the field of dance by independent dance artists and organizations. Nominees are chosen by a selection committee composed of artists, presenters, producers, and writers. For more information about The Bessies, visit www.bessies.org.

The 2023–2024 Bessie Awards Selection Committee: Tyler Ashley, PeiJu Chien-Pott, Yoshiko Chuma, Duke Dang, Porshia A. Derival, Gregory English, Hannah Garner, Celia Ipiotis, William Isaac, Anabella Lenzu, Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, Shalewa Mackall, zavé martohardjono, Yoko Murakami,, David Persky, Lynn Schwab, Rakia Seaborn, Alex Smith, Ivan Talijančić, Kate Thomas, Farren Wood, and Nami Yamamoto.

The Bessies Steering Committee (2023-2024): Paz Tanjuaquio (chair), Yvonne H. Chow, Stanford Makishi, maura nguyễn donohue, Nicky Paraiso, Craig Peterson, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, george emilio sanchez, and Charmaine Warren.

The 2024–2025 Bessie Awards Selection Committee: Tyler Ashley, PeiJu Chien-Pott, Yoshiko Chuma, Duke Dang, Gregory English, Jens Richard Giersdorf, Kyla Gordon, Celia Ipiotis, William Isaac, Raelle Myrick Hodges, Suzzanne Ponomarenko, Rakia Seaborn, Alex Smith, Kate Thomas, Farren Wood, Nami Yamamoto, and Sangeeta Yesley.

The Bessies Steering Committee (2024-2025): Stanford Makishi, maura nguyen donohue, Nicky Paraiso, Craig Peterson, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, george emilio sanchez, and Charmaine Warren.

Press contact:

Audrey Ross, 929.222.3973, Email: audreyrosspub@aol.com

Follow The Bessies on Facebook, X, and Instagram: #theBessies / @bessieawards

Friday, December 20, 2024

Contact: Michelle Tabnick, (646) 765-4773, michelle@michelletabnickpr.com

Heather Robles Steps Down as Executive Director of The Bessies Awards After 15 Transformative Years

New York, NY – Heather Robles, who has been an integral part of The Bessie Awards for the past 15 years and has served as its Executive Director for the last four, is stepping down from her role. During her tenure, Robles made significant contributions to the organization, leaving a lasting legacy that has elevated The Bessie Awards’ presence in the dance and performance community.

“Artists are the truth-tellers and imaginers who create the change so needed in the world,” Robles said. “The Bessies exists to honor artists’ profound work, which often takes place without thanks or witness. The journey of supporting this community will continue, and I’m proud of what we have built together.”

Robles’ impact on The Bessie Awards has been profound. Among her key achievements:

• Establishing a Board of Directors to enhance governance and strategic oversight.
• Ensuring diverse representation of the field of NYC within both the organization and awards.
• Securing partnerships with New York City’s renowned cultural institutions to deepen the organization’s engagement with the arts community.
• Bringing clarity to the voting process by codifying award eligibility criteria, ensuring transparency and integrity.
• Expanding the reach of The Bessie Awards with the 2020 awards ceremony broadcast on ALL ARTS public television.
• Partnering with Lincoln Center to hold the 2023 Bessie Awards Ceremony.
• Successfully guiding the organization through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In stepping down, Robles will be focusing on completing an Executive MBA at Brown University and IE University, and pursuing new opportunities. She will continue to be available to The Bessies as a consultant.

The Bessie Awards Board of Directors expressed deep gratitude for Robles’ leadership and vision. “Heather’s contributions have been transformative for The Bessie Awards,” said Board member Charles Vincent Burwell. “She has set a standard of excellence and inclusivity that will guide us as we move forward.”

The Bessies Board of Directors will make announcements about an Interim Executive Director in the New Year.

About The Bessies

A Selection Committee comprised of artists, presenters, producers, designers and writers choose nominees. All those working in the dance field are invited to join The Bessies Membership—members participate in annual discussions on the direction of the awards and nominate members to serve on the Selection Committee. The mission of The Bessies is to recognize groundbreaking dance and performance work performed in New York City, to gather the city’s dance-making communities, and to advocate for New York dance nationally and internationally. For more information, visit bessies.org.

 The Bessies Board of Directors

Dave Archuletta, Aziza A. Bowser, Esq., and Charles Vincent Burwell.

The 2024-2025 Bessie Awards Selection Committee:

Tyler Ashley, PeiJu Chien-Pott, Yoshiko Chuma, Duke Dang, Gregory English, Kyla Gordon, Celia Ipiotis, William Isaac, Raelle Myrick Hodges, Suzzanne Ponomarenko, Rakia Seaborn, Alex Smith, Kate Thomas, Farren Wood, Nami Yamamoto, Sangeeta Yesley, Jens Richard Giersdorf.

The Bessies Steering Committee:

Stanford Makishi, maura nguyễn donohue, Nicky Paraiso, Craig Peterson, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, george emílio sanchez, and Charmaine Warren.

Follow The Bessies on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: #TheBessies / @bessieawards

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Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Contact: Michelle Tabnick, (646) 765-4773, michelle@michelletabnickpr.com

The New York Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies, 

Announce Inaugural Board of Directors, 

Organizational Restructuring, and a 2024 Ceremony Pause

The New York Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies has announced restructuring the organization in 2024 with sustainability at the forefront. This year, for the first time, the Bessies will welcome an inaugural board of directors. Members of the board include Dave Archuletta, Aziza A. Bowser, Esq., and Charles Vincent Burwell. Together, they will work to pursue independent nonprofit status for the Awards, as well as expand fundraising practices within the organization. In addition to incorporating as a 501(c)3, the board plans to build partnerships with mission-aligned organizations in order to further its impact in the community.

“We are thrilled to be in this stage of development, that our work can continue long into the future. This is the right time, these are the right actions, and the right folks supporting the next phase of The Bessies,” said Heather Robles, Bessies Executive Director.

“This is a time of evolution for The Bessie Awards. As we build a sustainable future for the organization, we are excited to incorporate as a non-profit organization, and envision a restructuring that meets the needs of the community,” said Aziza A. Bowser, Esq., President of the Bessies Board of Directors.

To focus resources on fundraising and restructuring efforts, The Bessies will pause on holding in-person events in 2024. While the annual Bessie Awards Ceremony, Angel Party, and Press Conference will be paused, the award selection and nomination process will continue. Artists nominated for Bessies in 2024 will be announced publicly in 2025, alongside the 2025 Bessies nominated artists. The Bessies Selection Committee continues to attend performances and nominate artistic work happening in the five boroughs without interruption. 

The Bessies invites the community to attend virtual Roundtable Discussions to learn more about the restructuring and provide input for moving forward. Roundtables will take place on Thursday, September 12 from 5:30pm-6:30pm ET, Wednesday, September 18 from 6pm-7pm ET, and Thursday, September 19 from 5:30pm-6:30pm ET. To attend a Roundtable, email Bessies Associate Manager Dalia Engelberg at Dalia@bessies.org.

About The Bessies

The New York Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies have saluted outstanding and groundbreaking creative work by independent dance artists in NYC for 40 years. Known as “The Bessie” in honor of revered dance teacher Bessie Schönberg, the awards were established in 1984 by David White at Dance Theater Workshop. They recognize groundbreaking work in choreography, performance, music composition, visual design, legacy, and service to the field of dance.

A Selection Committee comprised of artists, presenters, producers, designers and writers choose nominees. All those working in the dance field are invited to join The Bessies Membership—members participate in annual discussions on the direction of the awards and nominate members to serve on the Selection Committee. The mission of The Bessies is to recognize groundbreaking dance and performance work performed in New York City, to gather the city’s dance-making communities, and to advocate for New York dance nationally and internationally. For more information, visit bessies.org. 

The 2024-2025 Bessie Awards Selection Committee: Tyler Ashley, PeiJu Chien-Pott, Yoshiko Chuma, Duke Dang, Gregory English, Kyla Gordon, Celia Ipiotis, William Isaac, Raelle Myrick Hodges, Suzzanne Ponomarenko, Rakia Seaborn, Alex Smith, Kate Thomas, Farren Wood, Nami Yamamoto, and Sangeeta Yesley.

The Bessies Steering Committee: Stanford Makishi, maura nguyễn donohue, Nicky Paraiso, Craig Peterson, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, george emílio sanchez, and Charmaine Warren.

Follow The Bessies on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: #TheBessies / @bessieawards

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The Bessies Announce 2023 Angel Award Honorees: adrienne maree brown, Lane Harwell, Young Soon Kim, and in memoriam, Gus Solomons jr

New York, NY, September 29, 2023 – The New York Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies, will celebrate the 2023 Angel Award honorees: adrienne maree brown, Lane Harwell, Young Soon Kim, and in memoriam, Gus Solomons jr, at the 2023 Bessies Angel Party on Wednesday, October 11, at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the dance field through their artistry, leadership, support, and advocacy.

Presentations and remarks by nia love, Wendy Perron, Heather Robles, george emilio sanchez, and Lucy Sexton.

The Bessies Angel Awards Host Committee: Yvonne Chow, maura nguyen donohue, Nicky Paraiso, Craig Peterson, and george emilio sanchez.

EVENT DETAILS

The 2023 Bessies Angel Party
Wednesday, October 11, 6:30–9:00pm ET
6:30pm: Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres
8:00pm: Remarks, award presentations, and a special performance by WHITE WAVE Dance
Location: The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, 111 Amsterdam Avenue, New York NY, 10023

Tickets start at $150 and are available here.

Bessies Angel Honorees                                                    

adrienne maree brown grows healing ideas in public. Through her writing, which includes short- and long-form fiction, nonfiction, spells, tarot decks and poetry; her music, which includes songwriting, singing and an upcoming immersive musical ritual; and her podcasts, including How to Survive the End of the World, Octavia’s Parables and The Emergent Strategy Podcast, adrienne has nurtured Emergent Strategy, Pleasure Activism, Radical Imagination and Transformative Justice as ideas, frameworks, networks and practices for transformation. Her work is informed by 25 years of social and environmental justice facilitation primarily supporting Black liberation, her path of teaching somatics, her love of Octavia E Butler and visionary fiction, and her work as a doula. She is the author/editor of several published texts including Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds (2017), Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good (2019), Grievers (2021) and Maroons (2023) the first two novellas of her speculative fiction trilogy. After a multinational childhood, adrienne lived in New York, Oakland and Detroit before landing in her current home of Durham, NC.

Lane Harwell is a nonprofit and philanthropic leader working to advance arts and culture, civic engagement, and social justice. They chaired the steering committee for the Bessie Awards for nearly a decade when serving as the founding executive director of the service organization Dance/NYC. Harwell is currently a program officer of Creativity and Free Expression at the Ford Foundation. Their background encompasses creative, business, and civic realms, and includes an early career as a dancer with American Ballet Theatre Studio Company. They are an appointee to New York City’s Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission. They also serve on the boards of Association for Performing Arts Professionals and Funders for LGBT Issues and co-chair New York Grantmakers in the Arts, a peer network of grantmakers.

Young Soon Kim, Artistic Director of WHITE WAVE Dance, is a nationally and internationally acclaimed choreographer, whose work has been hailed for its exhilarating, visually stunning, and emotionally rich phrases and textures. In addition to her role as a performer and artistic director, Kim created a series of dance festivals soon after inaugurating the WHITE WAVE John Ryan Theater in DUMBO, Brooklyn, in 2001. She has since become one of the most recognized producers/curators in NYC and has also served as a juror for NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Kim and Company has performed at BAM Fisher, The Joyce Theater, The Kennedy Center, Dance Theater Workshop, Jacob’s Pillow, American Dance Festival, and the 1988 Summer Olympics World Dance Festival (Korea), just to name a few. In June 2021, the Korean Arts Council, which manages the archive for famous artists, chose Young Soon Kim as the first active artist outside of Korea in all genres inducted into the archive.

Gus Solomons jr (August 27, 1938 – August 11, 2023) graduated in architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and studied with Jan Veen at Boston Conservatory before moving to New York City to dance in Kicks and Co.! Solomons joined Donald McKayle’s company and studied the Martha Graham Technique but soon felt the constraints of modern dance. He was part of the collective of avant-garde experimentalists that eventually formed the Judson Dance Theater. Then, postmodern choreographer Merce Cunningham asked Solomons to join his company. Solomons began interpreting Cunningham’s postmodern concept of kinetic intention in his own choreography, founding The Solomons Company/Dance (1969-1994) and co-founding PARADIGM (1996-2011) with Carmen deLavallade and Dudley Williams. He created over 165 dances and is known for his analytical approach, architectural concepts, musical collaborations, and use of video and other forms of media. He was a member of the Bessies Selection Committee and Steering Committee for a combined two decades.

Accessibility Notes from The Bessies: The evening’s in-person events will include live ASL Interpretation.

Accessibility Notes from The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (NYPL): Please enter the event at 111 Amsterdam Avenue, New York NY 10023. The renovated building of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center is fully accessible to individuals with disabilities, including the incorporation of ADA-compliant ramps, doorways, restrooms and elevators. In addition, its screening facilities feature wheelchair-accessible viewing carrels, individual laptop computers enabling non-verbal communication, and volume-enhancing headphone adaptors. The Library for the Performing Arts also serves as a source for many performance accessibility projects at Lincoln Center and throughout the area.

ABOUT THE BESSIES

The New York Dance and Performance Awards have saluted outstanding and groundbreaking creative work in the dance field in New York City for 39 years. Known as “The Bessies” in honor of revered dance teacher Bessie Schönberg, the awards were established in 1984 by David R. White at Dance Theater Workshop. They recognize choreography, performance, music composition, visual design, legacy, and service to the field of dance by independent dance artists and organizations. Nominees are chosen by a selection committee composed of artists, presenters, producers, and writers. All those working in the dance field are invited to join the Bessies Membership and participate in annual discussions on the direction of the awards and nominate members to serve on the selection committee. For more information about The Bessies, visit www.bessies.org.                  

The 2023-2024 Bessie Awards Selection Committee: Alex Smith, Anabella Lenzu, Celia Ipiotis, David Persky, Duke Dang, Farren Wood, Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, Gregory English, Hannah Garner, Ivan Talijančić, Kate Thomas, Kyla Gordon, Lynn Schwab, Nami Yamamoto, PeiJu Chien-Pott, Porshia Derival, Rakia Seaborn, Ronald K. Alexander, Shalewa Mackall, Tyler Ashley, William Isaac, Yoko Murakami, Yoshiko Chuma, and zavé martohardjono.                                         

The Bessies Steering Committee: Yvonne H. Chow, Stanford Makishi, maura nguyễn donohue, Nicky Paraiso, Craig Peterson, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, george emílio sanchez, and Charmaine Warren.

Press contact:
Janet Stapleton – 212-633-0016 / stapleton.janet@gmail.com

Follow The Bessies on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: #TheBessies / @bessieawards

THE BESSIES ANNOUNCE RECIPIENTS OF 2023 NEW YORK DANCE AND PERFORMANCE AWARDS

New York, NY (August 4, 2023) – The New York Dance and Performance Awards, the Bessies, tonight announced the 2023 award recipients at the 39th Bessie Awards Ceremony. The Illustrious Blacks hosted this year’s celebratory event, which was held at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park as part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City. A complete list of the 2023 awards follows below.

Bessie Awards were presented to artists for outstanding choreographer/creator, performer, sound design/music composition, visual design, outstanding revival, and breakout choreographer—an award that honors an artist who has made an exceptional leap in their career this past year. All of the awardees and nominated artists in these categories received a $500 honorarium, courtesy of a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Renowned dancer, singer, and actor Dionne Figgins presented Virginia Johnson with the 2023 Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance. Artists and dance advocates Porshia A. Derival and Ms Vee presented Michele Byrd-McPhee with the 2023 Award for Outstanding Service to the Field of Dance. Other presenters included Tyler Ashley, Clifton Brown, George Faison, Erin Fogerty, Dyane Harvey Salaam, Karisma Jay, Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, Abdel Salaam, and Paz Tanjuaquio.

Barkha Patel was honored with the 2023 Juried Bessie Award, selected by the 2023 Bessie Jury luciana achugar, Ayodele Casel, and Kyle Marshall. The Juried Award recognizes a choreographer who exhibits some of the most interesting and exciting ideas in dance in New York City today, and whose work deserves to be seen more outside the city. The award comes with touring support and other engagement opportunities from New York State DanceForce.

The ceremony also included special remarks from Vicky Capote of Dance/NYC, Alton Murray, Deputy Commissioner, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Lucy Sexton, Executive Director, New Yorkers for Culture and Arts, and Bessies Executive Director Heather Robles.

The Bessies also honored members of the dance community who died this past year. The moving In Memoriam was presented by dancers Mireicy Aquino and Jhailyn Farcon.

The celebration continued at the Bessies Silent Disco After-Party with DJ Sabine Blaizin on Lincoln Center’s Josie Robertson Plaza.

The 2023 Bessie Awards Ceremony was produced by Torya Beard and Heather Robles.

Images are available here.

THE 2023 NEW YORK DANCE AND PERFORMANCE AWARD RECIPIENTS AND CITATIONS:

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE AWARD

Virginia Johnson

For inspiring audiences for 28 years with dynamic performances as a founding member and principal dancer of Dance Theatre of Harlem. For her tenure as Artistic Director of Dance Theatre of Harlem, continuing the company’s legacy of innovation and excellence, while expanding its reach and impact through collaborations with other organizations. For founding Pointe Magazine, and serving as editor-in-chief for nearly a decade. For editorial vision, bringing diverse voices and perspectives to the forefront of the dance community. For a lifelong commitment to the arts, and a career of significant contributions to the world of dance as a celebrated dancer, editor, and artistic director.

OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE FIELD OF DANCE AWARD

Michele Byrd-McPhee

For being an incredible force in the global dance community, especially as an advocate for young girls and women in hip-hop. As the Founder and Executive Director of Ladies of Hip-Hop, Byrd-McPhee has worked for decades to recontextualize spaces and conversations about hip-hop along gender, cultural, socio-historical, and racial lines. Her vision for women of all generations in hip-hop has created opportunities for them to perform on concert dance stages, teach in the most prestigious dance institutions, and create incredible opportunities for themselves within hip-hop’s legacy.

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER/CREATOR

LaTasha Barnes

LaTasha Barnes presents The Jazz Continuum at The Joyce Theater

A joyous celebration of jazz dance throughout history, Barnes flexes the imposed proscenium setting to engage a communal experience, demonstrating community as the center of this form. An offering of (re)embodiment to the audience, this work showcases seamless transitions between styles, demonstrating technical mastery from the cast and deep creativity and thoughtfulness from its creator.

Dormeshia

Dormeshia Tap Collective: Rhythm Is Life at The Joyce Theater

For crafting stellar interplay between movement, sound, performer, and improvisation. Deeply human, rooted in tradition and joy, Dormeshia shows us where tap dance has been, where it is, and where it is going.

Benjamin Akio Kimitch

Tiger Hands at The Shed

For a beautiful work with an extraordinarily sensitive exploration of personal and cultural identity. The work creates an entirely new movement vocabulary that holds resonant memories of traditional Peking opera dance forms, and is embedded with shimmering novelty in tribute to a beloved mother.

Omari Wiles

New York Is Burning at Works & Process at The Guggenheim

For a beautiful representation of intergenerational Black experiences that pays homage to the dancers and artists from the classic documentary Paris Is Burning. This work is a gorgeously joyous, queer collection of dance and music stories. As a timeless tribute, it highlights the Afro Dance, House, Vogue, and Ballroom communities, their current cultural relevance, and prioritizes the diversity of dancers’ bodies, bringing out the power within Black dance and music.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMER

j. bouey

In A Message from Mx. Black Copper by j. bouey at Movement Research at the Judson Church

For an exhilarating performance embodying Black joy. This work is an exploration of emotion and movement that evokes love, trauma, honesty, and progression. The performance was thoughtful, unapologetic, and celebratory of life, self, and ancestry.

Amanda Castro

In Ayodele Casel: Chasing Magic by Ayodele Casel at The Joyce Theater

Castro’s performance capacity and arresting stage presence offer playfulness, dynamism, and mastery, particularly in the connection between percussionist and dancer. Her clear delineation in performance teaches the audience about Afro-Latin influences and intrinsic tap rhythms, with a demonstrated fluency in many styles.

Joyce Edwards

In Grace, The Equality of Night and Day and Open Door by Ronald K. Brown at The Joyce Theater

For bringing presence and identity into an exquisite embodiment of Ronald K. Brown’s work. Edwards exudes irrefutable strength, depth, warmth, reverence, conviction, and connection.

Albert Silindokuhle Ibokwe Khoza

In And so you see… our honorable blue sky and ever enduring sun… can only be consumed slice by slice… by Robyn Orlin at New York Live Arts

A uniquely bombastic, outrageous, and gorgeous performance that transcends genres, this is an unforgettably commanding performance that reveals deeper truths.

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL

In The Upper Room (1986/2022)

By Twyla Tharp at New York City Center

For a masterfully crafted and timeless work of dance art. In the Upper Room synthesizes choreography, costumes, music, and lighting into a transcendent experience for both audience and performers. The compelling score intersects with the bold choreography, creating an experience of raw power and grace.

OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN/ MUSIC COMPOSITION

Charles Turner and Sean Mason

For LaTasha Barnes presents The Jazz Continuum by LaTasha Barnes at The Joyce Theater

For a New York City sonic dream of musical arrangement that pays tribute to the eras of Black music from authentic jazz to hip-hop classics. The audience is brilliantly taken on a rollercoaster of musical nostalgia that makes one want to cry, dance, and move with joy! From the piano keys to the DJ turntables, and from the jazz clubs of Harlem to the playgrounds of Brooklyn, the arrangement is a true delight showing the magic of The Jazz Continuum.

OUTSTANDING VISUAL DESIGN

Tina Tzoka & Loukas Bakas (Set Design), Stephanos Droussiotis (Lighting Design), Nektarios Dionysatos (Sculptures and Special Constructions), Dimitris Korres (Mechanical Inventions)

For Transverse Orientation by Dimitris Papaioannou at the Brooklyn Academy of Music

For a team of designers who create scenes beyond what people might think is possible, and leave them gasping in awe. The team is the ‘David Copperfield’ of the field, possessing wide imaginative abilities that create the magic and make-believe of the theater.

OUTSTANDING BREAKOUT CHOREOGRAPHER

Symara Johnson

For deeply personal and profoundly joyful movement research with a choreographic practice based in American and West Indian heritage. For merging movement practices with rigorous archival research which calls for being in the present moment. For a creation of space within this practice for engagement of many ideas generated on the spot, and the ability to move between them with abandonment.

2023 JURIED BESSIE AWARD

Barkha Patel

For elegantly and magnificently creating, educating, and sharing work that elevates classical Indian and Kathak dance. Patel is deeply rooted in her art form’s spiritual and cultural history and is a contemporary voice who will contribute to the evolution of Kathak dance and its place in the dance world at large.

ABOUT THE BESSIES

The New York Dance and Performance Awards have saluted outstanding and groundbreaking creative work in the dance field in New York City for 39 years. Known as “The Bessies” in honor of revered dance teacher Bessie Schönberg, the awards were established in 1984 by David R. White at Dance Theater Workshop. They recognize choreography, performance, music composition,  visual design, legacy, and service to the field of dance by independent dance artists and organizations. Nominees are chosen by a selection committee composed of artists, presenters, producers, and writers. All those working in the dance field are invited to join the Bessies Membership and participate in annual discussions on the direction of the awards and nominate members to serve on the selection committee. For more information about The Bessies, visit www.bessies.org.

The 2022–2023 Bessie Awards Selection Committee: Tyler Ashley, Elizabeth Burke, Tymberly Canale, Yoshiko Chuma, Donna Costello, Porshia A. Derival, Tiffany Geigel, Valerie Green, Satsu Holmes, William Isaac, Anabella Lenzu, Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, Shalewa Mackall, Yoko Murakami, Ivan Talijančić, and Kate Thomas.

The Bessies Steering Committee: Paz Tanjuaquio (chair), Yvonne H. Chow, Stanford Makishi, maura nguyễn donohue, Nicky Paraiso, Craig Peterson, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, george emilio sanchez, and Charmaine Warren.

Press contact:

Janet Stapleton – 212-633-0016 / stapleton.janet@gmail.com

Follow The Bessies on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: #theBessies / @bessieawards

AT LINCOLN CENTER’S DAMROSCH PARK

New York, NY (July 25, 2023) – The New York Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies, announce the lineup of special guests for the 39th Bessie Awards Ceremony. Acclaimed queer pop duo The Illustrious Blacks (Manchildblack x Monstah Black) will host this year’s ceremony, which will be held on Friday, August 4, at 7:30pm, at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park as part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City. Doors open at 6:30pm. Admission is free. To preregister for tickets, click here. For more information, visit the 39th Bessie Awards Ceremony page.

Award presenters include notable members of the dance and performance community, including Mireicy Aquino, George Faison, Jhailyn Farcon, Dionne Figgins, Erin Fogerty, Tiffany Geigel, Dyane Harvey Salaam, Karisma Jay, Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, Fredrick Earl Mosley, Abdel Salaam, Paz Tanjuaquio, and Ms Vee. The 2023 Bessie Jury panelists—Ayodele Casel, Kyle Marshall, and luciana achugar—will present the award to this year’s Juried honoree.

The evening will include performances by Dance Theatre of Harlem, performing in honor of Lifetime Achievement in Dance recipient Virginia Johnson, Princess Lockerooo’s Fabulous Waack Dancers, Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance, and Ladies of Hip-Hop Collective, performing in honor of Service to the Field of Dance recipient Michele Byrd-McPhee, and students from AbunDance Academy of the Arts.

The 2023 Bessie Awards Ceremony is produced by Torya Beard and Bessies Executive Director Heather Robles.

A list of the 2023 Bessie nominees can be found at 2023 Bessie Nominees.

About the Hosts

Self-proclaimed Afro-Electro-Disco-Space-Punks, DJ/music duo The Illustrious Blacks are unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Part DJ set, part dance performance, part Studio 54, part Berlin underground, this NY couple knows how to put on a SHOW!

With inspiration from artists like Prince, David Bowie, Grace Jones, Depeche Mode and George Clinton, The Illustrious Blacks have arrived with a mission to fuse futuristic funk, hypnotic house, space disco and synth-pop into pulsating positivity for the planet. The real-life married couple are not only co-pilots on their artistic voyage, but are united in their fantastical journey through life.

In 2017, the duo that The New York Times called Bed-Stuy’s “favorite creative couple” released their highly anticipated debut EP, Neo Afro Futuristic Psychedelic Surrealistic Hippy, on Concierge Records. In the same year, the dynamic duo found time to work on a remake of the 90s dance floor classic “Funk That!,” which spawned a popular music video.

Currently, The Illustrious Blacks are working on the final touches of their debut album and on various musical collaborations with notable dance music producers Luke Solomon (Beyoncé), Russell Small (Freemasons), Seven Davis Jr., KDA, Nickodemus, and Toribio and Soul Clap. In 2023 the duo will take Ibiza by storm as part of Glitterbox’s Hi Ibiza residency.

Individually, Monstah Black and Manchildblack illuminate the galaxy with equal magnitude. As The Illustrious Blacks, they have combined their powers to save the world one beat at a time and encourage all to LIVE THE HYPE LIFE!

Photos are available here.

EVENT DETAILS

The 39th Bessie Awards Ceremony

Friday, August 4, at 7:30pm (Doors open at 6:30pm)

Rain date: Sunday, August 6, at 7:30pm

Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center

Presented as part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City

Admission is free, first come, first served

For more information, visit 39th Bessie Awards Ceremony.

Stay afterward for a free, live DJ’d Bessies Silent Disco After-Party with DJ Sabine Blazin on Josie Robertson Plaza!

ABOUT THE BESSIES

The New York Dance and Performance Awards have saluted outstanding and groundbreaking creative work in the dance field in New York City for 39 years. Known as “The Bessies” in honor of revered dance teacher Bessie Schönberg, the awards were established in 1984 by David R. White at Dance Theater Workshop. They recognize choreography, performance, music composition, visual design, legacy, and service to the field of dance by independent dance artists and organizations. Nominees are chosen by a selection committee composed of artists, presenters, producers, and writers. All those working in the dance field are invited to join the Bessies Membership and participate in annual discussions on the direction of the awards and nominate members to serve on the selection committee. For more information about The Bessies, visit www.bessies.org.

The 2022–2023 Bessie Awards Selection Committee: Tyler Ashley, Elizabeth Burke, Tymberly Canale, Yoshiko Chuma, Donna Costello, Porshia A. Derival, Tiffany Geigel, Valerie Green, Satsu Holmes, William Isaac, Anabella Lenzu, Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, Shalewa Mackall, Yoko Murakami, Ivan Talijančić, and Kate Thomas.

The Bessies Steering Committee: Paz Tanjuaquio (chair), Yvonne H. Chow, Stanford Makishi, maura nguyễn donohue, Nicky Paraiso, Craig Peterson, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, george emilio sanchez, and Charmaine Warren.

Press contact:

Janet Stapleton – 212-633-0016 / stapleton.janet@gmail.com

Follow The Bessies on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: #theBessies / @bessieawards

New York, NY (July 17, 2023) – The New York Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies, New York City’s premier dance awards honoring outstanding creative work in the field, are thrilled to announce that Virginia Johnson, founding member and former artistic director of Dance Theatre of Harlem, will receive the 2023 Bessie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance. Michele Byrd-McPhee, founder and executive director of Ladies of Hip-Hop, will receive this year’s award for Outstanding Service to the Field of Dance. Both awards will be presented at the 39th Bessie Awards Ceremony on Friday, August 4, at 7:30pm, at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park as part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City. Admission is free. To preregister for tickets, click here. For more information, visit 39th Bessie Awards Ceremony.

In announcing the awards, New York Dance and Performance Awards Executive Director Heather Robles said, “Virginia Johnson and Michele Byrd-McPhee are both pioneering women in the arts. As artists and advocates, they have impacted countless lives, forwarding the legacy of each of their artforms, while simultaneously leading them into new futures. The Bessies are proud to celebrate their outstanding careers and contributions to the field of dance.”

Founding member and former principal dancer, Virginia Johnson, was appointed Artistic Director of Dance Theatre of Harlem by Arthur Mitchell in 2010. Born in Washington, D.C., Johnson graduated from the Academy of the Washington School of Ballet and briefly attended New York University as a University Scholar before joining DTH in 1969. Universally recognized as one of the great ballerinas of her generation, she was cast in classical, neoclassical, and contemporary works, but is perhaps best known for her performances in the ballets Giselle, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Fall River Legend, each of which was videotaped for broadcast. While still performing, Johnson ventured into choreography but her interest in journalism led her to Fordham University where she pursued a degree in communications. After retiring from performing, an Independent Artist grant from The Field led to an exploration of arts presenting. At the School of Visual Arts Johnson studied serigraphy, film-making, and television production before the opportunity to create POINTE magazine presented itself. She was founding editor-in-chief of that magazine from 2000 to 2009. Her honors include a Young Achiever Award from the National Council of Women, Outstanding Young Woman of America Award, the Dance Magazine Award, a Pen and Brush Achievement Award, the Washington Performing Arts Society’s 2008–2009 Pola Nirenska Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2009 Martha Hill Fund Mid-Career Award, and honorary doctorates from Cornish College of the Arts, Swarthmore College, and Juilliard. She is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and The Society, Inc. In February 2016 Johnson was honored by First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House for her contribution to the field of dance. In 2018 Johnson held the Brackett Visiting Artist Chair at the University of Oklahoma, she is also a recipient of the Mary Day Award from the Washington Ballet and the 2019 CORPS de Ballet International Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2020 she was presented with a medal of honor from the Actor’s Fund and in 2023 she was presented with Dance Films Association’s Dance in Focus Award. She serves on the advisory boards of The Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU and Dance/NYC, as well as on the Board of Works & Process. In July 2023 Johnson officially stepped down as artistic director and passed artistic leadership of DTH to Robert Garland, DTH’s resident choreographer.

A tireless advocate for girls and women, Michele Byrd-McPhee is the founder and executive director of Ladies of Hip-Hop, a non-profit organization empowering girls and women through Hip-Hop culture and arts. Byrd-McPhee has been working for decades to recontextualize spaces and conversations about Hip-Hop culture along gender, sex, cultural, socio-historical, and racial lines, as well as situating Black dance forms, theories, dance techniques, and the value of the lived artistic experience in spaces that honor and acknowledge cultural roots along with the many creative pioneers who have shaped them. This is especially important given the ways in which Black dance has been co-opted, appropriated without acknowledgement to its community and cultural origins. Byrd-McPhee earned her BS from Temple University and an MS in Nonprofit Arts Management from Drexel University. She also worked for many years in TV and arts production, working as a production coordinator at Brooklyn Academy of Music and then as a senior music coordinator at Late Night with Seth Meyers. She is honored to have served as a former Bessie Selection Committee member. In 2020 Byrd-McPhee was awarded an Integrated Arts Residency Fellowship grant at University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she taught her course Hip-Hop, Women and the World. Presently, she is relishing her roles as a performer and production manager for The Jazz Continuum, along with her ongoing commitment as executive director for Ladies of Hip-Hop and artistic director of LDC (LOHH Dance Collective).

Photos are available here.

A list of the 2023 Bessie nominees can be found at 2023 Bessie Nominees.

EVENT DETAILS

The 39th Bessie Awards Ceremony

Friday, August 4, at 7:30pm (Rain date: Sunday, August 6)

Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center

Presented as part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City

Admission is free

To preregister for tickets, click here.

Stay afterward for a free, live DJ’d Bessies Silent Disco After-Party on Josie Robertson Plaza!

ABOUT THE BESSIES

The New York Dance and Performance Awards have saluted outstanding and groundbreaking creative work in the dance field in New York City for 39 years. Known as “The Bessies” in honor of revered dance teacher Bessie Schönberg, the awards were established in 1984 by David R. White at Dance Theater Workshop. They recognize choreography, performance, music composition, visual design, legacy, and service to the field of dance by independent dance artists and organizations. Nominees are chosen by a selection committee composed of artists, presenters, producers, and writers. All those working in the dance field are invited to join the Bessies Membership and participate in annual discussions on the direction of the awards and nominate members to serve on the selection committee. For more information about The Bessies, visit www.bessies.org.

The 2022–2023 Bessie Awards Selection Committee: Tyler Ashley, Elizabeth Burke, Tymberly Canale, Yoshiko Chuma, Donna Costello, Porshia A. Derival, Tiffany Geigel, Valerie Green, Satsu Holmes, William Isaac, Anabella Lenzu, Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, Shalewa Mackall, Yoko Murakami, Ivan Talijančić, and Kate Thomas.

The Bessies Steering Committee: Paz Tanjuaquio (chair), Yvonne H. Chow, Stanford Makishi, maura nguyễn donohue, Nicky Paraiso, Craig Peterson, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, george emilio sanchez, and Charmaine Warren.

Press contact:

Janet Stapleton – 212-633-0016 / stapleton.janet@gmail.com

Follow The Bessies on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: #theBessies / @bessieawards

39TH ANNUAL BESSIES CEREMONY SET FOR AUGUST 4, 2023, AT

LINCOLN CENTER

New York, NY (May 25, 2023) – The New York Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies, New York City’s premier dance awards honoring outstanding creative work in the field, today announced the nominees for the 2023 Bessie Awards. This year’s Bessie Awards ceremony will be held on Friday, August 4, at 7:30pm, at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park as part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City. The event is free and open to the public.

Nominations are made by the Bessie Awards Selection Committee, an independent committee of dance industry professionals. With the change in the ceremony’s location this year, a new nominating time frame was established. Performances presented between June 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, were eligible for consideration. Award categories include Outstanding Choreographer/Creator, Outstanding Performer, Outstanding Revival, Outstanding Sound Design or Music Composition, Outstanding Visual Design, and Outstanding Breakout Choreographer. Additional awards are given for Lifetime Achievement, Service to the Field of Dance, and a special Juried Award in partnership with NYS DanceForce.

“Under the auspices of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City, The Bessies are thrilled to celebrate this year’s artists with the dance community at our first free ceremony in decades,” said Bessies Executive Director Heather Robles.

The 2023 Bessie Awards Nominations

Outstanding Choreographer/Creator:

Vanessa Anspaugh

mourning after mornings

New York Live Arts

LaTasha Barnes

LaTasha Barnes presents The Jazz Continuum

The Joyce Theater

Sidra Bell

REP: Introspection

Gibney

Jessica Chen

NüWa (女媧)

Arts on Site

Dormeshia

Dormeshia Tap Collective: Rhythm Is Life

The Joyce Theater

Rennie Harris

Lifted

The Joyce Theater

Deborah Hay

Horse, the solos

The Joyce Theater

Benjamin Akio Kimitch

Tiger Hands

The Shed

Jordan Demetrius Lloyd

Blackbare in the Basement

Danspace Project

Shamel Pitts

BLACK HOLE – Trilogy And Triathlon

New York Live Arts

Lia Rodrigues

Encantado

Brooklyn Academy of Music

Omari Wiles

New York Is Burning

Works & Process at the Guggenheim

Outstanding Performer:

Billy Barry

Hora

By Ohad Naharin

The Joyce Theater

j. bouey

A Message from Mx. Black Copper

By j. bouey

Movement Research at the Judson Church

Amanda Castro

Ayodele Casel: Chasing Magic

By Ayodele Casel

The Joyce Theater

Joyce Edwards

Grace, The Equality of Night and Day, and Open Door

By Ronald K. Brown

The Joyce Theater

Timothy Edwards

Mr. TOL E. RAncE

By Camille A. Brown

The Joyce Theater

Rachel Harris

Mr. Withers

By David Parsons

The Joyce Theater

Niall Jones

C O M P R E S S I O N

By Niall Jones

Performance Space New York

Albert Silindokuhle Ibokwe Khoza

And so you see… our honourable blue sky and ever

enduring sun… can only be consumed slice by slice…

By Robyn Orlin

New York Live Arts and FIAF’s Crossing the Line Festival

Maleek Washington

Mr. TOL E. RAncE

By Camille A. Brown

The Joyce Theater

Ensemble: Anand Bolder, Louise Dahl, Freddy Houndekindo, Eliott Marmouset, Adam Schütt, Johanna Tengan, Vincent Van Der Plas

Horse, the solos

By Deborah Hay

Cullberg

The Joyce Theater

Ensemble: bree breeden, Wendell Gray II, José Lapaz Rodriguez, Jordan Demetrius Lloyd, Mia Martelli, Mykel Marai Nairne, Owen Prum, Kennedy Thomas

Blackbare in the Basement

By Jordan Demetrius Lloyd

Danspace Project

Ensemble: Marielys Burgos-Meléndez, Rafael V. Cañals Pérez, Christopher “Unpezverde” Núñez

The Circle or Prophetic Dream

By Christopher “Unpezverde” Núñez

Danspace Project

Outstanding Revival:

Pina Bausch & Tanztheater Wuppertal

Água (1995/2023)

Brooklyn Academy of Music

Camille A. Brown & Dancers

Mr. TOL E. RAncE (2012/2022)

The Joyce Theater

Garth Fagan & Garth Fagan Dance

Prelude (1981/2022)

The Joyce Theater

Twyla Tharp

In the Upper Room (1986/2022)

New York City Center

Outstanding Sound Design or Musical Composition:

Roman Bestion, Fouad Boussouf, and Marion Castor

Näss

By Fouad Boussouf

The Joyce Theater

Graham Reynolds

Horse, the solos

By Deborah Hay

Cullberg

The Joyce Theater

Evil Tracy The International Showoff and DJ Razor Ramon

Rome & Jewels

By Rennie Harris

The Joyce Theater

Charles Turner and Sean Mason

LaTasha Barnes presents The Jazz Continuum

By LaTasha Barnes

The Joyce Theater

Outstanding Visual Design:

Isabela Dos Santos (Animation)

Mr. TOL E. RAncE

By Camille A. Brown

The Joyce Theater

Sarai Frazier (Lighting)

all things under dog, where two things are always true

By Monica Mirabile

Performance Space New York

Zane Pihlström (Costume and Stage Design)

Company XIV: Seven Sins

By Company XIV

Théâtre XIV

Tina Tzoka and Loukas Bakas (Set Design), Stephanos Droussiotis (Lighting Design), Nektarios Dionysatos (Sculptures and Special Constructions) Dimitris Korres (Mechanical Inventions)

Transverse Orientation

By Dimitris Papaioannou

Brooklyn Academy of Music

Outstanding Breakout Choreographer:

Bryan and Shaina Baira of BAIRA

Symara Johnson

Soles of Duende: Amanda Castro, Brinda Guha, Arielle Rosales

marion spencer

ABOUT THE BESSIES

The New York Dance and Performance Awards have saluted outstanding and groundbreaking creative work in the dance field in New York City for 39 years. Known as “The Bessies” in honor of revered dance teacher Bessie Schönberg, the awards were established in 1984 by David R. White at Dance Theater Workshop. They recognize choreography, performance, music composition, visual design, legacy, and service to the field of dance by independent dance artists and organizations. Nominees are chosen by a selection committee composed of artists, presenters, producers, and writers. All those working in the dance field are invited to join the Bessies Membership and participate in annual discussions on the direction of the awards and nominate members to serve on the selection committee. For more information about The Bessies, visit www.bessies.org.

The 2022–2023 Bessie Awards Selection Committee: Tyler Ashley, Elizabeth Burke, Tymberly Canale, Yoshiko Chuma, Donna Costello, Porshia A. Derival, Tiffany Geigel, Valerie Green, Satsu Holmes, William Isaac, Anabella Lenzu, Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, Shalewa Mackall, Yoko Murakami, Ivan Talijančić, and Kate Thomas.

The Bessies Steering Committee: Paz Tanjuaquio (chair), Yvonne H. Chow, Stanford Makishi, maura nguyễn donohue, Nicky Paraiso, Craig Peterson, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, george emilio sanchez, and Charmaine Warren.

Press contact:

Janet Stapleton – 212-633-0016 / stapleton.janet@gmail.com 

Follow The Bessies on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: #theBessies / @bessieawards