In a night that will be remembered as a turning point in the cultural history of dance, the first-ever Dance Hall of Fame ceremony dazzled a full crowd at the Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, December 3. Visionaries, entertainers, dance legends and Hollywood icons united under one roof for an unforgettable tribute to the artists who shaped the language of movement.
The 10 inaugural inductees, Alvin Ailey, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, Misty Copeland, Bob Fosse, Martha Graham, Gene Kelly, Kenny Ortega, Jerome Robbins and Twyla Tharp, were honored with a limited-edition Lalique “Music Is Love” crystal heart, originally crafted with Sir Elton John in support of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. In attendance to accept their awards were honorees Baryshnikov, Ortega and Tharp, as was entertainment icon Shirley MacLaine, who was presented with the Dance Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be named the “Dance Hall of Fame Shirley MacLaine Lifetime Achievement Award,” an award that will carry her name going forward.
The star power was undeniable from the moment the lights dimmed. Acclaimed actor, author, producer and dancer Channing Tatum; Tony- and Emmy-winning actress, singer and dancer Bebe Neuwirth; Tony Award-nominated actress, singer and dancer Lisa Mordente; and Broadway performer Dylis Croman electrified the room as presenters, each taking the stage to celebrate the honorees whose work defined and redefined what dance could be.
Family members were also in attendance to accept awards in memory of honorees, including Bob Fosse’s grandson, Noah Fosse; the wife of Gene Kelly, Patricia Kelly; and Stephen “tWitch” Boss’s mother, Connie Boss Alexander, and brother, Deondre Rose.
They were joined in the audience by dance-world luminaries, including choreographer of the box office hits Wicked and Wicked: For Good, Christopher Scott; award-winning singer, choreographer and actress Toni Basil; Anna Trebunskaya of Dancing with the Stars; and So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With the Stars alumni Chelsie Hightower and Dmitry Chaplin, among others, turning the evening into a true gathering of legends across genres and generations. The evening was emceed and hosted by director, writer, producer and author Stuart K. Robinson.
From the moment the curtain rose, the celebration unfolded like a living history of dance. The Martha Graham Dance Company delivered a breathtaking, modern masterwork; So You Think You Can Dance All-Stars Comfort Fedoke, Du-Shaunt “Fik-Shun” Stegall and Cyrus Spencer honored tWitch with a powerful hip hop tribute that moved many in the audience to tears; original choreography from the 1961 motion picture West Side Story was performed in tribute to Jerome Robbins; and an electrifying homage to Bob Fosse pulsed with the unmistakable angles, syncopation and attitude of his iconic style. The night crescendoed with a showstopping performance of “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” a joyous salute to honoree Kenny Ortega.
The ceremony also featured deeply personal tribute messages from Goldie Hawn, Hugh Jackman, Gloria Estefan, Kristin Chenoweth, Bill Medley, Vanessa Hudgens and filmmaker Jon M. Chu, each sharing memories and gratitude for the inductees whose influence shaped their own creative journeys.
The inaugural Dance Hall of Fame was conceived and produced by Emmy Award–winning choreographer Anita Mann and seven-time Emmy-winning director Louis J. Horvitz, in collaboration with Jeff Thacker, five-time Emmy-nominated executive producer of So You Think You Can Dance. Together, they delivered an evening that not only celebrated history but made it, ensuring that dance, at last, has a permanent home to honor its brightest lights.
For more information, visit www.dancehalloffameofficial.com.
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