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Dance News: Announcing The Winners Of The 2019 Chita Rivera Awards!

Winners for the 2019 Chita Rivera Awards were announced last Sunday evening at The NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place off Washington Square Park). Please see list below for the winners.
 
The 2019 Chita Rivera Awards were produced by Joe Lanteri, Founder and Executive Director of the New York City Dance Alliance Foundation, Inc. in conjunction with Patricia Watt.
 
The mission of the Chita Rivera Awards is to celebrate dance and choreographic excellence, preserve notable dance history, recognize past, present and future talents, while promoting high standards in dance education and investing in the next generation.
 
Presenters for the evening included: Chita Rivera, Andy Blankenbuehler, Camille A. Brown, Ariana DeBose, Luann de Lesseps, Micaela Diamond, Damon J. Gillespie, Savion Glover, Marilu Henner, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Tiler Peck, Lee Roy Reams, Michael Riedel, Ethan Slater, Mary Testa and Richard Thomas.

 

At the evening's ceremony, dancer, choreographer and theater director Graciela Daniele received the third annual Lifetime Achievement Award, and Flody Suarez, Jeffrey Seller, and Cher (producers of The Cher Show on Broadway) were honored with the Ambassador for the Arts Award honoring their contribution to the convergence of theater, film, and television. George C. Wolfe was presented with the SDC Director Award for exemplary collaboration with choreographers on Broadway and Carol Paumgarten received the Vanguard Award for her outstanding contribution to the international dance community, having founded Steps on Broadway Dance Studio 40 years ago. The evening was hosted by Ann Reinking and Ben Vereen.

Nominators considered outstanding choreography, featured dancers and ensembles in Broadway and off-Broadway shows, as well as outstanding choreography in film during the theatrical season. The off-Broadway and Film committees made nominations and name winners in those categories. Broadway nominees were designated by the Broadway nominating committee and winners were selected by the Broadway awarding committee.

2019 CHITA RIVERA AWARD WINNERS 

 
ALL NOMINEES LISTED WINNERS IN BOLD!
Outstanding Choreography in a Broadway Show:
Warren Carlyle, Kiss Me Kate
Denis Jones, Tootsie
***David Neumann, Hadestown*** WINNER 
Casey Nicholaw, The Prom
Sergio Trujillo, Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations
 
Outstanding Male Dancer in a Broadway Show:
Corbin Bleu, Kiss Me Kate
Rick Faugno, Kiss Me Kate
James T. Lane, Kiss Me Kate
Jeremy Pope, Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations
***Ephraim Sykes, Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations*** WINNER      
 
Outstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway Show: (tie)
***Ashley Blair Fitzgerald, The Cher Show*** WINNER
***Gabrielle Hamilton, Oklahoma!***WINNER
Amber Gray, Hadestown
Leslie Kritzer, Beetlejuice
Angie Schworer, The Prom
 
Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show:
Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations
Hadestown
***King Kong*** WINNER
Kiss Me Kate
The Cher Show
The Prom
 

Ashley Blair Fitzgerald as the Dark Lady in The Cher Show. Photo by Joan Marcus, Courtesy Rubenstein.
 

OFF-BROADWAY NOMINATIONS:
Outstanding Choreography
Joshua Bergasse, Smokey Joe's Cafe
Raja Feather Kelly, If Pretty Hurts, Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka
***Rick and Jeff Kuperman, Alice By Heart*** WINNER
Lorin Latarro, Merrily We Roll Along
Shea Sullivan, Neurosis, A Musical That Gets in Your Head
 
Outstanding Male Dancer
Brennan Caldwell, Neurosis, A Musical That Gets in Your Head
Zachary Downer, Alice By Heart
Brendan Henderson, Cleopatra
Jelani Remy, Smokey Joe's Cafe
***Wesley Taylor, Alice By Heart*** WINNER
 
Outstanding Female Dancer
Emma Degerstedt, Smokey Joe's Cafe
Mia Dilena, Alice By Heart
***Irina Dvorovenko, The Beast in the Jungle*** WINNER
Dionne D. Figgins, Smokey Joe's Cafe
Naomi Kakuk, The Beast in the Jungle
 
Outstanding Ensemble
Alice By Heart, MCC Theatre
Fiddler on the Roof, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene
If Pretty Hurts, Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka, Playwrights Horizons
***Smokey Joe's Café, Steven Baruch, Mark Routh, Richard Frankel, Tom Viertel***WINNERS
Twelfth Night, The Public Theater
 

Liam Scarlett gives notes to Misty Copeland & Sergei Polunin on the set of The Nutcracker & The Far Realms. © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

 
FILM NOMINATIONS
Theatrical Release
Isn't It Romantic - (Release date, February 13, 2019, Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth) Choreographer: Christopher Gattelli; Assistant Choreographer, Jon Rua
 
***Mary Poppins Returns - (Release date, December 19, 2018, Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda)
Choreographers: Rob Marshall & John DeLuca; Co-Choreographer, Joey Pizzi; Associate Choreographer, Tara Nichole Hughes, Assistant Choreographer: Marlon Pelayo*** WINNERS
 
Shine - (Release date, October 6, 2018, Alysia Reiner, David Zayas)
Director of Choreography: Anderson Cruz, Choreographers, Charlie Garcia, Osmar Perrones, Grisselle Ponce
 
Swimming with Men - (Release date, December 7, 2018, Rob Brydon, Rupert Graves) Choreographer: Caroline Pope
 
The Nutcracker and The Far Realms - (Release date, November 2, 2018, Misty Copeland)
Choreographer: Liam Scarlett
 
 
Documentaries
Ballet Now - (Release date, July 20, 2018; Tiler Peck)
Director: Steven Cantor
 
Bathtubs Over Broadway - (Release date, November 30, 2018; Tribeca Film Festival Award Winner prior and other festivals, Chita Rivera, Martin Short, etc.)
Director: Dava Whisenent
 
Hot to Trot - (Release date, NY, August 24, 2018, nationwide rollout to follow)
Director: Gail Freedman
 
If The Dancer Dances - (Release date, July 24, 2018, Dance on Camera Festival)
Director, Maia Weschler
 
***Moving Stories, Lives Transformed By Dance - (Release Date, August 11, 2018, Battery Dance Festival, MoMa)
Director: Rob Fruchtman, Wilderness Films, Producer** WINNER

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