THE BESSIES ANNOUNCE NOMINEES FOR THE 2024 AND 2025 BESSIE AWARDS
AND UPDATE ON RESTRUCTURING
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
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