The 37th Annual Bessie Awards Ceremony

New York City’s premier dance awards honoring outstanding creative work in the field

Monday, October 11, 7:30pm ET

Livestreamed

 

“Dance artists and their collaborators have continued to dream and build during the pandemic. They have called upon each of us to reimagine and commit our collective movement toward equity, justice, and healing. We are thrilled to celebrate their work and the resilience of our community at the virtual 2021 Bessies Ceremony,“ said Bessies Executive Director Heather Robles. 

For a complete list of nominees, click here. 

The Bessies pre-ceremony Angel Party will honor performer, historian, curator, producer, and educator Charmaine Warren.

The Bessie Awards ceremony will include special presentations to two pillars of the dance community—GeorgeFaison, the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Honoree, and DanceAfrica, recipient of the 2021 Bessie Award for Outstanding Service to the Field of Dance. 

This year’s presenters include notable members of the dance and performance community including Arthur Avilés, Monica Bill Barnes, Tina Croll, Tess Dworman, Nia Love, Annie-B Parson, Charles Rice Gonzales, and Bijayini Satpathy.

The celebration will continue at the free virtual Bessies after-party.

Tickets for the 2021 virtual Bessie Awards ceremony can be reserved online here. 

For more information about this year’s pre-ceremony Angel Party and to purchase tickets, click here.

About the Bessies

The NY Dance and Performance Awards have saluted outstanding and groundbreaking creative work in the dance field in New York City for 37 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 outstanding work in choreography, performance, music composition, and visual design. 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.