![\"Anita](\"https:\/\/www.ladancechronicle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Anita-Mann-Photo-by-Alberto-E.-Rodriguez-Getty-Images-for-Dance-Hall-of-Fame.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAnita Mann \u2013 Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images for Dance Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n
The evening at the Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center was heralded by visionaries, entertainers, dance legends\u00a0 and Hollywood icons gathered under one roof to celebrate this glamorous, first ever event.\u00a0 \u00a0Such an important occasion, welcoming dance and entertainment \u00a0royalty and awardees, broadcasting live images of dance, with just a taste of historical work done by inheritees of such brilliant legacies, made this a superb and important evening of celebration.\u00a0 \u00a0With the presence of \u00a0Mikhail Baryshnikov, Twyla Tharp, Shirley MacLaine, Kenny Ortega, Janet Eilber Artistic Director of the Graham Company., Patricia Ward Kelly, devoted steward of Gene Kelly\u2019s as the honorees, marked an unprecedented gathering of icons for a singular night of recognition.<\/p>\n
Shirley MacLaine plants a kiss on fellow honoree, friend and \u201cThe Turning Point\u201d co-star Mikhail Baryshnikov at the inaugural Dance Hall of Fame ceremony \u2013 Photo includes Inductees and Presenters \u2013 Photo courtesy of Getty Images.<\/p>\n The room brimmed with reunions, reflections, and a palpable sense of history that was finally being acknowledged by the dance community itself.\u00a0 Naming just a few luminaries attending to celebrate were Tony Basil, George Chakiris, Vince Patterson, Sandahl Bergman, Kathryn Doby, Sandy Roveta, and Jeff Slayton\u2014and so many more \u2013 as a living lineage of dance evolution gathered under one roof.\u00a0 It was a powerful statement of endorsement of a homecoming of artists who supported this night and shaped the golden era of dance of stage and screen.<\/p>\n As the lights dimmed, the opening host, Stuart K. Robinson, CEO of BBR Talent Agency, introduced the evening\u2019s unfolding of a dynamic blend of video tributes and live performances, culminating in the presentation of the exquisite Crystal Heart Award, sponsored by Lalique Glass.<\/p>\n Mikhail Baryshnikov \u2013 Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images for Dance Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n In a hush of expectation, the first award of the evening could not have been more appropriate.\u00a0 \u00a0Mikhail Baryshnikov, universally regarded as one of the great ballet dancers of all time. His legendary career spanning from the Kirov Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and New York City Ballet, his artistry was defined by technical mastery, emotional depth, and performances that brought ballet into the global mainstream. An Academy Award and Tony Award nominee, and a lifelong advocate for the arts, Baryshnikov accepted the evening\u2019s first Crystal Heart with breathtaking grace and humility.<\/p>\n (L-R) Mikhail Baryshnikov and Shirley MacLaine \u2013 Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images for Dance Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n In a moving moment, he then presented a surprise honor of a Lifetime Achievement Award\u2014to 91 year-old legendary actress and dancer Shirley MacLaine. Her bold, versatile career spanned \u00a0more than seven decades across film, stage, and live performance with iconic work in Sweet Charity and Irma La Douce to Shirley MacLaine on Broadway, her artistry is defined by her precision, physicality, and storytelling.\u00a0 Her emotional and near tearful acceptance was topped by an, oh so human, spontaneous hug and kiss, placed Baryshnikov cheek. That alone was worth the attendance.<\/p>\n Gene Kelly \u2013 Photo courtesy of Patricia Kelly.<\/p>\n The young Asa Gessler\u2019s on stage performed \u201cMore\u201d as a bridge to the inimitable legacy to dance, the beloved Gene Kelly.\u00a0 \u00a0His brilliance brought athleticism and charisma to film, redefining the male dancer\u2019s image in Hollywood musicals. Known for classics like Singin\u2019 in the Rain and An American in Paris, the inimitable curator and steward of his work, Patricia Kelly,\u00a0 accepted his award with such elegance and aplomb.\u00a0 She brings forward his legacy of timeless innovation and joy and his gifts to generations of dancers and dance lovers.\u00a0 It is under her watchful eye that we have the stories and chronicles that forever linked his work, his storytelling in dance form, to film as a storytelling art form.<\/p>\n Lloyd Knight and Marzia Memoli performing Martha Graham\u2019s \u201cMoon Duet\u201d \u2013 Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images for Dance Hall of Fame<\/p>\n Martha Graham, always an innovation miracle, was so eloquent in her reflections of Modern dance, was our next honoring.\u00a0 \u00a0The brilliant Janet Eilber, Artistic Director, who has guided and expanded Graham\u2019s legacy into the 21st Century was a Graham company member and has been honoring the dynamic artistry of her mentor since 2005.\u00a0 She has clearly carried forward Graham\u2019s pioneering brilliance in American Dance.\u00a0\u00a0 The Martha Graham Dance Company, founded by Graham 1926, through the efforts of Eilber, remains one of the world\u2019s most respected and celebrated dance Companies in the world.\u00a0 This was evidenced in the gorgeous \u201cMoon Duet\u201d restaged by Eilber and performed by Marzia Memoli and Lloyd Knight\u201d illustrative of Graham inimitable aesthetic and soulful work.<\/p>\n Misty Copeland \u2013 Photo courtesy of Masterclass.<\/p>\n From Modern to Ballet, Misty Copeland, accepted this award on video in wait for a hip procedure.\u00a0 Not wanting to miss the opportunity to introduce and welcome all to this exceptional event, she spoke about what an honor it was to receive this important acknowledgement. Copeland was promoted to principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre in 2015 and is known for her powerful athleticism and \u00e9lon in her lead roles in Alexei Ratmansky\u2019s Firebird, Swan Lake and Nutcracker.\u00a0 \u00a0Copeland made history as the first African American woman to reach prima ballerina status.\u00a0 From her simple beginnings, as evidenced in her first book, \u201cLife in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina\u201d\u00a0(2014), to prima position, she became an icon and inspiration for young black ballet dancers and has gone on to write 9 books of inspiration thereafter.\u00a0 She took her final bow with ABT on Oct. 22, 2025 and will continue to expand her career offstage, as Founder of Life in Motion Productions.\u00a0 \u00a0Its mission is to expose audiences to inspiring and entertaining art and culture-based stories and continuing to champion diversity and accessibility in ballet, using her platform to inspire and empower young dancers worldwide.<\/p>\n Bob Fosse \u2013 Photo courtesy of Getty Images.<\/p>\n Bob Fosse, remains one of the most influential figures in Broadway and film history, the only artist to win an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony Award in the same year for directing, was celebrated for a legacy that forever changed musical theater with works such as Cabaret, Sweet Charity, Chicago, Pippin, Dancin and All That Jazz.\u00a0 Bebe Neuwirth, (Sweet Charity, Chicago,\u00a0 and A Tony Award nominee) and Dylis Croman, (\u201cMovin\u2019Out,\u201d Sweet Charity, Fosse), both presenters, knew Fosse\u2019s distinct instantly recognizable style; turned-in knees, hunched shoulders, and syncopated, precision, that revolutionized musical theater.\u00a0 \u00a0A founder of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), Fosse redefined the art form and left a legacy that continues to inspire generations of dancers and storytellers. Fosse\u2019s grandson, Noah Fosse, was there to accept the coveted award for his grandfather.\u00a0Onstage Eliza Ohman and Tony D\u2019Allio fully committed to a tribute to Fosse performing \u201cFrom This Moment On.\u201d<\/p>\n Twyla Tharp \u2013 Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images for Dance Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n Twyla Tharp, decided to accept with less words and greater appreciation as the night moved on into the late night hours.\u00a0 A true trailblazer in contemporary choreography, Tharp, continues with her powerful creative energy, having done more than 125 works that fused classical technique with contemporary rhythm and emotion. Her innovations spanned ballet, Broadway and film, earning her Tony Awards, Kennedy Center Honors and a National Medal of Arts. Her approach continues to shape modern movement and performance around the world.\u00a0 It was wonderful to see her with her signature no-nonsense acceptance of well-deserved accolades for her creativity, strength and innovation.<\/p>\n \u201cWestside Story\u201d by Jerome Robbins \u2013 Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images for Dance Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n And not to be diminished by the clock running, the brilliance of Jerome Robbins, \u00a0a towering figure in both ballet and Broadway was unequal.\u00a0 Robbins\u2019 contribution from West Side Story to Fiddler on the Roof to The King and I and Gypsy, with more than 60 ballets he created, it was incredibly bold for its time and still reaches the hearts and minds of dance lovers. \u00a0Fancy Free, his first contribution to the human aspect of ballet gone rogue, then rivaled his own talent in his humorous tongue-in-cheek commentary on the world of ballet called The Concert.\u00a0 \u00a0And how can the lyricism of Dances at a Gathering be equaled?\u00a0 Not easily\u2026 perhaps Glass Pieces and West Side Story Suite, all are now in the repertoire of major dance companies throughout the world and look as fresh today as if they were done yesterday\u2026Now that\u2019s art!<\/p>\n (L-R) Dushaunt \u201cFik-Shun\u201d Stegall, and Comfort Fedoke, and Cyrus Spencer perform \u201cForever\u201d by Stephen \u201ctWitch\u201d Boss \u2013 Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images for Dance Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n A particular poignant moment of the evening was a heartfelt tribute by Channing Tatum presented to his friend Stephen \u201ctWitch\u201d Boss\u2019 posthumously given to \u201ctWitch\u2019s mother and brother.\u00a0 \u201ctWitch started as a beloved\u00a0 hip-hop dancer who was discovered and grew to influence a generation of dancers on So You Think You Can Dance, rose to fame as DJ and dancer on Ellen DeGeneres Show.\u00a0 His global presence and impact on TV & film solidified his place in the world of dance. His influence, energy, and passion helped redefine hip-hop as a form of storytelling that continues to inspire and connect across \u00a0generations. \u00a0The presentation of his colleagues, All-Stars\u00a0Comfort Fedoke, Du-Shaunt \u201cFik-Shun\u201d Stegall\u00a0and\u00a0Cyrus Spencer\u00a0honored\u00a0tWitch\u00a0with a moving and tearful precision hip-hop tribute.<\/p>\n Alvin Ailey \u2013 Photo courtesy of Jack Mitchell, Alvin Ailey Foundation, Inc., and the Smithsonian Institution.<\/p>\n Representing the\u00a0Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, new Artistic Director\u00a0Alicia Graf Mack\u00a0accepted the honor celebrating Ailey\u2019s enduring brilliance and lasting influence on American dance.\u00a0 One can never forget his masterpiece of black celebration and struggle in \u201cRevelations\u201d or Judith Jamison\u2019s tour de force in \u201cCry\u201d a 17 minute piece, Ailey\u2019s powerful representation of the black woman\u2019s plight that was done for his mother.\u00a0 What a gift to the dance family tree.<\/p>\n Kenny Ortega \u2013 Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images for Dance Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n With the\u00a0 Finale of the evening Chita Rivera\u2019s daughter, actress\/dancer Lisa Mordente presented an award to her mentor and friend, the legendary director\/choreographer Kenny Ortega<\/a>, of High School Musical , Dirty Dancing, Madonna\u2019s Material Girl, and Michael Jackson\u2019s concert, \u201cthis is It\u201d. Never forgetting his roots, Ortega is beloved by the dance community, having continued his friendships with MacDonald\/Selznick Agency always at his side.\u00a0 He is inducted as one of the first honorees, celebrating Ortega\u2019s incredible impact on dance in TV, film and stage.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n