Chita Rivera Awards to be Held in May at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts

The 5th annual Chita Rivera Awards will take place on Monday, May 22 at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place off of Washington Square Park).

This year's cut off for Chita Rivera Awards consideration is Thursday, April 27, and the nominations will be announced on Friday, April 28.

The nominees' reception will be held on Monday, May 1.

Carrying the namesake of one of the great dance icons of the American musical theater, the mission of the Chita Rivera Awards is to celebrate dance and choreographic excellence - past, present and future. The awards will honor the superb achievement of each nominee, while recognizing the immeasurable talents and passion of every theatrical choreographer and dancer. Additionally, through education and scholarships, the awards are committed to nurturing future generations, as well as preserving notable dance history.

Nominators will consider outstanding choreography, featured dancers and ensemble in shows on Broadway and Off Broadway, as well as, outstanding choreography in film, that opened in the 2022-2023 season. Nominations for the productions under consideration this season will be determined by the designated nominating committee. There are separate nominating committees for Broadway, Off Broadway and Film. There is also an awarding committee for Broadway, which determines the final nominations that are received from the Broadway nominations committee.

Honorees of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theater Award, and Ambassador For The Arts Award as well as when tickets go on sale will be announced in the coming weeks.

"The Chita Rivera Awards are truly a celebration of excellence," said Joe Lanteri. "Dance and choreography continue to be a driving force in today's theatrical landscape, and we look forward to honoring the season's best while showcasing these amazingly talented artists."

The NYC Dance Alliance Foundation College Scholarship Program will be the beneficiary of the event. Since the inception of the NYC Dance Alliance Foundation, 4 million dollars have been awarded to over 400 dancers represented in 42 of the most prestigious college dance programs in the country.

ABOUT Chita Rivera

A theatrical icon and one of Broadway's greatest triple-threat talents, Chita Rivera is one of the most nominated performers in Tony Award history having earned 10 nominations, won twice and received the 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. A versatile actress/singer/dancer, her most recent starring roles include The Visit, the final John Kander/Fred Ebb/Terrence McNally musical directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Graciela Daniele on Broadway; the Broadway revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood; the Broadway and touring productions of The Dancer's Life, a dazzling musical celebrating her spectacular career, written by Terrence McNally and directed by Graciela Daniele and the revival of the Broadway musical Nine with Antonio Banderas. She trained as a ballerina (from age nine) before receiving a scholarship to the School of American Ballet from the legendary choreographer George Balanchine. Chita's first appearance (age 19) was as a principal dancer in Call Me Madam. Her electric performance as Anita in the original Broadway premiere of West Side Story brought her stardom, which she repeated in London. Her career is highlighted by starring roles in Bye Bye Birdie, The Rink (Tony Award), Chicago, Jerry's Girls, Kiss of the Spider Woman (Tony Award), and the original Broadway casts of Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Seventh Heaven and Mr. Wonderful. On tour: Born Yesterday, The Rose Tattoo, Call Me Madam, Threepenny Opera, Sweet Charity, Kiss Me Kate, Zorba, Can-Can with The Rockettes. Chita was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2009 and received the coveted Kennedy Center Honor in 2002. In 2019, Chita performed her solo concert at London's Cadogan Hall; in 2018 she was honored as a Living Landmark by the New York Landmarks Conservancy; in 2016 she headlined at Carnegie Hall and in 2015, Great Performances aired their special "Chita Rivera: A Lot of Livin' To Do,: a retrospective of her extraordinary life and career nationally on PBS. Her current solo CD is entitled And Now I Swing. Her long-awaited book CHITA: A MEMOIR will be published by HarperOne in April, 2023. Her most treasured production is her daughter, singer/dancer/choreographer Lisa Mordente.

ABOUT Joe Lanteri (Producer)

Joe Lanteri has juggled the roles of director, choreographer, producer, dancer, teacher, mentor, and entrepreneur. He is a true ambassador of dance excellence and champion of young talent. In 2017, Dance Magazine named Joe 'one of the most influential people in dance'. In 2016, he was honored by the Actors Fund and Career Transitions For Dancers for 'outstanding contributions to the world of dance'. In 2014, Dance Studio Life magazine recognized Joe's efforts by presenting him with their first ever "Generous Heart Award". In 2022, the Start Dance Alliance recognized Joe with their Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2018, Joe was asked to become the Owner and Executive Director of STEPS ON BROADWAY, New York City's premiere professional training center. As a dance teacher, Joe's dynamic style and explosive choreography established him as a driving force in the shaping of New York City jazz dance style. Joe was a celebrated jazz teacher at Steps on Broadway for decades and also served on the prestigious faculty of The Juilliard School for 27 years. He has traveled the world as guest faculty of many international arts centers - Mexico, Japan, Italy and Denmark. Joe is equally passionate about his work as the Founder/Executive Director of the NEW YORK CITY DANCE ALLIANCE. He enjoys traveling the country, nurturing future generations of dancers and discovering new talent. In 2010, Joe founded the NYC DANCE ALLIANCE FOUNDATION, as a vehicle to invest in gifted teenagers hoping to pursue their education and their love of the performing arts. To date, the NYCDA Foundation has awarded nearly $4.5 million in scholarships to approximately 450 dancers - represented in the most prestigious college programs in the country. Joe also serves as the Executive Producer and Director of the Chita Rivera Awards, the only annual awards that exclusively recognize dance excellence on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Film. For over a decade, Joe directed The Fred & Adele Astaire Awards. As a Director/Choreographer, Joe has packaged countless live industrial shows and special events. His choreography has been featured everywhere from soap operas to MTV, Off-Broadway and Lincoln Center to stages around the world - Thailand, South Africa, Japan, Turkey and more.

ABOUT THE NYC DANCE ALLIANCE FOUNDATION, INC.

The NYC Dance Alliance Foundation, Inc. (NYCDAF), founded in 2010 by Executive Director Joe Lanteri, is committed to broadening performing arts awareness while advocating education and high standards of excellence in dance. The Foundation invests in the next generation of professional performers by offering scholarships for secondary and college education. To date, over 400 talented teenagers have shared in nearly $4.5 million awarded directly through NYCDAF. Those recipients are represented in 42 of the most prestigious university arts programs in the country. Many have since graduated and are now represented on Broadway, as well as concert dance companies based in NYC and around the world. www.NYCDAFoundation.net