Video: Tony Winners Omari Wiles & Arturo Lyons Are Ready for the Next Job

Earlier tonight at the 79th Annual Tony Awards, Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons took home the Tony Award for Best Choreography. After leaving the stage at Radio City Music Hall, they checked in with BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge to share their initial reaction!

"Wherever you come from, Broadway, ballroom... if it's not living inside of you, it won't transform," they said. "CATS: The Jellicle Ball is truly our church."  

Ousmane “Omari” Wiles is an African American West African and Vogue dancer. Wiles is best known as, legendary Omari NiNa Oricci, founder of The House of NiNa Oricci [est. Oct. 2019] and Creative Director of LES BALLET AFRIK dance company. Wiles was born in West Africa Senegal. He began his training in West African dance at the age of 6 years old, under the tutelage of his mother and father, who owned a dance company. Wiles joined his mother (Marie Basse Wiles) and father (BaBa Olukose Anthony Wiles) and became the assistant director of the family company, The Maimouna Keita School of African Dance. Working with master African dancers, Ousmane evolved the skills needed to teach the art of traditional African dance. Venturing further into the world of dance, Wiles found himself learning, training and falling in love with other styles such as Hip-Hop, House, Modern, Jazz, and Vogue.

Arturo Lyons is a dynamic choreographer based in New York, with a passion for dance that began in his school years. His versatile training in Hip Hop, Vogue, Reggae, and Street Jazz has shaped his unique choreographic style, which is complemented by his skills as a DJ and music producer. Lyons has choreographed for prestigious New York showcases such as The Carnival Choreographers Ball and Dance Harlem, as well as produced his own Off-Broadway show Vogue 4 Your Life in 2019, aiming to elevate vogue dance on a global scale.  Recently, Lyons made a significant impact in the entertainment world by joining HBO Max’s hit show “Legendary” as a choreographer, achieving success with the House of Miyake Mugler in Season 2. He has also lent his talents to music videos, including projects with Madonna, Konshens, Daisha, Ken Dahl, and Dnay B. Lyons’s global reach extends to teaching at esteemed studios in cities like London, Paris, and Berlin. He has also performed and choreographed in countries such as Russia, Korea, Japan, and China. 

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