TV: Professional Dancers Society Honors Carol Channing Mandy Moore & More!

The Professional Dancers Society (PDS) held its Annual Gypsy Awards Luncheon Sunday, April 23rd at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA in honor of Choreographer MAndy Moore (La La Land, So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars), veteran TV Producer Lee Hale (Dean Martin Variety Series) choreographers Karen Willes and Natalie Willes; and legendary performer Carol Channing who was not able to attend, but who sent a letter to be read by her dear friend, the iconic Lily Tomlin. In her own inimitable style, Ms. Tomlin spoke fondly of Ms. Channing and recalled their first meeting "...in a dark alley in Chicago, it was the backstage door to the Shubert Theater, where Carol was appearing in "Hello Dolly!." BWW TV's own Michael Sterling was there to talk to the stars.

So said Ms. Channing: "I am devastated that I am unable to join all of you on this auspicious occasion. As you may all be aware, I have never missed a scheduled appearance or performance in my entire career. So you are all witness to this historic moment, when you can all say that you were there .... the only time I wasn't! I am so very grateful for this honor. I've always considered myself a comedienne, who moves well and could sing loud enough to be heard in the balcony. That was very important in the days before they attached microphones to your wigs or your faces, like they do today. Truth be known, this tribute should probably be directed to all the wonderful dancers that surrounded me and made me look so good during my career. My Dolly boys were the secret to my success. They were always there, on time and very professional. If I missed a step, they compensated and just made it look like part of the show. Even when I fell off the stage ... more times than I care to mention ... they were able to make the audience think it was just some interesting Gower Champion choreography. I think every leading actress in the American musical theater would agree that they depend on their dancers more than anyone else, sometimes more than the director. Of course, don't ever try and tell your director that. You develop an almost intimate relationship with your dancers. You trust them with your body, your soul, and often your very life. They become closer than your own family. They cheer the loudest when you're at your best, encourage you to keep going when you're at your worst and don't point and giggle when your changing in the wings. I think this would be an appropriate time to take the opportunity to thank them all for everything they have done for me and for the success I've enjoyed because of their efforts."

PDS is a non-profit corporation formed to serve the professional dancer, active and inactive. There is no separation between ballet, Broadway, television, motion pictures, etc. Now PDS has joined forces with The Actors Fund, a national organization dedicated to the welfare of all entertainment professionals. Together, PDS hopes to achieve the goals long needed of low income housing, retirement and nursing facilities for all dancers. For more information on PDS, please visit www.professionaldancerssociety.org.

The event serves as PDS' major fundraiser, bringing in upwards of $100,000 for The Actors Fund. 2017 marks the 30th year of the PDS Luncheon.

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