Tonight (Monday, May 18), starting at 7:30 pm, the Chita Rivera Awards – the only awards dedicated specifically to honor excellence in dance and choreography on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in film – were presented in five competitive categories, along with two honorary awards, in a star-studded ceremony hosted by Charlotte d’Amboise and Robyn Hurder at NYU Skirball. Among the awards presenters were Bebe Neuwirth, Jessie Mueller, Priscilla Lopez, Ben Vereen, Kevin Csolak, Tilly Evans-Kreuger, Desmond Richardson, Robert Fairchild, Dylis Croman, Robert Montano, and DeWitt Fleming, in addition to Leslie Uggams, who presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Ann-Margret.
The annual event also included performances by the casts of Chess and Ragtime, Andrea McArdle, Michelle Aravena, Samantha Pollino, and Nicolas King, and the five finalists – Brett Barthelemy (18, from Aliquippa, PA), Xenoa Campbell-Ledgister (25, from London, England), Greta Cardoza, (19, from Milton, MA), Meghan Hoey (25, from NYC), and Helena Padial (21, from Palisades, NY), with Jordan Cruz (22, of Whittier, CA) named as the alternate – of the new talent search, Broadway’s Next Triple Threat, honoring the memory of Chita Rivera. Created and produced by the NYC Dance Alliance Foundation to support the next generation of artists who excel in dance, voice, and acting, all proceeds from the Chita Rivera Awards ceremony benefit the NYCDAF’s College Scholarship Program, which awards college scholarships to talented teenagers, and The Chita Rivera Training Grant, providing $10,000 of financial support, plus one year of dance classes at NYC’s Steps on Broadway.
And the winners of the 2026 Chita Rivera Awards for Broadway and Film are:
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY IN A BROADWAY SHOW: Christopher Gattelli, Schmigadoon!
OUTSTANDING DANCER IN A BROADWAY SHOW: Max Clayton, Schmigadoon!; Robert “Silk” Mason, CATS: The Jellicle Ball; and Isabelle McCalla, Schmigadoon!
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE IN A BROADWAY SHOW: Schmigadoon!
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY IN A FEATURE FILM: Sinners, Choreographer Aakomon Jones
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A DANCE DOCUMENTARY: Dick Van Dyke, 100th Celebration, Director Steve Boettcher
THE DOUGLAS ND ETHEL WATT CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARD: Gotta Dance!
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Ann-Margret.
Congratulations to the winners and honorees for the recognition of their outstanding contributions to dance on the stage and screen!
