The 2019 Chita Rivera Award Winners Revealed

2018 Tony Awards - Show

Winners for the 2019 Chita Rivera Awards were announced last night, May 19, at The NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. The evening was hosted by Broadway legends Ann Reinking and Ben Vereen.

The mission of the Chita Rivera Awards is to celebrate dance and choreographic excellence, preserve notable dance history, recognize past, present and future talents, while promoting high standards in dance education and investing in the next generation.

Here are the full list of winners:

Outstanding Choreography in a Broadway Show:

David Neumann, Hadestown

Outstanding Male Dancer in a Broadway Show:

Ephraim Sykes, Ain't Too Proud

Outstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway Show: (tie)

Ashley Blair Fitzgerald, The Cher Show

Gabrielle Hamilton, Oklahoma!

Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show:

King Kong

OFF-BROADWAY NOMINATIONS:

Outstanding Choreography

Rick and Jeff Kuperman, Alice By Heart

Outstanding Male Dancer

Wesley Taylor, Alice By Heart

Outstanding Female Dancer

Irina Dvorovenko, The Beast in the Jungle

Outstanding Ensemble

Smokey Joe's Café, Steven Baruch, Mark Routh, Richard Frankel, Tom Viertel

FILM NOMINATIONS:

Theatrical Release

Mary Poppins Returns(Release date, December 19, 2018, Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda) Choreographers: Rob Marshall & John DeLuca; Co-Choreographer, Joey Pizzi; Associate Choreographer, Tara Nichole Hughes, Assistant Choreographer: Marlon Pelayo

Documentaries

Moving Stories, Lives Transformed By Dance (Release Date, August 11, 2018, Battery Dance Festival, MoMa)

Director: Rob Fruchtman, Wilderness Films, Producer

At the evening's ceremony, dancer, choreographer and theater director Graciela Daniele received the third annual Lifetime Achievement Award, and Flody Suarez, Jeffrey Seller, and Cher (producers of The Cher Show on Broadway) were honored with the Ambassador for the Arts Award honoring their contribution to the convergence of theater, film, and television. George C. Wolfe was presented with the SDC Director Award for exemplary collaboration with choreographers on Broadway and Carol Paumgarten received the Vanguard Award for her outstanding contribution to the international dance community, having founded Steps on Broadway Dance Studio 40 years ago.

Congratulations to this year's winners!

Pictured: Chita Rivera

Source: Getty