2025 Chita Rivera Awards Nominees Celebrate at Nominee Reception

By Melissa Griegel…
Photos by Melissa Griegel Photography

The Chita Rivera Awards celebrate dance and choreographic excellence on Broadway and beyond. Producer Joe Lanteri, the Founder and Executive Director of the New York City Dance Alliance, carries on Chita’s legend and mark on the dance world with the awards show which will take place on May 19th at 7:30 pm at NYU Skirball (565 LaGuardia Place off of Washington Square Park). In partnership with Patricia Watt, 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.

Joe Laneri welcomes guests

Tony-Award Winner Bebe Neuwirth (Cabaret, Chicago), who will be hosting the awards, announced the nominees on Monday, May 5th, 2025 at a cocktail reception for nominees at Bond 45. “I don’t think I would have had a career if it wasn’t for Chita Rivera,” Neuwirth told the room full of dancers and choreographers. “She created some of the most iconic, phenomenally-rich dance roles musical theater has ever seen, and I got to play a whole bunch of them.”

Chita Rivera

Attendees cheer on fellow nominees

In addition to the awards listed below, Ben Vareen will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. “We are honoring, as always, a very special living legend in our industry who has given back so much and was a very good friend of Chita’s,” Lanteri announced. “We are doing a special award this year. It is the Douglas and Ethel Watt Critic’s Choice Award. This year it is going to choreographer David Neumann for the work he did on Swept Away.” Nominators considered outstanding choreography, featured dancers, and ensembles in shows on Broadway as well as outstanding choreography in film, that opened in the 2024-2025 season. Nominations for the productions under consideration this season will be determined by the designated nominating committee. There are separate nominating committees for Broadway and Film. There is also an awarding committee for Broadway, which determines the final nominations that are received from the Broadway nominations committee. 

Donna McKechnie with Choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Boop! The Musical)

The show on May 19th will feature performances by some of the nominees and their cast, in addition to special performances and appearances by legends Donna Murphy, Titus Burgess, Savion Glover, Stephen Sondhein and more. A special Verdan/Fosse number is also in the works. Tickets to the Chita Rivera Awards are available to the general public at www.ChitaRiveraAwards.com. All proceeds will benefit the NYC Dance Alliance Foundation (NYCDAF), an 501(c)(3) committed to broadening performing arts awareness while advocating high standards of excellence in dance. This year, the funding and proceeds will also support the creation of a new Chita Rivera Training Scholarship, a program of NUCDAF.

Just in Time nominees: Larkin Reilly, Julia Grondin, Choreographer Shannon Lewis, Jonathan Groff, Valeria Yamin, Kohri MIchelle Petinaud

Boop! The Musical nominees: Nina Lafarga, RJ Highton, Gabriella Sorrentino, David Wright Jr, Courntey Arango, Choreographer Jerry Mitchell, Jasmine Amy Rogers, Michael Burrage, Christian Probst, Victoria Byrd, Lawrence Alexander, and Tristin Buettel

2025 CHITA RIVERA AWARD NOMINATIONS

BROADWAY

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY IN A BROADWAY SHOW

Joshua Bergasse, Smash

Warren Carlyle, Pirates! The Penzance Musical

Patricia Delgado /Justin Peck, Buena Vista Social Club

Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her

Shannon Lewis, Just In Time

Jerry Mitchell, Boop! The Musical

Rickey Tripp / DeWitt Fleming, Jr., A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical

OUTSTANDING DANCER IN A BROADWAY SHOW

Angélica Beliard, Buena Vista Social Club

Kevin Csolak, Gypsy

Carlos Falú, Buena Vista Social Club

DeWitt Fleming, Jr., A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical

Jonathan Groff, Just In Time

Robyn Hurder, Smash

Héctor Juan Maisonet, Buena Vista Social Club

Ilda Mason, Buena Vista Social Club

Marielys Molina, Buena Vista Social Club

Jasmine Amy Rogers, Boop! The Musical

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE IN A BROADWAY SHOW

A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical

Boop! The Musical

Buena Vista Social Club

Death Becomes Her

Just In Time

Pirates! The Penzance Musical

Smash

Buena Vista Social Club nominees Tanairi Sade Vasquez, Hector Juan Maisonet, Marielys Molina, Choreographer Justin Peck, Ilda Mason, Angelica Beilard, and Carlos Falu

Nominees photographing fellow dancers on the red carpet

FILM & DOCUMENTARY NOMINEES

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY IN A FEATURE FILM

A Nice Indian Boy, Choreographers: Zina D. Mello, Breanna English, Christian Lagasse

Emilia Perez, Choreographer: Damien Jalet

Sh’ma: A Story of Survival, Choreographer: Suki John

Snow White, Choreographer: Mandy Moore

Wicked, Part 1, Choreographer: Christopher Scott

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A DANCE DOCUMENTARY

A Resilient Man, Director: Stephane Carrel

Better Man, Director: Michael Gracey

Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story, Director: Bruce David Klein

Two Roads, Director: Susan Wittenberg

Who Cares About Pal Frenak, Director: Gloria Halasz