Buena Vista Social Club Takes Top Honors at the 2025 Chita Rivera Awards

Ben Vereen Awarded Lifetime Achievement Award

By Melissa Griegel…

Photos by Melissa Griegel Photography

The Chita Rivera Awards, celebrating dance and choreographic excellence on Broadway and in film, took place on May 19th, 2025 at NYU Skirball Center, hosted by Hairspray alums Laura Bell Bundy, Kerry Butler, and Marissa Jaret Winokur. Jelani Remy (Back to the Future), a past Chita Rivera Nominee, opened the show with a Fosse inspired dance number with an ensemble of dancers, followed by more Verdon Fosse inspired dance with Stephanie Pope, Creative Director of the Verdon Fosse Legacy. Nicole Fosse, daughter of Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse, and her son Noah Fosse took to the stage to talk about the importance of dance.

Jelani Remy, Nicole Fosse, Noah Fosse, and Verdon Fosse Dancers

Ben Vereen (Pippin, Jesus Christ Superstar, Roots), who was a very dear friend of Chita Rivera, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Vy Higginsen (Mama, I Want to Sing), Shoshana Bean (Hell’s Kitchen), Stephen Schwartz (Wicked), and R&B singer Usher (Chicago) all spoke of Vareen’s luminous career and his impact on their lives. Schwartz was so impressed with Vereen when he first met him in 1972 at an audition for Pippin, that he created a special leading role just for him. Usher, who is Ben Vereen’s godson, spoke directly to Ben saying, “You have been a guiding light for my life. Your love has changed me. Your artistry has changed the world.”

Ben Vereen, Stephen Schwartz, Joe Lanteri

For his well-received and impassioned acceptance speech, Vereen called on all of us to fight for the arts. “We are in a crisis in America. The arts are on the chopping block. But not on my watch! We shall not allow them to push the arts out. Not on my watch. Let us not build more jails; let us build more theaters! We need our youth to make a better world. The arts are our civilization. Our children need a place to dream to make this world a better place. We built the table. Sit at it! Are you with me?”

David Neumann

A special award added this year was the Douglas and Ethel Watt Critic’s Choice Award. Choreographer David Neumann, who previously won a Chita Rivera Award for Hadestown, was honored for the work he did on Swept Away. Adrian Blacke Enscoe and Cameron Johnson, from the Broadway Cast of Swept Away, honored Neumann with a song from the show. Choreographers Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles were awarded a special Off-Broadway Award for Cats: The Jellicle Ball, presented by Nathan Lee Graham.

Randy Rahm, Kerry Butler, Marissa Jaret Winkour, Joe Lanteri

The big winner of the night was Buena Vista Social Club, which won both Outstanding Choreography in a Broadway Show (choreographers Justin Peck and Patricia Delgado) and Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show. Delgado, who is Cuban-American, took her first trip to Cuba many years ago with Peck, long before this show was conceived. She found the trip to be life-changing for her as she got to know the people, the dance, and the culture, and “felt Cuban” in a new and exhilarating way. “Buena Vista Social Club has been the answer to that trip,” she said.

Robyn Hurder and Clyde Alves

Kevin Csolak

The category of Outstanding Dancer in a Broadway Show has been expanded to ten nominees in a non-gendered category, rather than five for females and five for males. This gives the Nominating Committee the opportunity to choose the ten best overall performances of the season, and pick two people of any gender as the winners. This year’s winners were Robyn Hurder for Smash and Kevin Csolak for Gypsy, who also performed during the show. Hurder said that Smash! reignited her love of dance and attributed that to choreographer John Bergasse. Csolak gave a shout-out to choreographer Camille A. Brown and thanked both of his parents, who were in attendance.

Jasmine Amy Rogers

The show included performances by Shoshana Bean, Robyn Hurder and ensemble members of Smash, Jasmine Amy Rogers and ensemble members of Boop!, Kevin Czolak and Shanel Bailey from Gypsy, a young dance troupe called The Dance Ground from Bucks County, PA, and Laura Bell Bundy, Kerry Butler, and Marissa Jaret Winkour. The two standout performances of the evening were an incredible tap masterpiece by Savion Glover and a rousing and uplifting performance by Ahmaya Knoelle Higginson and the Sing Harlem Choir that had everyone up from their seats dancing, singing, and clapping. 

Ahmaya Noelle Higginson and Vy Higginsen

Lee Roy Reams, with his always slightly naughty humor, announced the winner of Outstanding Direction of a Dance Documentary, which was awarded to Stephen Carrel for A Resilient Man. Lorna Luft awarded a very surprised and jubilant choreographer Suki John with Outstanding Choreography in a Feature Film for Sh’ma: A Story of Survival. John said she learned the language of emotion from her mother and dedicated her win to the innocent children living in Israel and Gaza, reminding us that “dance has power.”

Donna Murphy

Additional presenters included Titus Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Donna Murphy (Hello, Dolly!), WABC-TV anchor Liz Cho, and Bruce Villanch (Hairspray), Stephanie Pope (Fosse), and Jelani Remy (Ain’t Too Proud). In presenting the ensemble award to Buena Vista Social Club, Murphy said, “These women work harder than anyone. Chita Rivera said the chorus is the best place to be, and it’s so true. Buena Vista Social Club in an ensemble piece.”

The Dance Ground

Producer Joe Lanteri, the Founder and Executive Director of the New York City Dance Alliance (NYCDA), in partnership with Patricia Watt, continues Chita’s  mission of celebrating dance and choreographic excellence, preserving notable dance history, recognizing past, present, and future talents, all while promoting high standards in dance education and investing in the next generation. All proceeds benefit the New York City 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 NYCDAF. Please donate at by texting NYCDAF to 1-646-917-7987, mailing a check to NYC Dance Alliance Foundation, 888C 8th Avenue, Suite 350, New York, NY 10019, or clicking the following link: https://app.donorview.com/Donation/DonationInfo?prm=R2DrvOnaEqJoE2sy2wqb5ALNhNtKXxT54SSaVhLrLTa571FWtKMnbdAcdxejiQa24LEG36roPVYWUokV_lJ8j8JtaBZ0QfyoXMny-xlVMQEBnESX56Ob2mHPvso5jM5ytgVNVGrGst45boqPZCcqmJkqIswL0m2w3wLvs8IROiR3zR_dhr9386BJdWdS0IrKJ5oewRhO9sjB6xAXd-0Y4JKf9veu513UNRaeDVV8WLyYx1vSjyWJiz_pudMo8eSe0

Just in Time Cast

2025 CHITA RIVERA AWARD WINNERS

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

OFF-BROADWAY

OFF-BROADWAY SPECIAL RECOGNITION

**Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

FILM & DOCUMENTARY

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

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

Two Roads, Director: Susan Wittenberg

Who Cares About Pal Frenak, Director: Gloria Halasz

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

**Ben Vareen

DOUGLAS AND ETHEL WATT CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARD

**David Neumann (Swept Away)

Better Man, Director: Michael Gracey