Bessie Awards
The New York Dance and Performance Awards, also known as the Bessie Awards, honor independent dance artists presenting work in New York City. Established in 1983 by Dance Theater Workshop and named after Bessie Schonberg, a respected modern-dance teacher, the awards recognize excellence in choreography, performance, music composition, and visual design.
People are nominated and chosen by the Bessie Selection Committee, which includes dancers, presenters, producers, choreographers, journalists, critics, and academics. Since 2010, an independent steering committee, in partnership with Dance/NYC, has run the awards and Lucy Sexton administers them. Today the Bessies cover a wider range of dance styles and related art forms, and they sponsor an annual commission for an emerging artist. Over 400 Bessie Awards have been given. Notable recipients include many choreographers, composers, and designers. An archive of past winners is available on the Bessies website.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:52 (CET).