The dance industry takes center stage at the annual Industry Dance Awards & Cancer Benefit Show at the historic Avalon Theater in Hollywood on Wednesday.
The event brings together dancers, educators, pioneers, and dance icons that will be recognized for their outstanding achievements and artistic contributions in 2023.
Along with the celebration of the dance industry’s outstanding achievements and artistic contributions this past year, the event is also part of the global fight against cancer.
With a deep-rooted history in dance, Shirley MacLaine was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award during the ceremony, which was given to her by actress Annette Bening, 65.
The two ladies are actually sisters-in-law, as Bening is married to to MacLaine’s brother, Warren Beatty.
Honoree: Shirley MacLaine, 89, was all smiles before being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 Industry Dance Awards at the Avalon Theater in Hollywood
MacLaine, 89, was absolutely beaming while on the red carpet dressed in black slacks, with a matching patterned top a floral black blazer ad black flats.
After posing solo for photographers, she also snuggled up with Bening for another round of pictures, and again with Peter Levine, who appeared to be her date for the evening.
The Talk co-host Amanda Kloots, who’s a former Broadway dancer and Radio City Rockette, served as the host of the ceremony.
Some of the other honorees at the IDAs included Alison Faulk (Dance Innovator Award Recipient), Jennifer Jones (Dance Role Model Award Recipient), and Art and Nancy Stone (Trailblazer Award Recipients), according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Some of the other awards handed out during the festivities were Best Hip-Hop Performance, Best Jazz Performance, Best Open/Ballet/Acro, Best Tap, Best Lyrical, Best Novelty/Musical, People’s Choice and Choreography Of The Year.
There was also a star-studded red carpet, fabulous performances, and a presentation from Dancers Against Cancer (DAC).
This go-around, the Industry Dance Awards and Dancers Against Cancer are presenting the inaugural Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss Legacy of Hope Scholarship.
The scholarship aims to honor Boss ‘by passing the torch to a new generation of gifted dancers, encouraging and supporting their continued journey and passion for dance via an annual scholarship.’
Dance dreams: The Oscar-winning actress had hopes of being a ballerina before her career as an actress, which began professionally in 1955
Family: Actress Annette Bening, 65, presented the LifeTime Achievement Award to MacLaine, who happens to be her sister-in-law due to her marriage to Warren Beatty
All in the family: Bening married MacLaine’s brother Warren Beatty in 1992
Boss was a dancer, choreographer, actor, DJ and producer who got his big break on So You Think You Can Dance before spending nine years on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Sadly and tragically, the father of three took his own life this past December at the age of 40 after struggling with his mental health throughout his life.
With hopes of being a ballerina, MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty) began with ballet when she was just three-years-old in 1937, as a means to strengthen her weak ankles.
The Richmond, Virginia native ended up moving to New York City to try her hand at acting the summer before her senior year in high school, resulting in her earning minor success in the chorus of Oklahoma!
After graduating, she returned to Manhattan and landed a spot on the dancing ensemble of the Broadway production of the musical Me And Juliet (1953-1954) at the Majestic Theatre.
Sweet: MacLaine also shared the evening at the ceremony with Peter Levine
Broadway bound: After graduating from high school, MacLaine returned to New York City and landed a spot on the dancing ensemble of the Broadway production of the musical Me And Juliet (1953-1954)
She would score another dance-based role as the understudy to actress Carol Haney in The Pajama Game (1954) at the Shubert Theatre.
In May 1954, Haney injured her ankle during a matinee performance, which opened the door for MacLaine to replace her.
After performing the role of Dancer/Gladys for a few months, and Haney still injured, film producer Hal B. Wallis saw one of the shows and decided to sign her to a deal with Paramount Pictures.
She rose to prominence in Around The World In The Trouble With Harry (1955), 80 Days (1956), Some Came Running (1958), Ask Any Girl (1959), The Apartment (1960), The Children’s Hour (1961), Irma la Douce (1963) and Sweet Charity (1969).
Debut: MacLaine began her career as an actress with a role in The Trouble With Harry (1955)
Ballet movie; MacLaine has earned six Oscar-nominations during her illustrious career, including for The Turning Point (1977), which centered around the world of ballet in New York City; she’s pictured in 1955
Eventually, MacLaine landed one of the lead roles in the drama film The Turning Point (1977), which centered on the world of ballet in New York City and featured choreography by George Balanchine and the famed Alvin Ailey, who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater that’s still up and running.
Both MacLaine and co-lead Anne Bancroft were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, which was just two of the 11 nominations it received.
Along with MacLaine and Bancroft, the cast also included Mikhail Baryshnikov, Tom Skerritt, Leslie Browne, Martha Scott, Marshall Thompson, Anthony Zerbe, James Mitchell, Alexandra Danilova, Lisa Lucas, Philip Saunders, Antoinette Sibley, Marshall Thompson, Starr Danias, Anthony Zerbe and Daniel Levans.
MacLaine has been nominated for six Academy Awards during her illustrious career, winning Best Actress for her emotional performance in the drama film Terms of Endearment (1983).
