The Illustrious Blacks Will Host the Bessie Awards Ceremony

The New York Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies, announce the lineup of special guests for the 39th Bessie Awards Ceremony. Acclaimed queer pop duo The Illustrious Blacks (Manchildblack x Monstah Black) will host this year’s ceremony, which will be held on Friday, August 4, at 7:30pm, at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park as part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City. Doors open at 6:30pm. Admission is free. To preregister for tickets, click here. For more information, visit the 39th Bessie Awards Ceremony page.

Award presenters include notable members of the dance and performance community, including Mireicy Aquino, George Faison, Jhailyn Farcon, Dionne Figgins, Erin Fogerty, Tiffany Geigel, Dyane Harvey Salaam, Karisma Jay, Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, Fredrick Earl Mosley, Abdel Salaam, Paz Tanjuaquio, and Ms Vee. The 2023 Bessie Jury panelists—Ayodele Casel, Kyle Marshall, and luciana achugar—will present the award to this year’s Juried honoree.

The evening will include performances by Dance Theatre of Harlem, performing in honor of Lifetime Achievement in Dance recipient Virginia Johnson, Princess Lockerooo’s Fabulous Waack Dancers, Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance, and Ladies of Hip-Hop Collective, performing in honor of Service to the Field of Dance recipient Michele Byrd-McPhee, and students from AbunDance Academy of the Arts.

The 2023 Bessie Awards Ceremony is produced by Torya Beard and Bessies Executive Director Heather Robles.

A list of the 2023 Bessie nominees can be found at 2023 Bessie Nominees.

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