Country United States | First awarded 1982 | |
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Awarded for Outstanding Dance and Choreography on Broadway and Film Official website www.theastaireawards.org | ||
The Fred and Adele Astaire Awards celebrate outstanding dance and choreography in theatre, both on Broadway and Off-Broadway and in film at an annual ceremony in New York City at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.
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The awards
The awards are given for theatre and film productions and performances for each season they fall in. Several discretionary non-competitive awards are also given, including a Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient and an Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre and Film award. The awards are named after Fred Astaire and Adele Astaire. The awards for Off-Broadway performances and productions were first presented with the 2016 awards.
The Fred and Adele Astaire Awards were established in 1982, and formerly known as The Astaire Awards. The award was established with the cooperation of Fred Astaire to honor him and his sister, Adele, who starred with her brother in ten Broadway musicals between 1917 and 1931. The awards previously honored the "best dance on Broadway in the categories of best choreographer, best female dancer and best male dancer."
The first Douglas Watt Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Tommy Tune in 2008. The awards were expanded to include dance in and choreography for film in 2008.Stanley Donen received the Douglas Watt Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. Other Douglas Watt Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include Kenny Ortega in 2010, and Jacques D’Amboise in 2011. Liza Minnelli received the Douglas Watt Lifetime Achievement Award for 2012, Marge Champion was the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient in 2013, and Patricia Birch received the award in 2014. Joel Grey received the 2015 Watt Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as film producer Harvey Weinstein (Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre & Film). The Douglas Watt Lifetime Achievement Award for 2016 was given to Judith Jamison, and Maurice Hines was given a special recognition award for Outstanding Body of Work in Dance.
Mission
"Our Mission is simple. Excellence." Fred and Adele Astaire represented excellence. Their dedication, passion and artistic vision brought dance on stage and in films to new heights. Our mission is to continue that vision by not only celebrating the superb achievement of each nominee but by recognizing the immeasurable talents and passion of each choreographer and dancer who continues that tradition of excellence".