And the 2015 Bessie Nominees Are…

The New York Dance and Performance Awards—known fondly as the Bessies—are back! They’re the dance world’s Academy Awards, if you will. Named after dance pioneer Bessie Schonberg, the Bessies are more and more impressive each year. 2015’s nominees are no exception.

The list is huge and sparkling. There’s all the ballet that made headlines this year, from Alexei Ratmansky’s production of The Sleeping Beauty (nominated for Outstanding Revival), to New York City Ballet principals Robert Fairchild and Amar Ramasar (both nominated for Outstanding Performer), to NYCB Resident Choreographer Justin Peck’s Rōdē,ō: Four Dance Episodes (nominated for Outstanding Production).

Gillian Murphy and Marcelo Gomes in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty (Photo by Andrea Mohin)

There’s also a ton of fascinating work that really highlights what the Bessies are about—truly performing and pushing boundaries. Talya Epstein’s performance in Star Crap Method is one to note, as is Xavier Le Roy’s Outstanding Production nomination for Retrospective, which took place at MoMA PS1 last winter.

Outstanding Performer nominee Talya Epstein in Larissa Velez-Jackson’s Star Crap Method (Screenshot via Vimeo)

The Bessies take place on October 19th and it’s going to be a magical night for all of these deserving artists.