The Bessies Celebrate NY Dance

“New York dance had its annual gathering of the clan on Friday night at the Joyce Theater with the New York Dance and Performance Awards ceremony, dance’s equivalent to the Oscars and Tonys. Better known as the Bessies, named after Bessie Schonberg, a choreography teacher who was a mentor to many, the awards carry prizes of $500 to $1,000.” The madcap nature of the event was downplayed a bit this year, with more political musing than usual making its way into acceptance speeches.