Dance/NYC announces NEW YORKERS FOR DANCE Award Recipients: Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles

Dance/NYC today announced Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles, Tony Award-winning Co-Choreographers of CATS: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway, as recipients of the 2026 NEW YORKERS FOR DANCE Award. The award recognizes their extraordinary leadership in bringing ballroom culture to new audiences, while preserving its integrity and championing the community from which it comes. Lyons and Wiles will be honored at NEW YORKERS FOR DANCE, Dance/NYC's annual celebration, on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 26 Bridge in DUMBO, Brooklyn.

"Ballroom has always been a space where people build community and imagine a more resilient future. Arturo and Omari carry that forward every time they enter a rehearsal room or a stage, and it's exactly what we mean when we talk about dance as a common good, says Raquel Du Toit, Dance/NYC Executive Director. “Honoring them this year is our way of recognizing that culture isn't handed down from institutions. It is built by communities who have been doing this work all along, and our job at Dance/NYC is to make sure they are valued and resourced."

Arturo Lyons (he/him/his) is a Tony Award-winning choreographer based in New York, trained across Hip Hop, Vogue, Reggae, and Street Jazz. He has choreographed for prestigious New York showcases such as The Carnival Choreographers Ball and Dance Harlem, produced his own Off-Broadway show, Vogue 4 Your Life, and served as choreographer on HBO Max’s Legendary. His work has taken him to stages and studios in London, Paris, Berlin, Russia, Korea, Japan, and China, and includes music videos and performances alongside artists such as Madonna. His work has been featured in Dance Magazine, NY1, and Playbill.

Omari Wiles (he/him/his), also known as Omari NiNa Oricci, is a Tony Award-winning choreographer and dancer whose style blends West African, Vogue, Modern and House traditions. Born in Senegal, he began training in West African dance at age six. Wiles founded The House of Nina Oricci and serves as Creative Director of LES BALLET AFRIK. He has worked with artists including Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, and Madonna, performed at the Joyce Theater and the Guggenheim, and has been featured in Dance Magazine and The New York Times.