Tag Archives: Guys and Dolls

Rivera to Receive “Woman of Valor Award” from Victory Dance Project

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It’s a special Victory for Chita Rivera…

The 84-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress, dancer and singer will be honored by the New York-based Victory Dance Project at its third anniversary celebration.

Chita Rivera

Rivera, a Broadway legend, will be presented with the company’s Woman of Valor Award at the celebration at the Manhattan Movement & Arts Center on June 15.

The award honors “a woman whose artistic excellence, advocacy, and legacy represents the highest level of integrity and artistic vision.”

The event, themed From This Movement On, will also include a world premiere piece choreographed by the company’s artistic director Amy Jordan, as well as pieces from the company’s repertoire.

Jordan and Rivera share a similar experience. Victory Dance Project was founded in 2014 by Jordan after she survived a bus accident that nearly claimed her life. She says she resolved that if she survived, she would do a “victory dance” to celebrate, and launched VDP Project with the mission to “Make the Impossible Possible with the Power of Movement.”

Rivera survived a 1986 Manhattan car accident that shattered her left leg. After therapy, she returned to the stage, winning the 1993 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance in Kiss of the Spider-Woman. She had previously won a Tony for her performance in The Rink.

Her additional credits include the original Broadway productions of Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, Can-Can, Chicago, Merlin, The Visit and her autobiographical musical, Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life.

“We are thrilled to be honoring the amazing Chita Rivera with Victory Dance Project’s Woman of Valor Award. I can’t think of a more apt recipient—Her incredible talent, spirit and strength inspire us on so many levels—she is truly a woman of valor,” said Jordan in an interview with Playbill.

Fernandez Wins the Men’s Gold at Rostelecom Cup Grand Prix

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Javier Fernandez has added another title to his resume…

The 24-year-old Spanish figure skater won the men’s gold at the Rostelecom Cup Grand Prix on Saturday, after powering back from a disappointing short program.

Javier Fernandez

Fernandez, the reigning world champion, wasn’t able to do a quad in his short program on Friday, but opened his free skate with two of them, tacking a triple toeloop onto the second one in his cheerful program to music from Guys and Dolls.

But his aim of doing three failed when he launched badly and fell after two rotations.

“I was just so excited that the program was going so well, and I went into that third quad and made a mistake,” he said.

Russian Adian Pitkeev picked up silver, his first Grand Prix medal, despite a troubled free skate that placed him fifth in the segment and dropped him from the lead after the short. Skating last because of that lead, he was unnerved by watching others do well.

“I must admit it was hard to get my act together,” said Pitkeev, who tried only one quad and then took a hard fall on a triple axel. Toward the end I played it safe and conservative after that fall.”

Ross Miner won bronze, to his surprise because he thought he had been outdone by fellow American Adam Rippon. But Miner’s score was revised to upgrade the level of one of his spins.