The inaugural Dance Hall of Fame ceremony was held on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at the Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center, honoring the artists, innovators and visionaries who have shaped the art form and inspired generations. Honorees were presented with a limited-edition “Music is Love” crystal heart, originally crafted by Lalique in collaboration with Sir Elton John in support of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

The first class of inductees honors ten icons whose artistry transcends time: Alvin Ailey, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, Misty Copeland, Bob Fosse, Martha Graham, Gene Kelly, Kenny Ortega, Jerome Robbins and Twyla Tharp.

Each inductee represents a defining era and influence in dance:

Alvin Ailey

Founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey transformed modern dance with choreography rooted in African American cultural experience. His landmark masterpiece Revelations remains one of the most performed and beloved modern dance pieces in history. Through his company, school and outreach programs, Ailey broke barriers, elevated Black voices and celebrated the power of the human spirit, redefining the possibilities of movement.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Widely regarded as one of the greatest ballet dancers of all time, Baryshnikov’s career spans the Kirov Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet. His technical mastery, emotional depth and groundbreaking performances brought ballet to mainstream audiences around the world. Beyond dance, the Academy Award and Tony Award nominee has become a cultural icon and a passionate advocate for the arts.

Stephen “tWitch” Boss

“tWitch” studied hip-hop from an early age and grew to create a style all his own that spoke to a new generation of dancers. He rose to fame as a runner-up on Season 4 of TV’s “So You Think You Can Dance” and then as a DJ and dancer on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” His unique style took him into the world of film with “Step Up 2” and the “Magic Mike” franchise. He returned to SYTYCD as an All-Star, choreographer, mentor and judge.

Misty Copeland

In 2015, Copeland made history as the first African American woman promoted to principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre (ABT). Known for her artistry and athleticism, she has performed lead roles in “Swan Lake,” “The Nutcracker” and “Firebird.” She recently took her final bow with ABT on Oct. 22. Offstage, she continues to champion diversity and accessibility in ballet through her foundation, The Misty Copeland Foundation. She additionally founded Life in Motion Productions, a production company with a mission to expose audiences to inspiring and entertaining art and culture-based stories.

Bob Fosse

A founder of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Fosse remains one of the most influential figures in Broadway and film history. The only person ever to win an Oscar, Emmy and Tony Award for directing in the same year, he earned eight Tony Awards overall, more than any other choreographer. His distinct, instantly recognizable style, turned-in knees, hunched shoulders, and syncopated precision, revolutionized musical theater. Through works such as” “Cabaret,” All That Jazz,” “Chicago,” “Sweet Charity” and “Pippin,” Fosse redefined the art form and left a legacy that continues to inspire generations of dancers and storytellers.

Martha Graham

Named the “Dancer of the Century” in 1999 by Time Magazine, Graham was one of the great pioneers of American Dance and developed a powerful new movement vocabulary based on contraction and release. Her choreography redefined expression through dance and continues to influence generations of choreographers and performers. The Martha Graham Dance Company, founded by Graham in 1926, remains one of the world’s most respected and celebrated dance companies.

Gene Kelly

Kelly brought athleticism and charisma to dance in film, redefining the male dancer’s image in Hollywood musicals. Known for classics like “Singin’ in the Rain” and “An American in Paris,” he choreographed and co-directed iconic sequences that combined cinematic innovation with timeless joy. His work forever linked dance with film as a storytelling art form.

Kenny Ortega

Known as “The Quintessential Music Man,” Ortega has directed, choreographed and created some of the most beloved cultural touchstones of all time, including “Dirty Dancing,” “Newsies,” “Hocus Pocus” and the “High School Musical” and “The Descendants” franchises, among many others. Ortega also discovered and platformed the careers of stars such as young Christian Bale, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Charlie Gillespie, among others, as well as worked with Miley Cyrus, The Cheetah Girls and The Jonas Brothers. A protégé of Gene Kelly, he began his career choreographing for music legends, including The Tubes, Elton John, Cher, Gloria Estefan, The Pointer Sisters, Gladys Knight, Fleetwood Mac and Diana Ross, before also moving into film and television. He served as Michael Jackson’s longtime creative partner and concert director.

Jerome Robbins

A towering figure in both ballet and Broadway, Robbins’ genius extended from “West Side Story” and “Fiddler on the Roof” to “The King and I” and “Gypsy.” He combined narrative precision with emotional movement, earning two Academy Awards for the film “West Side Story” in addition to four Tony Awards, five Donaldson Awards, an Emmy Award, the Screen Directors’ Guild Award and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. Robbins was a 1981 Kennedy Center Honors Recipient and was awarded the French Chevalier dans l’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur.

Twyla Tharp

A trailblazer in modern choreography, Tharp has created more than 125 works that fuse classical technique with contemporary rhythm and emotion. Her innovations have spanned ballet, Broadway and film, earning her Tony Awards, Kennedy Center Honors and a National Medal of Arts.

Conceived by Emmy Award–winning choreographer and producer Anita Mann and seven-time Emmy-winning director and producer Louis J. Horvitz, the Dance Hall of Fame is the first institution ever created to recognize the cultural impact of dance and its greatest contributors.