Shirley MacLaine, 89, receives the Lifetime Achievement Award from daughter-in-law Annette Bening at the 2023 Industry Dance Awards & Cancer Benefit Show

The dance industry takes center stage at the annual Industry Dance Awards & Cancer Benefit Show at the historic Avalon Theater in Hollywood on Wednesday.

The event will bring together dancers, educators, pioneers and dance icons who will be recognized for their outstanding achievements and artistic contributions in 2023.

As well as celebrating the dance industry’s outstanding achievements and creative contributions over the past year, the event is also part of the global fight against cancer.

Having a deep history in dance, Shirley MacLaine was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award during a ceremony presented by 65-year-old actress Annette Bening.

These two ladies are actually sisters-in-law, as Bening is married to McClane’s brother, Warren Beatty.

McClain, 89, sizzled on the red carpet wearing black trousers, a matching patterned top, a black floral blazer and black flats.

After posing alone for photographers, she also snuggled up with Bening for another set of photos and again with Peter Levine, who appeared to be her date for the evening.

The ceremony was hosted by The Talk co-host Amanda Kloots, a former Broadway dancer and member of the Radio City Rockette.

Other IDA honorees included Alison Faulk (Dance Innovator Award recipient), Jennifer Jones (Dance Role Model Award recipient), and Art and Nancy Stone (Trailblazer Award recipients). Hollywood Reporter.

Other awards given out during the gala included Best Hip Hop Performance, Best Jazz Performance, Best Open Dance/Acro, Best Tap, Best Lyrics, Best New Musical/Musical, People’s Choice” and “Choreography of the Year”.

There was also a star-studded red carpet, amazing performances and a presentation from Dancers Against Cancer (DAC).

This workaround The Industry Dance Awards and Dancers Against Cancer present the first Stephen “tWitch” Legacy of Hope Scholarship.

The scholarship aims to honor Boss’s memory by “passing the torch to a new generation of gifted dancers, encouraging and supporting their continued journey and passion for dance through an annual scholarship.”

The Boss was a dancer, choreographer, actor, DJ and producer who found great success on So You Think You Can Dance and then spent nine years on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Sadly and tragically, the father-of-three took his own life last December at the age of 40 after struggling with his mental health throughout his life.

Hoping to become a ballerina, MacLaine (née Shirley MacLean Beaty) began taking ballet classes when she was just three years old in 1937 to strengthen her weak ankles.

The Richmond, Virginia native eventually moved to New York City to try her hand at acting the summer before her senior year of high school, which led to her having a bit of success with the Oklahoma Choir!

After graduation, she returned to Manhattan and landed a spot in the dance ensemble of the Broadway production of the musical Me and Juliet (1953–1954) at the Majestic Theatre.

She landed another dancing role as an understudy for actress Carol Haney in The Pajama Game (1954) at the Shubert Theater.

In May 1954, Haney injured her ankle during a matinee performance, opening the door for McClain to replace her.

After several months of playing the role of Dancer/Gladys and Haney still being injured, film producer Hal B. Wallis watched one of the shows and decided to sign her to a contract with Paramount Pictures.

She gained fame in the films Around the World in Trouble with Harry (1955), 80 Days (1956), Some Came Running (1958), Ask Any Girl (1959), The Apartment (1960), The Children’s Hour (1961), Irma la Douce (1963) and Sweet Charity (1969).

Eventually, MacLaine landed one of the leading roles in the dramatic film The Turning Point (1977), which focused on the world of ballet in New York and included choreography by George Balanchine and the famous Alvin Ailey, founder of Alvin Ailey American Dance. A theater that is still operating today.

Both MacLaine and co-host Anne Bancroft were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, which were only two of 11 nominations it received.

In addition to MacLaine and Bancroft, the cast also includes Mikhail Baryshnikov, Tom Skerritt, Leslie Brown, Martha Scott, Marshall Thompson, Anthony Zerbe, James Mitchell, Alexandra Danilova, Lisa Lucas, Philip Saunders, Antoinette Sibley, Marshall Thompson, Starr Denias, Anthony. Zerbe and Daniel Levans.

During her distinguished career, MacLaine was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning Best Actress for her emotional performance in the drama film Terms of Endearment (1983).