Finalists have been announced for the 2023 Clive Barnes Award in Dance and Theatre. Presented by the Clive and Valerie Barnes Foundation (CVBF), the awards body honors promising young talent. Two winners — one in the field of theater and one in dance — are named annually. The awards ceremony will be held on April 29 at Manhattan’s Florence Gould Hall.
The theater finalists include Lark White and Anna Zavelson as well as Jordan Dobson and Liam Pearce, both of whom appeared on the Main Stem in 2023. Dobson played the role of Prince Sebastian in “Bad Cinderella,” and rejoined the company of “A Beautiful Noise” as a swing, having previously appeared in the ensemble when the musical opened in 2022. Pearce made his Broadway debut as Drew in “How to Dance in Ohio.”
The finalists in the discipline of dance are Michael de la Nuez, Frances Lorraine Samon, Jake Roxander and Mac Twining.
Nominations are based on a live performance given in New York City in the calendar year of 2023. Each winner will receive $5,000.
Frank DiLella will host the ceremony, while Tony Award-winning actor Nina Arianda and Norton Owen, director of preservation for youth dance school Jacob’s Pillow will serve as presenters. Arianda won the 2009 Clive Barnes Award for theater, four years prior to her Leading Actress in a Play Tony win for “Venus in Fur.” The ceremony will include performances from dancers Zoey Anderson, Christopher Bloom, Gilbert Bolden III and Mira Nadon, and actor Evan Ruggiero.
"We are delighted to honor this year’s finalists and winners, and to expand the celebration of young emerging talent with special performances by our alumni in theater and dance,” said Lloyd Mayor, CVBF president in a statement. “The foundation has planned a thrilling and vibrant award ceremony, a showcase of the best in today’s performing arts.”
Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled Anna Zavelson’s name. This has been corrected.
