Janet Jackson, Liza Minelli, Jenna Dewan and Derek Hough were just a few of the luminaries who gathered in the ballroom of the Beverly Hilton on Tuesday to celebrate the dancers, singers and choreographers of the Dancers Against Cancer star-studded gala.
The evening opened with a high-octane performance from Debbie Gibson, featuring energetic dancing as she sang classics like “All That Jazz” and her own hits, including “Shake Your Love.” For the second year in a row, the show was hosted by Dancing with the stars champion Maksim Chmerkovskiy. “I don’t know why they wanted me two years in a row; someone must have told them no,” he joked. “Last year I didn’t get to do anything fun. I stayed there, presented, worked, and left because [wife] Peta [Murgatroyd] was pregnant with our 17th child.
Minelli made a very rare public appearance to introduce Jackson and present him with the Icon Award. The legendary performer – who was last seen in 2022 during her Oscar presentation alongside Lady Gaga – entered the stage in a black chair mounted on a rolling platform, surrounded by dancers performing some of her signature moves.
Speaking of Jackson, she told the crowd: “This award means a lot to me and to be able to give it to someone that I admire and love and always will.” Jackson took the stage to accept her award and after a technical glitch, she explained how her family instilled in her a love of dance from a young age. “I love dancing. I’ve always loved dancing and I remember since I was five or six years old I was always dancing with my brothers at home. They were my first teachers and choreographers.”
Janet Jackson
Shutterstock/John Salangsang
She also highlighted the importance of the dance community in her life, saying, “I want to thank you all for sharing your creativity, but not only that, for your friendship throughout these years. Thank you very much. I want to thank my family for all their support and love and for always encouraging me. I also want to sincerely thank everyone who has been there for me throughout this journey, and I want to thank God for giving me life, for allowing me to have a career and to continue to do what I love and to continue to do what I love. enjoy.”
The pop legend ended her speech to thunderous applause by promising that she would always be a dancer, declaring: “In a few months, more than a few months, maybe six or seven months, I will be 60 years old. I have to tell you, I have no intention of stopping dancing.”
Other winners of the evening included Gibson, who received the Dance Advocate Award, Derek Hough, who received the Innovation Award, and Jojo Siwa, who received the Humanitarian Award. Gala des Étoiles supports Dancers Against Cancer, an organization that provides resources and financial assistance to dancers and their families affected by cancer. To date, DAC has raised $6 million.
