This weekend, the Creative Arts Emmys honored some of the biggest names in dance for Outstanding Choreography. This year was a bit different because the industry has grown and the category was split into two — Variety/Reality and Scripted Programming.
The Emmy for Variety/Reality Programming was awarded on Saturday and the Scripted category was given out on Sunday. Tessandra Chavez (Unity LA, Ashley & Zack) won in the Variety/Reality Programming category for World of Dance and Kathryn Burns won in the Scripted Programming category for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
The win for World of Dance is a sweet one because their inaugural season was completely snubbed when it came to Emmy nominations. For their second and third season, which fell in the same Emmy eligibility period, the show walked away with four nominations in the Outstanding Choreography category.
Chavez, who won an Outstanding Choreography Emmy in 2015 with Derek and Julianne Hough for Dancing With the Stars, shared why this particular nomination was so special to her.
"It feels more special because it is my company," she explained. "I'm being recognized for work that is truly authentic to me, not that my work with Derek and Julianne wasn't authentic, but it's different when it's your heart and soul and it's your baby you birthed when you were 15."
It's also a satisfying conclusion to Season 3 of World of Dance, where the topic of artistry versus tricks was heavily debated. The Kings, who walked away with the $1 million prize, focused more on mind-blowing stunts that season. Unity LA's mission was to deliver beautiful movement and storylines, and that is exactly what Chavez was honored for at Saturday's Creative Arts Emmys. It shows that both have a place in the dance world.
Chavez addressed this topic in the press room after her big win.
"I think just being open to realizing that dance ultimately is about entertainment. As long as you make your audience feel something, you are doing your job," she shared. "If you make them feel something by flipping someone four times or if you make them feel something by reaching your hand out, they are all effective and they are all a win. That is something I aspire to do in my work is to create something honest, authentic and moving to people."
This is an idea dance fans should take with them to Season 4 of World of Dance when this topic comes up again because The Kings and Unity LA proved that the two can coexist and win on the world's biggest stages.
Viewers will have to wait a bit, though. Dance Dish has learned that the next season of World of Dance won't begin taping until January 2020. That means a return to the airwaves isn't likely until late spring or early summer for the show.
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