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Janet Jackson, Liza Minelli, Jenna Dewan and Derek Hough were just a few of the luminaries who gathered in the Beverly Hilton ballroom on Tuesday to celebrate dancers, singers and choreographers at the Dancers Against Cancer Gala of the Stars.
The night opened with a high-octane performance by 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 would have me two years in a row; someone must have said no to them," he joked. "Last year, I didn't get to do anything fun. I just stood here, I presented, I worked, and I left because [wife] Peta [Murgatroyd] was pregnant with our 17th child."
Minelli made a very rare public appearance to introduce Jackson and present her with the Icon Award. The legendary performer -- who was last widely seen in 2022 when presenting at the Oscars alongside Lady Gaga -- entered the stage in a black easy chair mounted on a rolling platform, surrounded by dancers performing some of her signature moves.
Speaking of Jackson, she told the crowd, "This award is so important to me, and to be able to give it to someone who I admire and love and always will." Jackson took the stage to accept her award and after a tech snafu, she spoke about how her family inspired her love of dancing from a young age. "I love dance. I've always loved dance, and I remember, since I was five or six years old, always dancing with my brothers around the house. They were my first teachers and choreographers."
She also noted how important the dance community was in her life, saying, "I want to thank all of you guys for sharing your creativity, but not just that, for your friendship through all these years. Thank you so much. I want to thank my family for their entire support and love and for always encouraging me. I also want to sincerely thank everyone who's been there for me throughout this entire journey, and I want to thank God for giving me life, allowing me to have a career and to continue to do what I love and still enjoy."
The pop legend ended her speech to thundering applause by promising she would always be a dancer, declaring, "In a few -- more than a few -- months, maybe six or seven months, I'm going to be 60 years old. I have to tell you, I have no plans to stop dancing."
The night's other winners included Gibson, who received the Dance Advocate award, Derek Hough, who received the Innovator Award and Jojo Siwa, who received the Humanitarian Award. Gala of the Stars 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.