At 91, Shirley MacLaine Shares How Dancing Keeps Her Going in a Special Awards Show Moment

Shirley MacLaine on Dec. 3, 2025.
Credit :

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

Shirley MacLaine made a notable appearance at the inaugural Dance Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Wednesday, December 3. The 91-year-old Academy Award winner was honored with the event’s first Lifetime Achievement Award, which will now bear her name moving forward.

Held at the Gloria Kaufmann Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, the ceremony featured MacLaine, who expressed her deep appreciation for the recognition. “Getting an award for dancing is the most important acknowledgement I could have. I mean that,” she stated during her acceptance speech. Reflecting on her journey with dance, she shared, “My mother took me to dancing class when I was three because I had weak ankles and I fell in love with it… from that day on, I went to class every day until my sixties. I would have to say that dance, what I’ve learned being part of it is why I’m still here.”

MacLaine’s appearance comes after she was recently spotted dining in Malibu, California, on November 25 and 29. On these occasions, she was photographed enjoying meals with friends and her assistant at Kristy’s Village Cafe.

Shirley MacLaine on Dec. 3, 2025.

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

In her acceptance speech, MacLaine encouraged others to embrace the art of dance. “I would recommend if anybody out there is wondering what to do with their life, I would recommend ballet class. I’m not kidding. That’s what I learned,” she urged. She elaborated on the profound lessons gained through ballet, emphasizing its importance in understanding life, movement, discipline, and art.

At the ceremony, MacLaine was joined by iconic dancers Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gene Kelly, Misty Copeland, and others, all recognized as the Dance Hall of Fame’s inaugural inductees. Notable figures like Channing Tatum were present to honor the memory of the late dancer Stephen "Twitch" Boss, who tragically passed away in 2022.

MacLaine last appeared on screen in the 2022 film American Dreamer and featured in two episodes of Only Murders in the Building the same year.