Sadler's Wells Unveils Rose International Dance Prize Shortlist

Sadler's Wells has unveiled the inaugural shortlist of the Rose International Dance Prize, a biennial prize for new dance creations in any style, showcasing some of the most inventive and daring choreographers at work today

Monday 29 April 2024, International Dance Day. The Rose International Dance Prize consists of the Rose category, for established choreographers presenting a full-length performance of 50 minutes or longer, and the Bloom category, for emerging choreographers with a maximum of ten years' experience.

A prize of £40,000 will be awarded to the Rose category winner and a prize for £15,000 will be awarded to the Bloom category winner. There will also be an opportunity for audiences to have their say, with an online vote to choose an audience winner.

With representation from across the globe, the shortlisted acts come from Taiwan, France, Brazil, America, Israel, Portugal and Greece, showcasing the breadth and depth of international talent in choreography. Four Rose Prize productions and three Bloom Prize productions have been shortlisted by a process involving 14 international nominators (presenters, artists, producers and writers), followed by a refined selection process by six selectors, who nominated the seven international shortlisted productions

The Rose Prize shortlist:

An Untitled Love by Kyle Abraham (A.I.M by Kyle Abraham)

2013 MacArthur Fellowship recipient Kyle Abraham has been nominated for An Untitled Love, which depicts Black love and community in the USA, with reference also to seminal work by the musician D'Angelo.

CARCAÇA by Marco da Silva Ferreira

Portuguese choreographer Marco da Silva Ferreira's works take note from contemporary clubbing and traditional Portuguese dance.

Larsen C by Christos Papadopoulos

Nominated for his work Larsen C, named after the vast Antarctic ice sheet which broke away in 2017, Greek choreographer Christos Papadopoulos's work explores the universal patterns of change and the monumental shifts occurring around the world.

Encantado by Lia Rodrigues

Brazilian choreographer Lia Rodrigues has been directing her dance company since 1990. In 2004 she moved the company to Rio's Favela de la Maré where, together with the NGO Redes da Maré, she created an Art Center and a Dance School providing professional training to young dancers from the favela and elsewhere. Her nominated work, Encantado, is inspired by notions of enchantment.

The Bloom Prize shortlist:

Sepia by Stav Struz Boutrous

Sepia was created during the pandemic as part of Stav Struz Boutrous' investigation into her Georgian heritage and the war dances of her ancestors. Sepia weaves symbols of peace, ritual and domesticity between movements lifted from traditional war dance, reflecting Stav's continued commitment to sharing messages of peace in times of conflict.

Maldonne by Leïla Ka

French choreographer Leïla Ka is nominated for Maldonne, a highly evocative piece which sees five female dancers perform in forty different dresses, exploring the fragilities, rebellion and multiple identities that co-exist within femininity.

Beings by Wang Yeu-Kwn

Yeu-Kwn is a Taiwanese choreographer and dancer whose nominated work, Beings, reflects the fragility of intimacy based on his experiences during Covid. The work centers around the idea that our existence leaves traces, which in turn tell stories. This is reflected in the use of paper and ink in the work.

Sir Alistair Spalding CBE, Sadler's Wells Artistic Director and Co-Chief Executive, said:
"We're delighted to be revealing the shortlist for the inaugural Rose International Dance Prize today. Nominations were put forward by experts from seven regions of the world and the shortlist reflects that internationalism and showcases the diversity of the dance form. We want the prize to push the boundaries of the art form, to spark conversations, and promote experimentation. We would like The Rose Prize to do for dance what the Turner Prize has done for visual arts, what the Booker has done for publishing. We are extremely grateful for the generous donation that has made this possible and look forward to sharing work from seven artists at the top of their game."

The seven finalists will present their work on Sadler's Wells' stages from 29 January - 8 February 2025, so that the public and jury will be able to see the work live. The winners will be decided by a jury and the award will be designed by renowned artist and stage designer, Es Devlin CBE. The winners will be announced on Monday, 10 February 2025.

The Rose International Dance Prize has been made possible by a generous donation to Sadler's Wells from an anonymous individual who chose the name Rose for the prize. The donation will support the inaugural prize in 2025, and future iterations, which will take place every two years.

For more information about each performance, to watch a brief video of the shortlist performances and to purchase tickets to the shortlist performances in January and February 2025, please visit: https://www.sadlerswells.com/the-rose-prize-2025

On most evenings audiences will have the opportunity to see a Bloom Prize and Rose Prize show in the same evening. Tickets go on sale to Sadler's Wells Patrons on Friday 3 May, Rehearsal Members on Monday 6 May, Members on Wednesday 8 May and on general sale on Friday 10 May 2024.

A full list of performances is below:

The Bloom Prize

Stav Struz Boutrous - Sepia

Lilian Baylis Studio

Wed 29 and Thu 30 Jan, 7pm

Leïla Ka - Maldonne

Lilian Baylis Studio

Tue 4 and Wed 5 Feb, 7pm

Wang Yeu-Kwn - Beings

Lilian Baylis Studio

Fri 7 and Sat 8 Feb, 7pm

The Rose Prize

Kyle Abraham (A.I.M) - An Untitled Love

Sadler's Wells Theatre

Wed 29 and Thu 30 Jan, 8.30pm

Marco da Silva Ferreira - CARCAÇA

Sadler's Wells Theatre

Sat 1 and Sun 2 Feb, 8.30pm

Christos Papadopoulos - Larsen C

Sadler's Wells Theatre

Tue 4 and Wed 5 Feb, 8.30pm

Lia Rodrigues - Encantado

Sadler's Wells Theatre

Fri 7 and Sat 8 Feb, 8.30pm

CARCAÇA is co-presented with Dance Umbrella & Big Pulse Dance Alliance

To post a comment, you must register and login.