Dance prizes 2021 have been awarded!

Maastricht, 2 October 2021

Last night, during the Dutch Dance Day Gala in Theater aan het Vrijthof, the Dance Prizes were awarded.
Choreographer duo Emio Greco and Pieter C. Scholten received the Golden Swan from Minister van Engelshoven, in appreciation of their great contribution to Dutch dance. The Swan for Most Impressive Dance Production was awarded to 'De Panter' by Dunja Jocic. Dancer Chloé Albaret received the Swan for Most Impressive Dance Performance for her role in Edward Clug's 'Aperture'. Traditionally, the Swans of the Association of Theater and Concert Building Directors (VSCD) are an important part of the Dutch Dance Days.

Choreographer Dalton Jansen heard his name as the winner of the Prize of the Dutch Dance Days Maastricht 2021. In his acceptance speech, he agreed to share the prize with the two other nominees, Lonneke van Leth and Joop Oonk. The municipality of Maastricht decided to increase the prize money to €15,000, €5,000 per maker.

Choreographer/theatre maker Honey Eavis took home the Prize of the Dutch Dance Days Young Audience 2021. These incentive prizes are intended to create new and innovative work, the result of which will premiere next year during the Dansdagen. That is extra special this year, because the Dance Days will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2022.

Choreographer, visual artist and guest of honor of the Dutch Dance Days 2021, Toer van Schayk, received the first Dance Pin during the Dutch Dance Days Gala tonight as a sign of recognition for the knowledge, wisdom and idiosyncrasy that he has contributed to the dance field for decades. A jewel for dance, for a jewel for dance, as a symbol of continuity and marking our cultural memory. Designed by Trudi van Schaik.

Golden Swan – Emio Greco and Pieter C. Scholten
The Gouden Zwaan has been awarded to a duo of choreographers who, since the start of their collaboration in 1995, have made an unmistakable contribution to Dutch dance. The national and international image of their work also played a role. That scope was immediately manifest in their trilogy 'Fra Cervello e Movimento' (between brain and movement). Since then, their work has been a relentless search for the intuitive body and its motives.

The jury: “Emio Greco and Pieter C. Scholten rebel against the view of the body as subordinate to the mind. Our thinking needs the body as an inexhaustible source of experience and knowledge. Their performances bear witness to this ongoing exploration of the embodied experience that precedes language. Over the past decades, the choreographies by Emio Greco and Pieter C. Scholten have proved to be a rich source for formulating a new dance vocabulary by continually exploring the theatrical space between meaning and form. The dancer's body is a tabula rasa for them, which describes a journey during each performance around the question of what it means to be human. The intensity of their artistry made the jury decide to award them the Golden Swan.”

Most Impressive Dance Production – 'The Panther' by Dunja Jocic
The livestream of the show 'De Panter' shows a man moving into an apartment. But does it really exist or only in the digital world? On an almost empty stage, Dunja Jocic and her team manage to make the situation almost tangible with the voice of Ramsey Nasr and the sophisticated lighting design. Supported by the driving soundscape, Jocic creates an eerie, oppressive atmosphere. In the shadows dwells a panther, watching for its prey. A wondrous duo invades the apartment. Sometimes they move almost clownishly, sometimes menacingly. They appear and disappear again and drive the man mad. A particularly engaging Simon Bus dances the central role.

The jury: “Jocic knows how to flawlessly transfer her dance language to her dancers, who have different dance backgrounds, without losing their individuality. Jocic's dance language has an electrical charge and an alienating effect. Jocic ensures that the dancers find each other where necessary, and that they operate clearly separately when required. Under her leadership, they deliver an exceptional performance. Even via livestream, the energy still splashes off the stage, thanks in part to the good camera work. 'De Panter' is meticulously constructed and the various theatrical elements and media reinforce each other. The performance is mature and exciting at the same time.”

Most Impressive Dance Performance – Chloé Albaret in 'Aperture'
Choreography Edward Clug at Nederlands Dans Theater 1

The jury: “This season too, Chloé Albaret attracted the eyes of all spectators in the performances of the Nederlands Dans Theater. Albaret has mastered the dance languages ​​of various choreographers to perfection and adds an extra mysterious, theatrical layer to her interpretations. In 'Aperture' she switches in a phenomenal way between restrained emotions and expressive desire. Her mastery of Edward Clug's dance language is convincing and delicate in sharp, angular movements with a soft human touch.”

The jury
The nominees and winners of the Swans are determined by the VSCD dance jury, which is also the program editors of the Nederlandse Dansdagen. Approximately ten performances that express the developments in Dutch dance will be selected and will be shown during the festival. The 2021 jury consists of: Rob van Steen (jury chairman, director of Theaters Tilburg), Iselle Claassens (programmer Parktheater Eindhoven and artistic coordinator The Ruggeds), Brigitte De Goeij (De Goeij Cultuur en Zaken), Geesje Prins (head of program Amare), Swantje Schäuble (teacher Theory Lucia Marthas Institute for Performing Arts and De Nationale Ballet Academy), Marcelle Schots (editor-in-chief and critic Movement Exposed Critical Space and owner Movement Exposed Gallery Space), Leo Spreksel (dramaturgist and advisor), Violien Vocks (programmer Parkstad Limburg Theaters ).

Winner Dalton Jansen
Young choreographer Dalton Jansen uses Antillean culture and his place and role in it as inspiration for his creations, with themes such as inclusion and diversity. He combines multiple disciplines, such as spoken word, hip hop, contemporary and break dance. The jury unanimously chose him as the winner: “The jury characterizes Dalton Jansen as an autonomous, artisan-oriented maker, who knows how to create a clear dance language with diverse dancers. With his activist method he is able to connect with a wide audience, which often does not yet find its way to the theater and can identify with his work. A valuable addition to the Dutch dance landscape.” With his new, as yet untitled production, he wants to add research into Rastafari and reggae to his vocabulary.

The jury, led by festival director Ronald Wintjens, also consisted of Helmy Koolen, manager of Economy and Culture at the Municipality of Maastricht, choreographer/dramaturg Hans Tuerlings and Jop Vermeesch, artistic leader of the HFC crew. This year the jury panel was reinforced with Marc Maris, dance programmer Korzo, and Jolanda Spoel, director of the Bijlmer Parktheater.

Winner Honey Eavis
Choreographer/theatre maker Honey Eavis considers herself a 'hip hop head'. She specializes in black social dance forms, working with large, diverse groups and combining hip-hop with other art forms. From the jury report: “This is a token of appreciation for the potential that Honey Eavis shows to leave a mark on the Dutch youth dance world with her hip-hop dance for a young audience. The jury is impressed by her clear motives. With her hip-hop dance for children, she taps into a new audience, linking her own experiences with the environment of the young target group. Moreover, as a woman she has a pioneering role in the hip-hop world. The award is a recognition for her interactive and inclusive way of working, which hopefully opens new doors for her.”

In addition to chairman and festival director Ronald Wintjens, the jury committee consisted of journalist/reviewer Wendy Lubberding, Rinus Sprong, artistic director De Dutch Don't Dance Division, choreographer/artistic director Stefan Ernst choreographer, marketing consultant Janneke Schmeitz and choreographer/artistic director Josephine van Rheenen.