Surprising winners Dance Audience Awards 2014

After a nerve-wracking final and precise assessment of votes, the winners of the 2014 Dance Audience Award have been announced. Favourite Dance Performance is FADO of International Dance Theatre, Favourite Dancer is Merel Janssen of Introdans Ensemble for Youth.

The winners of the 2014 Oeuvre Prize and Dance Photo of the Year are also known. Artistic director Roel Voorintholt of Introdans received many entries and praise for his commitment to Dutch dance. Photographer Hans Hordijk won the first Dance Photo of the Year election by a large majority. 

Now in its fourth edition, the Dance Audience Award is a coveted award. New this year was an online counter that made voting insightful. Prior to the election, 800 theatre-goers sent in nominations. From a longlist of 105 dancers and 65 dance performances, the public could vote for shortlists of nominees.

For the Dance Photo of the Year, choreographer Hans van Manen and Thomas Cott (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, NY) selected photos from 43 entries. This new category was created to specifically highlight the profession of dance photography.

The Dance Audience Awards will be presented at the premiere of Crazy Blues by Internationaal Danstheater on 23 February at the DeLaMar theatre in Amsterdam and at the performance MODERNlive by Introdans on 6 February at Schouwburg Arnhem.

Here is a list of all the nominees again:

Favourite dance performance

25 years of León & Lightfoot - NDT2

Billy Elliot - Stage Entertainment

YEARS - Introdans Ensemble for Youth

MIRROR MIRROR - Conny Janssen Danst

Swan Lake - The Dutch National Ballet

Heritage - Shailesh Bahoran (Korzo, Spin Off, ISH)

Glass - Isabelle Beernaert

FADO - International Dance Theatre

The Sopranos - ICKamsterdam and Opera Zuid

Well Tempered 10/48 - Rianne Slenema

Favourite Dancer 

Shailesh Bahoran

Vito Mazzeo

Yanaika Holle

Rutkay Ozpinar

Rianne Slenema

Merel Janssen

Francesca Peniguel

Anna-Alicia Sklias

Junior van Keulen

Maya Rust

Dance Photo of the Year

Glass - Bob Karman

MIRROR MIRROR - Leo van Velzen

Smell of Bliss - Dane van Meer

Rob Polmann - Stef Lohstroh

Aligned - Olympe Tits

Dalton Jansen - Hans Hordijk

 

The Dance Audience Award is an intiative of Danspubliek.nl/Proz Media in collaboration the Cultural Press Agency. See also www.danspublieksprijs.nl and www.tomorrow.dance