Excellency (Ms Bussemaker), Mr Mayor (Mr Kaiser), ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our home theatre, to the premiere of Introdans' performance MODERNlive.
It is my special pleasure to welcome you on behalf of the board. The dancers of Introdans are already ready, but before that happens, I ask your attention for a short ceremony. In recent months, the public has been able to nominate for the 2014 Dance Audience Award.
These awards are an initiative of Danspubliek.nl in collaboration with the Cultural Press Agency. We were very happy to learn that several Introdans dancers and performances were longlisted. In the end, one performance and one dancer per company could get a final nomination. Until last Saturday night, the public could cast a vote on the shortlist. Our performance JARIG, by the Introdans Ensemble for Youth reached third place. We are very proud of that.
But ladies and gentlemen, in the Favourite Dancer 2014 category, Merel Janssen, dancer with Introdans Ensemble for Youth, came first. So Merel wins the award in the Favourite Dancer 2014 category. I would like to ask Merel to come forward.
Merel, the public nominated you for this award and I briefly say what comments came in about you:
- She is the reason I go to the theatre.
- It is her combination of quality, talent and charisma. She is incredibly good.
- She is such an amazing inspiring dancer. A super talent.
- Merel is a fantastic performer on stage.
- I got excited about dance performances through Merel. She is a topper!!!
- She has the most beautiful ballet feet ever (high instep) and she visibly strives for perfection.
Merel, it is my pleasure to present you with the 2014 Dance Audience Award. Congratulations!
And last-but-not-least ladies and gentlemen. The Dance Audience Award organisers also received nominations in the Oeuvre Prize category. For this category, the public could only nominate, not vote. The number of nominations determined the winner.
And I am particularly pleased that early this week it was announced that the winner of the 2014 Oeuvre Prize is Introdans artistic director Roel Voorintholt.
I ask Roel to come forward.
Roel, how great is this. I would also like to tell you what the public wrote like when they nominated you:
- Great admiration for all the great things at Introdans. He propels Introdans Ensemble for Youth to a fantastic level.
- His fantastic come back this year means so much to Introdans. What a fighter, deep respect!
- Roel Voorintholt has managed to put on a very well-balanced show for and by young people with the performance JARIG, and in doing so he has shown daring by the high level of the performance.
- He is an exceptional person, as an artistic director and he brought always great performances on stages of the Netherlands and abroad. He treats his dancers with humanity, sensitivity and love.
Roel, it is my great honour to present you with the 2014 Oeuvre Prize. Congratulations!
English (UK) 
Nederlands 
Français 
