DANCE EUROPE’S DANCER OF THE YEAR

[capybara]

As always at this time of year, Dance Europe’s regular critics based in the UK and abroad nominate their personal Dancer of the Year.

For the 2022/23 season, their top picks (in alphabetical order) are:

Elisa Badenes (Stuttgart)

Victor Caixeta (Dutch National)

Alina Cojocaru (Hamburg and freelance)

Guillaume Diop (POB)

Emma Hawes (ENB)

Catherine Hurlin (ABT)

Fumi Kaneko (RB)

Laura Morera (RB)

Marianela Nunez (RB)

Giorgi Potskhishvili (DNB)

Laurretta Summerscales (Munich)

Lorenzo Trossello (ENB)

 

Anyone who wishes to register a vote for one of these amazing artists may do so before 31st October. Nominations need to be accompanied by your own name and submitted by email to media@danceeurope.net or by text to

+44 (0)7542770072.

 

It’s certainly an interesting list, one which makes choosing very hard.

[Ondine]

There's a wee film too, to enjoy and help make choices!

 

 

 

 

[MAB]

Just one dancer or are there male and female categories?

[capybara]

Just now, MAB said:

Just one dancer or are there male and female categories?

You can vote for just one.

[capybara]

58 minutes ago, Ondine said:

There's a wee film too, to enjoy and help make choices!

 

I’ve just watched this and have found that a compilation of the RB’s 2023 Principals comes up next. Also worth a look.

[Ondine]

10 minutes ago, capybara said:

RB’s 2023 Principals comes up next

 

Yes I watched it too, with a cuppa,  and a lovely unexpected treat wasn't it?

 

For those who need to search YouTube (I won't link)

From

 

BalletReels

Principals of the Royal Ballet | 2023  

 

[Sim]

2 hours ago, MAB said:

Just one dancer or are there male and female categories?

No categories on this one....just the Dancer of the Year.

[Linnzi5]

2 hours ago, capybara said:

 

I’ve just watched this and have found that a compilation of the RB’s 2023 Principals comes up next. Also worth a look.

I  watched this yesterday and it's lovely!  

[NiniGabriel]

My personal choice for the Dancer of the year 2023 in the Critics Choice of Dance Europe Magazin:

 

Elisa Badenes.

 

Not a big name - yet. But a wonderful dancer and ARTIST!!! Deeply touching in every single performance.

 

She is very well presented by the critics:

 

Quote

Few dancers achieve such a level of technical prowess while maintaining an inquisitive and playful approach to performing. Badenes proved this combination most remarkably as Clara this season in Edward Clug's new Nutcracker; she showed a real person in this role - a thinking, feeling personality. And yet she can tackle any challenge thrown at her, from the emotional whirlwind as Tatiana in Cranko's Onegin, to technical feats in any of the classics, and to innovative ways in moving and interacting in contemporary works.

 

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxiGeOAILlS/

 

It's just a bit of a shame (in my humble opinion!) that the YouTube video shows her in a clip that doesn't really emphasize her skills. For example, the final pas de deux from "Onegin" (or at least an excerpt from it) would highlight it much better...

[Mary]

I watched this last night and was struck by how she was just - dancing the role  rather than performing a series of difficult steps and postures - a distinction someone else has made often on this forum. A really charming dancer I shall look out for.

 

 

[capybara]

12 minutes ago, NiniGabriel said:

It's just a bit of a shame (in my humble opinion!) that the YouTube video shows her in a clip that doesn't really emphasize her skills. 

It’s interesting that you should say that @NiniGabriel as the dancer I have voted for isn’t (in my view) shown to advantage in the reel either.

However I suspect that each of us who votes will be doing so on the basis of performances we have seen recently in person.

[FionaM]

I’d guess the voting will depend on public followers who bother to email.  Not on ability or artistry.  So those dancers with higher quantity of followers due to presence elsewhere at galas or guesting in other countries will likely win.

 

I wonder how many votes Dance Europe receive in total ?

[MAB]

As I've not seen all the dancers named I don't feel qualified to vote, however of those I'm familiar with Guillaume Diop gave the finest performance I saw in the past year in songs of a Wayfarer.  Not a showy role, it was his expressiveness and sensitivity that made such a deep impression.

[capybara]

1 hour ago, FionaE said:

I’d guess the voting will depend on public followers who bother to email.  Not on ability or artistry.  So those dancers with higher quantity of followers due to presence elsewhere at galas or guesting in other countries will likely win.

 

I wonder how many votes Dance Europe receive in total ?

I posted about the opportunity for public participation on here because I thought it might result in an increase in the number of votes being cast, and knowledgeable ones at that. I have no idea how many returns Dance Europe normally receives but, surely, the more the merrier.

And, apart from ENB’s People’s Choice, it is the only chance which we, as ballet-goers, get to have a say as to who ‘wins’ - even if the options are limited.

 

 

Edited September 28, 2023 by capybara

[Sabine0308]

Voting by email is so old school 🙄

[NiniGabriel]

10 hours ago, Mary said:

... how she was just - dancing the role  rather than performing a series of difficult steps and postures...

 

 

 

I couldn't have said it better. Thank you!

[Tebasile]

On 28/09/2023 at 12:21, NiniGabriel said:

My personal choice for the Dancer of the year 2023 in the Critics Choice of Dance Europe Magazin:

 

Elisa Badenes.

 

Not a big name - yet. But a wonderful dancer and ARTIST!!! Deeply touching in every single performance.

 

She is very well presented by the critics:

 

 

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxiGeOAILlS/

 

It's just a bit of a shame (in my humble opinion!) that the YouTube video shows her in a clip that doesn't really emphasize her skills. For example, the final pas de deux from "Onegin" (or at least an excerpt from it) would highlight it much better...

She is also lovely as Olga in the recent Stuttgart Onegin recording. 

[FionaM]

Surely Elisa Badenes is a big name in Stuttgart?  Probably their top ballerina now.  
 

She was fabulous as Mary Vetsera in their Mayerling stream during pandemic alongside Friedemann Vogel.  
 

I’ve seen clips only of her Tatiana in Onegin (again with Friedemann) and those were heartbreaking.  

[NiniGabriel]

16 minutes ago, FionaE said:

Surely Elisa Badenes is a big name in Stuttgart?  Probably their top ballerina now.  
 

She was fabulous as Mary Vetsera in their Mayerling stream during pandemic alongside Friedemann Vogel.  
 

I’ve seen clips only of her Tatiana in Onegin (again with Friedemann) and those were heartbreaking.  

 

You are absolutely right that Elisa Badenes IS a big name in Stuttgart. Here she is certainly the leading ballerina after the retirement of Sue Jin Kang and Alicia Amatriain (although I wasn't necessarily a fan of the latter...).

 

What I meant by "not a big name" was more related to her standing in the ballet world, compared to, say, Nunez or Cojocaru.

[capybara]

53 minutes ago, NiniGabriel said:

What I meant by "not a big name" was more related to her standing in the ballet world, compared to, say, Nunez or Cojocaru.

 

Not wishing to turn this thread into an Elisa Badenes 'fansite' but I can't help adding that she spent her last year of training at the RBS but was not offered an RB contract even though she was obviously an exceptional talent. IIRC she and Vadim Muntagirov danced together during that RBS year.

[San Perregrino]

though he may be a youngster compared to several of the nominees and not yet as widely known, having seen Lorenzo Trossello dance in several productions for both NBT and ENB in the past two years, i can fully understand why he has been nominated for Dancer of the Year. his performances go from strength to strength and he possesses that 'je ne sais quoi' charisma that lights up a stage.

[Mary]

1 hour ago, capybara said:

 

Not wishing to turn this thread into an Elisa Badenes 'fansite' but I can't help adding that she spent her last year of training at the RBS but was not offered an RB contract even though she was obviously an exceptional talent. IIRC she and Vadim Muntagirov danced together during that RBS year.

I would like to see that!

[emmarose]

On 28/09/2023 at 17:28, Sabine0308 said:

Voting by email is so old school 🙄

 

This is such a strange way to vote, just odd.