Vadim Muntagirov wins the Benois de la Danse Best Male Dancer Category for 2013.

[aileen]

Congratulations to him and to British ballet as one who has trained and worked in the UK for the last seven years.

[Jane S]

He won jointly with Alban Lendorf, I believe - double delight for me!

[aileen]

Sorry, I didn't realise that he had won jointly with Alban Lendorf. Congratulations to Alban as well. How apt that they both danced the same role in Etudes in London recently. Let's hope that we see Alban in London again soon: a great dancer, and a good sport for coming to London to dance twice at short notice, with a performance in Denmark sandwiched in between.

[Irmgard]

I thought it might be interesting for readers to see all the nominations. Excerpts from all the pieces named were danced.  Vadim Muntagirov danced the Act III pas de deux from "The Sleeping Beauty" with Daria Klimentova who was not nominated this year (not sure if there is an age limit for dancers).

 

Nominees of Benois de la Danse-2013

CHOREOGRAPHERS:
HANS VAN MANEN — Variations for Two Couples, B. Britten, E. Rautavaara, S. Kovács Tickmayer, A. Piazolla. Dutch National Ballet,
JUSTIN PECK — Year of the Rabbit, S. Stevens. New York City Ballet,
CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON — Cinderella, S. Prokofiev. Dutch National Ballet,
GEORGE WILLIAMSON — Firebird, I. Stravisky. English National Ballet;

BALLERINAS:
GUDRUN BOYESEN — Marguerite Gautier in The Lady of Camellias, F. Chopin/J. Neumeier. Royal Danish Ballet,
MARIA KOCHETKOVA — Tatiana in Onegin, P. Tchaikovsky/J. Cranko. San-Francisco Ballet,
KSENIA OVSYANICK — The title role in Firebird, I. Stravinsky/G. Williamson. English National Ballet,
EKATERINA PETINA — Broken Fall, B. Adamson/R. Maliphant. Bavarian State Ballet,
OLGA SMIRNOVA — Nikia in La Bayadère, L. Minkus/M. Petipa, version by Y. Grigorovich; Aspicia in Pharaoh's Daughter, C. Pugni/P. Lacotte after M. Petipa; Anastasia in Ivan the Terrible, S. Prokofiev/Y. Grigorovich; Principal in Diamonds of Jewels, P. Tchaikovsky/G. Balanchine. Bolshoi Theatre of Russia,
ANNA TSIGANKOVA — The title role in Cinderella, S. Prokofiev/Ch. Wheeldon. Dutch National Ballet;

DANCERS:
TARAS DOMITRO — Lensky in Onegin, P. Tchaikovsky/J. Cranko. San-Francisco Ballet,
MATTHEW GOLDING — Prince in Cinderella, S. Prokofiev/Ch. Wheeldon. Dutch National Ballet,
VLADISLAV LANTRATOV — Solor in La Bayadère, L. Minkus/M. Petipa, version by Y. Grigorovich; the title role in Ivan the Terrible, S. Prokofiev/Y. Grigorovich,
ALBAN LENDORF — Armand Duval in The Lady of Camellias, F. Chopin/J. Neumeier. Royal Danish Ballet,
TIGRAN MIKAYELYAN — Third duo in Goldberg Variations, I. -S. Bach/J. Robbins. Bavarian State Ballet,
VADIM MUNTAGIROV — Prince in Sleeping Beauty, P. Tchaikovsky/K. MacMillan. English National Ballet.
EDWARD WATSON — Principal in Fool's Paradise, J. Talbot/Ch. Wheeldon. Royal Ballet, London.