June 20, 2023, The Bolshoi Theatre
June 20th the laureates of the Prix Benois de la Danse were announced on the Historic Stage of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Programme and Chairman of the Jury of the Prize is international ballet star — Svetlana Zakharova. The President is distinguished choreographer Yuri Grigorovich. The Festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.
“Perhaps the main thing I want to highlight, speaking about this year’s program, is that Benois will once again present the latest performances, created during the ongoing season all around the world,” shares the Prix’s Artistic Director, international star, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre — Svetlana Zakharova.
The
The “Lifetime Achievement Award” went to People’s Artist of the USSR, laureate of the State Prize, choreographer, and teacher Mikhail Lavrovskiy.
This year the works of 4 choreographers were nominated. On the evening of June 20th the Jury announced that the prize for “Best choreography” goes to Vyacheslav Samodurov (DANCEMANIA, music by Yuri Krasavin. The Bolshoi Ballet, Russia).
Soloists of 7 leading dance companies were nominated this year, and the award for “Best female dancer” was shared by Qiu Yunting (Tatiana, Onegin, Pyotr Tchaikovsky/John Cranko. The National Ballet of China) and Misun Kang (Widow, Mirinaegil from Korea emotion, Pyeong-kwon Ji/Bingxian Liu. Universal Ballet, Seoul, South Korea), while Hugo Marchand (Prince Rudolfe, Mayerling, Franz Liszt/Kenneth MacMilan. Paris Opera Ballet) was named “Best male dancer”.
The second part of the evening — a gala concert of the Prize nominees saw many Russian and Moscow premieres, including an excerpt from the ballet “Where to Pour My Love?” — a new piece, choreographed by Benois-2023 nominee Li Jun (NBC), as well as a pas de deux from the ballet “Light of Heart” ballet choreographed by Fei Bo (member of the Benois-2023 jury, Benois de la Danse nominee, NBC) performed by Qiu Yunting, Benois laureate, and Li Wentao, Benois nominee. Universal Ballet soloist Misun Kang (Benois-2023 laureate) together with her partner Dontak Li performed the pas de deux “Mirinaegil” from the ballet “Korea Emotion” choreographed by Liu Bingxian. Malika Yelchibaeva from the Kazakh National Opera and Ballet Theater named after Abay (Benois-2023 nominee) and her partner Azamat Askarov presented a duet from “Frescoes”, choreographed by Zaurbek Raibaev. At the end of the evening, artists of the Bolshoi Theater presented a fragment of the “Dancemania” ballet, choreographed by Vyacheslav Samodurov (Benois-2023 laureate), that has already become a sensation in Moscow.
enois The Benois Center thanks designer Igor Chapurin and the CHAPURIN House, Artemy Lebedev’s studio, as well as the Russian Wine House Abrau-Durso for many years of cooperation.
.
