The dance events of the last two years were evaluated and the nominees were selected by the jury committee: the chairperson of the jury is contemporary dance expert Liene Bēniņa, ballet expert Agnese Andersone, stage folk dance expert Ilze Mažāne, contemporary dance expert Agate Bankava, as well as dance and theater producer Beka Berger. For the first time, a youth jury functioned and the nominees were nominated by the students of the Riga Ballet School and the Alfred Kalniņš Cēsu Music High School: jury president Terēze Zabarovska, Kate Kaparkalēja, Edvards Arum and Vanesa Legzdiņa-Pukėna.
Dance Awards 2021-2022 nominees
Ballet
Ballet production or event:
- Ballet “Nizhinsky” (Latvian National Opera and Ballet)
- Ballet “Serenade. Carmina Burana” (Latvian National Opera and Ballet)
- Ballet “Enticing Distances” (Arts Education Competence Center “National Arts High School” Riga Ballet School)
Ballerina:
- Baiba Kokina, Lauma Berga (“Lauskas”)
- Alice Prudāne-Spridzāne (Nijinsky, “Serenade. Carmina Burana”)
- Ieva Rācene (“Aust”, “Two meters”)
- Sabine Stroksha (“The Enchanted Princess”, “Dracula”)
Ballet Dancer:
- Aiden William Conefrey (“Nijinsky”)
- German Shevchenko (“Hell”, “Nijinsky”)
- Victor Seiko (“The Enchanted Princess”, “Dracula”)
Contemporary dance
Contemporary dance production:
- The play “Distance between us” (Gertrude Street Theater)
- The contemporary musical “Voice from the belletage” (the company “LAUKKU”)
- Dance film “Brother” (Anša Rütenthal Movement Theater)
- Movement show “Very good minutes” (Dailes Theatre)
- Contemporary dance, music and light performance “Tornado” (association “PARTY”)
Contemporary dance choreographer/s:
- Vilnis Bīriņš, Ramona Galkina (“Brother”)
- Agnese Bordjukova, Agate Bankava, Inta Balode (“Voice from the Beletage”)
- Elīna Gediņš, Rūdolfs Gediņš (“Very good minutes”)
- Jana Jacuk (“The Distance Between Us”)
- Valery Olehno, Olga Zhitluhina (“Tornado”)
Contemporary dance dancer/s:
- Vilnis Bīriņš (“Brother”)
- Agnese Bordjukova (“My contract with the chair”, “I go out in the garden”, “Voice from the beletage”)
- Elīna Gediņš, Rūdolfs Gediņš (“Very good minutes”)
- Jana Jacuk, Marģor Vanags (“Distance between us”)
- Aigars Larionovs (“Anti-police”, “Step. Third floor”, “Balance”)
Scenic folk dance
Stage folk dance production or event:
- Folk ballet performance “Cik Saules mūsos” (dance ensemble “Daiļrade”, SIA “Forte Production”)
- Dance performance “Trejdevinas pryna” (folk dance ensemble “Teiksma”, group “BT 1 Music”)
- Dance show “Wolf Heiress” (folk dance ensemble “Līgo” and middle generation dance collective “Līgo”, association “I DID IT”)
Stage folk dance choreographer/s:
- Jānis Ārglis (“Trejdenivaņas Games”)
- Liene Grava, Reinis Rešetins (“How many Suns are in us”)
- Jānis Purviņš (“Werewolf Heiress”)
Modern dances
Contemporary dance production or event:
- Break and contemporary dance show “We” (Tukums professional dance school “Demo”)
- Hip-hop dance show “Punkts” (producers Maija Tyurjapina, Aleta Pēce, Sofija Gedzenyuk)
- Dance performance “Veries” (Liga Liberty Dance Theater)
- Musical dramatic movement comedy “Sock Opera” (dancers association “KARMA dancers”)
Young dance artists
- Emily Berg (solo performance “I’m not what I was, but I’m not yet what I’ll be”)
- Sofia Belkina (roles in the performances “Nijinsky”, “Voices in Silence”)
- Ilona Bogdanova, Sandra Kauranen (choreography in the dance performance “White flowers bloom on the apple tree”)
- Vladimir Gorshantov (play “My Sour Cream”)
- Emma Lagoon (roles in the performances “Swan Lake”, “The Enchanted Princess”, “Serenade”)
- Oskar Moore (solo show “Specificity”)
- Gundega Rödere (solo performance “One”)
- Company “Sixth” (performance “Glitch”, choreographers Ramona Levane, Marģor Vanags)
- Reinis Dāgs Zvirgzdiņš (popularization of hip-hop culture, implementation of the “Wonder through movement” event in Latvia)
Contribution to the art of dance
- Edīte Ābeltiņa – for the activation of contemporary dances after the challenges of the pandemic, by realizing the concerts “At-spinning”, “KasTE” and the repeatedly postponed original contemporary dance performance “Gaujas misterijas”
- Maruta Alpa – for long-term promotion of the development of Latvian stage dance and preservation of the traditions of the Song and Dance Festival, preparation of three folk dance programs of the XXVII General Song and XVII Dance Festival
- Gunta Bāliņa, Regīna Kaupuža – for the books “The Golden Code of Irēna Strode” and “Classical Dance” (publisher Latvian Ballet and Dance Guild)
- Arts Education Competence Center “National Arts High School” Riga Ballet School and Latvian Academy of Culture National Film School – about the documentary short film program “Ballet Constellation”
- “Choreographers Association”, “Latvijas Dejas information center”, “Tuvumi” associations – for the project “Living archive of Latvian contemporary dance”
- Ruslans Levchenko – for persistently promoting the development of hip-hop dance culture, conducting lectures for children and young people and organizing the biggest hip-hop dance events in Latvia “Ghetto Dance Battle 2022” at the international level
Daring in the art of dance
- Concert performance “Dziesma dejo”. The dance sounds” (producer Edžus Arums)
- Long-term contemporary dance exchange program “Horos” (association “Tuvumi”)
- Multimedia dance performance “Rotating in Latvian signs” (National Cultural Center of Latvia, association “Vektors”)
Youth Jury Award
- Contemporary musical “Voice from belletage” (companion “LAUKKU”)
- Visual theater performance “I’m going out in the garden” (Kvadrifon theater troupe)
- Contemporary dance show “Glitch” (company “Sixth”)
- Multimedia dance performance “Rotating in Latvian signs” (National Cultural Center of Latvia, association “Vektors”)
- Contemporary dance performance “My sour cream” (Latvian Academy of Culture)
- Movement performance “ParaDizzy” (Mikhail Chekhov’s Riga Russian Theater)
- Dance performance “PusAudzis” (Valmiera Summer Theater Festival)
Lifetime award recipients in the art of dance
- Ieva Adāviča – choreographer, head of dance groups, head of the Dance Festival, long-time head of Valka (1994–2017) and Valmiera (1967–1993) districts
- Valeria Kuten – ballet dancer at the Riga Ballet (1955–1975), teacher at the Riga Choreography High School (1960–2010)
The dance award ceremony will take place on April 29, 2023 in the newly opened Riga Circus with a live broadcast on the Latvian Public Media Platform LSM.lv.
From April 1, everyone is invited to participate Dance Awards 2021-2022 in the audience’s vote and choose two of the audience’s favorite works in the categories Dance performance and Dance event.
The Dance Award is the highest honor in the professional art of dance. It is awarded every two years in ballet, contemporary dance, scenic folk dance and modern dance for achievements in the creation of new productions, performances and dance events, as well as in pedagogical and research work.
The Dance Award is organized by the Latvian Dance Information Center in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture.
