National Dance Awards - RESULTS

Massive congratulations to today's winners - details just in (pictures to follow) :

The Tenth Annual National Dance Awards
Royal Opera House, London: 21 January 2010

The Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards took place at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London today, 21st January. Patron of the Awards, the legendary ballerina Dame Beryl Grey says: “The tenth anniversary is a true milestone in the history of these prestigious Awards which are the focal point of the UK dance calendar. It has been a monumental achievement to make the event bigger and stronger with each passing year.”


Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards Winners 2009

De Valois Award for Outstanding Achievement
Alexander Grant / Former Royal Ballet Principal and Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Canada (1976-83)

The Dancing Times Award for Best Male Dancer
Paul Liburd / Scottish Ballet

Richard Sherrington Award for Best Female Dancer
Leanne Benjamin / The Royal Ballet

Dance Europe Award for Outstanding Company
Ballet Black

Best Classical Choreography
Wayne McGregor for Infra / The Royal Ballet

Best Modern Choreography
Christopher Bruce for Hush / Rambert Dance Company

PMB Presentations Award For Best Foreign Dance Company
Merce Cunningham Dance Company

Patron's Award
Richard Bonynge / international conductor

Outstanding Female Performance (Classical)
Melissa Hamilton / The Royal Ballet

Outstanding Male Performance (Classical)
Sergei Polunin /The Royal Ballet

Outstanding Female Performance (Modern)
Amy Hollingsworth / freelance

Outstanding Male Performance (Modern)
Thomasin Gulgec / Rambert Dance Company

Angelina Ballerina Children's Award
Lucy Wood / Susan Robinson School of Dance

CDET Student of the Year Award
Sam Chung / Tring Park School for the Performing Arts

Dance UK Industry Award
Marie McCluskey / Artistic Director of Swindon Dance

A full list of dancers, choreographers and companies nominated for National Dance Awards can be found here.

The Awards celebrate the vigour and variety of Britain’s thriving dance culture and highlight the huge range of dance on offer. They are the only professional awards in the UK dedicated to dance and are presented by the Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle, which brings together more than 50 dance writers.

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PRESS INFORMATION

From: Scottish Ballet

Released: Thursday 21 January 2010

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TOP INDUSTRY AWARD AS PAUL LIBURD PREPARES TO RETIRE FROM SCOTTISH BALLET

Paul Liburd in Krzysztof Pastor’s In Light and Shadow. Photograph by Andrew Ross

Scottish Ballet dancer Paul Liburd was today awarded the Dancing Times Best Male Dancer Award at the prestigious Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards.

The awards celebrate the vigour and variety of Britain’s thriving dance culture. They are the only professional awards in the UK dedicated to dance and are presented by the Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle, which brings together more than 50 dance writers.

Celebrating ten years this year, the awards have rapidly become the dance event of the year drawing together the entire industry in sharing the very best of dance and ballet in the UK. The awards were announced this afternoon, in a ceremony at the Royal Opera House in, London.

Paul joined Scottish Ballet in 2004, and was previously awarded the Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for Best Male Dancer (Contemporary) in 2005. Last year Paul received the MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours for services to dance. This most recent award however comes as a fitting tribute to Paul, who will retire from the Company this year following his last performances with Scottish Ballet in Krzysztof Pastor’s critically acclaimed Romeo and Juliet which tours to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness and Belfast throughout April and May.

Company Artistic Director Ashley Page said: “We are absolutely delighted and thrilled that Paul’s timeless commitment and unique stage presence have been recognised in this way. It has been a privilege to work with such an incredible dancer and a truly lovely man and I wish him every success with future endeavours.”
Paul is currently performing in Ashley Page’s The Nutcracker on tour to Inverness, Aberdeen and Newcastle.

Scottish Ballet was also nominated in the category of Outstanding Company and dancer Martina Foriso received a nomination for Best Female Dancer (Classical). Scottish Ballet was previously awarded the Company Prize for Outstanding Repertoire (Classical) in 2007.