Dutch National Ballet scores extremely high in ‘Critics’ Choice’ 2019
Dutch National Ballet has received an extremely high score in Critics’ Choice, the annual listings in leading dance magazine Dance Europe for the 2018-2019 international dance season. In the listings, Dutch National Ballet received a total of twenty-six honourable mentions; three more than in the previous edition in 2018.
For the fourth year in a row, Dutch National Ballet was nominated ‘Company of the Year’, and this year even received a double nomination. Director Ted Brandsen received two nominations in the category ‘Best Director of the Year’.
This year, principal dancer Sasha Mukhamedov was nominated in the category ‘Best Dancer of the Year’. The jury praised her for her roles in the ballets Chroma, Pas/Parts 2018 and Cinderella by Dutch National Ballet, and for her “stylish energy and command of the stage”.
In the categories ‘Outstanding Performance by a Female and Male Dancer’, there were nominations for no fewer than thirteen dancers from Dutch National Ballet. Principal Maia Makhateli received a double nomination, and principals Anna Tsygankova, Qian Liu, Sasha Mukhamedov, Remi Wörtmeyer, Vito Mazzeo, Constantine Allen and Daniel Camargo each received a nomination. Soloists Aya Okumura, Vera Tsyganova and Sho Yamada and grand sujet Joseph Massarelli were also recognised for their achievements in this category.
The ballets Requiem by associate artist David Dawson, Ignite by young creative associate Juanjo Arqués and Sand by Milena Siderova received nominations in the category ‘Best Premiere’, with a double nomination for Requiem.
In the category ‘New Name to Watch’, there were nominations for soloist Floor Eimers and Junior Company dancers Emma Mardegan and Madison Ayton.
The Critics’ Choice 2019 was compiled by a jury of 16 critics who write for Dance Europe and other international dance publications. Each member of the jury compiles a personal list of nominations for categories including best dancer of the season, dancers who have given an outstanding performance, best company of the season, best director of the season and best new productions of the past dance season.
Photo credit header: Dutch National Ballet in Pas/Parts 2018, choreographed by William Forsythe
Photo: Hans Gerritsen