Timothy van Poucke receives Special Prize from Stichting Dansersfonds ’79
Timothy van Poucke has been awarded the Special Prize from Stichting Dansersfonds ’79. Van Poucke receives this prize because he is the first Dutch male dancer since 1995, from within the company, to achieve the rank of principal dancer at Dutch National Ballet.
The jury, consisting of Han Ebbelaar, Alexandra Radius, Marian Sarstädt, Karin Schnabel, and Astrid van Leeuwen, stated about Van Poucke: “In recent years, we have seen Timothy van Poucke grow from a gifted, standout young talent into an all-round dancer, who distinguishes himself in the great classics as much as in contemporary works by, among others, Hans van Manen, Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Alexei Ratmansky, and Wubkje Kuindersma. He is also a dancer who does not see his fabulous technique as a goal in itself, but always combines it with inner passion and great charisma, and who, on top of that, is an excellent partner.”
In addition to the Special Prize, the Dansersfonds also honours other talents this year. The Prize of Merit is awarded to Tim Persent, a South African dancer who has been a prominent figure in Dutch contemporary dance for decades. Furthermore, two Incentive Awards have been given to young Dutch dancers Demi Bawon and Nova Valkenhoff, both of whom were part of NDT 2 last season. Demi has since joined NDT 1, while Nova is now pursuing a freelance career.
The awards ceremony will take place on Monday 11 November 2024, during the Nederlands Balletgala (Dutch Ballet Gala) at DeLaMar in Amsterdam.
About Stichting Dansersfonds ’79
When star dancers Alexandra Radius and Han Ebbelaar celebrated their 20th stage anniversary 45 years ago, the dancer couple did not want to receive gifts but preferred contributions for a new fund to be established. The aim of this fund is twofold: to make young Dutch dance talent visible and to financially support dancers who must end their dance careers due to age or persistent injuries. In the founding year of Stichting Dansersfonds ’79, the annual Dansersfonds Prizes were also established at the initiative of the founders, Radius and Ebbelaar. The Dansersfonds Prizes are now the longest-standing dance prizes in the Netherlands.
