National Dance Awards

Posted on January 27, 2014

The 14th Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards (NDA) took place today at The Place, London. Decided by the 60 members of the Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle, the awards recognise performances given between September 1, 2012 and August 31, 2013. The nominations were announced on November 8, 2013. Today’s ceremony was hosted by former NDA winner Tommy Franzén and Bennet Gartside of The Royal Ballet.

The award for Best Classical Choreography went to Christopher Wheeldon for Aeternum by The Royal Ballet.

The award for Best Modern Choreography went to Russell Maliphant for Fallen by BalletBoyz The TALENT.

Nicolas Le Riche won Outstanding Male Performance (classical) for Le Jeune homme et la Mort with English National Ballet.

The Dancers Pro Award for Outstanding Modern Performance (female) went to Julie Cunningham for New Works 2012 with Michael Clark Company.

Outstanding Female Performance (classical), sponsored by Lee McLernon, went to Yuan Yuan Tan for RAkU with San Francisco Ballet.

The Dancers Pro Award for Outstanding Modern Performance (male) went to Paul White for The Oracle by Meryl Tankard.

The Jane Attenborough Dance UK Industry Award went to Amanda Chinn, general manager of Scottish Dance Theatre.

The Grishko Award for Best Independent Company went to BalletBoyz The TALENT.

The Stef Stefanou Award for Outstanding Company went to the Mikhailovsky Ballet.

The Dancing Times Award for Best Male Dancer went to Dane Hurst of Rambert.

The Grishko Award for Best Female Dancer went to Natalia Osipova of the Mikhailovsky Ballet.

The De Valois Awards for outstanding achievement went to Leanne Benjamin, former ballerina with The Royal Ballet, and to choreographer Matthew Bourne.

A ful list of dancers, choreographers and companies nominated for National Dance Awards can be found at www.criticscircle.org.uk.

Zoe Anderson

Zoë was born in Edinburgh, and saw her first dance performances at the Festival there. She is the dance critic of The Independent, and has also written for The Independent on Sunday, The Scotsman and Dancing Times. In 2002, she received her doctorate from the University of York for a thesis on “Nationhood and epic romance: Ariosto, Sidney, Spenser”. She is the author of The Royal Ballet: 75 Years and The Ballet Lover’s Companion.