This January 2025, Sadler’s Wells launched a new biennial dance prize for choreographers across the world. The prize is supported by an anonymous donation and consists of two categories: The Rose International Dance Prize for established choreographers, and the Bloom Prize for emerging choreographers. The Rose Prize will be awarded to a new work creation with the winner receiving £40000. Alongside the Rose Prize, the Bloom Prize celebrates a new work made by an artist with up to 10 years history of making work who will be awarded £15,000. The anonymous donation will fund the next 10 iterations over 20 years, which positions it alongside awards like the Booker Prize as being both truly global.
The shortlists feature artists from varied regions and dance traditions. The Rose Prize shortlist includes Kyle Abraham for his work An Untitled Love which depicts Black life and love in the USA; Portuguese choreographer Marco da Silva Ferreira for his work CARCAÇA which uses dance as a research tool for community, the construction of collective identity, memory and cultural stagnation; Greek choreographer Christos Papadopoulos for his work Larsen C which is named after the vast Antarctic ice sheet which broke away in 2017; and Lia Rodrigues for her work Encantado, which is drawn from their work in one of the largest favelas in Rio de Janeiro.
The short list for the Bloom Prize includes Stav Struz Boutrous for her work Sepia which reclaims a conventionally masculine dance, the traditional Georgian folk dance Khorumi; Leïla Ka for her work Maldonne that explores the fragilities, rebellion and multiple identities that co-exist within femininity; and Wang Yeu-Kwn for their work Beings which interrogates why people have to prove that they exist.
The Jury which will award the prizes is chaired by Professor Christopher Bannerman, joined by PJ Harvey, Karthika Naïr, Dame Arlene Phillips and Dr Samuel Ross MBE.
If you are in London, you can catch the finalists’ works from 29 January to 8 February 2025, followed by the awards ceremony on the 8th of February at Sadler’s Wells. If you are not in London, you can see the works online from the Sadler’s Wells website.
For more information or to book tickets to see the works, visit www.sadlerswells.com/the-rose-prize-2025.
By Tamara Searle of Dance Informa.
