Dance in Germany – News

The German Dance Prize will be awarded on 4 February during a ballet gala in the Aalto Theatre, Essen, going this time to the Bavarian State Ballet in both categories.



Starting in 1983, personalities who have especially distinguished themselves in the area of dance as an art form have been honoured with the internationally recognised German Dance Prize. Among the winners of this prize, which is awarded by the German Professional Association of Dance Teachers (Deutscher Berufsverband für Tanzpädagogik, DBfT) are legends such as Gret Palucca, Hans von Manen, Pina Bausch and Heinz Spoerli. In 2012 it will be awarded to Ivan Liška, who will be recognised for his international career as a dancer and his activity as director of the Bavarian State Ballet.

As a dancer, he has performed in numerous works by John Neumeier, Maurice Béjart, John Cranko and Jose Limon. He was also to be seen in choreographies by his countryman Jiři Kylián. Both studied at the Prague Conservatory in the 1960’s and later conquered the stages of the world. The world has Liška firmly in its gaze today as well: it was under his direction that the Bavarian State Ballet went on tour to India, the Czech Republic, China, Taiwan and Canada.

Gözde Özgürs path led from the Ankara State Conservatory to the Zurich Dance Academy and finally to the Bavarian State Ballet, where she started out in 2008 in the corps de ballet. She gained national and international attention two years ago with her interpretation of the title role in Mats Ek’s Giselle. She is now being distinguished with the German Dance Prize Future, which has been awarded to outstanding new artists since 2005.

On the evening of the award ceremony, both award winners will also stir into action in dance. Excerpts from Mat Ek’s Giselle and Hans van Manen’s The Old Man and Me, together with Ivan Liška and Judith Turos, will provide the high point of the Bavarian State Ballet’s ballet gala.