The Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle, which brings together over 60 professional dance writers and critics, has announced the short-listed nominations for the forthcoming National Dance Awards that cover January 1 to December 31, 2022.
Demonstrating the breadth and quality of dance in the UK, the critics initially put forward an impressive 387 companies, choreographers, performers and other creative artists, up from 355 for 2021.
Once again, ballet is very much to the fore. The Royal Ballet tops the short-list with a total of 14 nominations, followed by English National Ballet and Rambert with seven each), Birmingham Royal Ballet with five and Scottish Ballet with four.
nominated in five categories
Photo Johan Persson
Shows seen in London also dominate, unsurprising given its range of performances compared to other cities, and since that is where most critics are based.
In terms of individual productions, The Royal Ballet’s Like Water for Chocolate and Rambert’s Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby top the list with five nominations each.
The winners will be announced at a live ceremony to be held at the Coronet Theatre, London on June 5, 2023.
The event will also play host to the De Valois Award for Outstanding Achievement for which there are no prior nominations.
Best Male Dancer
William Bracewell (The Royal Ballet)
Jeffrey Cirio (English National Ballet)
Francesco Gabriele Frola (English National Ballet)
Jonathan Goddard (Freelance artist)
Brandon Lawrence (Birmingham Royal Ballet)
and Jonathan Goddard (nominated as Best Male Dancer)
in Shobana Jeyasingh’s Clorinda Agonistes
Photo Chris Nash
Best Female Dancer (sponsored by Tendu)
Francesca Hayward (The Royal Ballet)
Momoko Hirata (Birmingham Royal Ballet)
Fumi Kaneko (The Royal Ballet)
Katja Khaniukova (English National Ballet)
Laura Morera (The Royal Ballet)
Stef Stefanou Award for Outstanding Company
Birmingham Royal Ballet
English National Ballet
Nederlands Dans Theater 2 (NDT2)
Scottish Ballet
The Royal Ballet
Best Mid-scale Company
Acosta Danza
Ballet Black
Lost Dog
Mark Bruce Company
National Dance Company Wales
Photo Jack Thomson
Best Independent Company
Alleyne Dance
Burrows&Fargion
Matsena Productions
Rhiannon Faith Company
Thick and Tight
Best Classical Choreography (sponsored by The Ballet Association)
William Forsythe for Forsythe Evening (English National Ballet)
Jess and Morgs for Coppélia (Scottish Ballet)
Crystal Pite for Light of Passage (The Royal Ballet)
Alexei Ratmansky for Giselle (The United Ballet of Ukraine)
Christopher Wheeldon for Like Water for Chocolate (The Royal Ballet)
Best Modern Choreography (sponsored by Harlequin Floors)
Ivan Blackstock for Traplord (Sadler’s Wells x 180 Studios/The Factory/Altruviolet)
Ben Duke for Cerberus (Rambert)
Ben Duke for Ruination (Lost Dog)
Aakash Odedra and Hu Shenyuan for Samsara (Aakash Odedra Company)
Benoit Swan Pouffer for Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby (Rambert)
Photo Camilla Greenwell
Emerging Artist Award (sponsored by The L&M Trust)
Musa Motha (Dancer, Rambert)
Jake Roxander (Dancer, ABT Studio Company/ABT)
Beatrice Parma (Soloist, Birmingham Royal Ballet)
tyroneisaacstuart (Dancer and Musical Artist)
Rhys Antoni Yeomans (First Artist, English National Ballet)
Outstanding Female Modern Performance
Anique Ayiboe as The Chosen One in Rite of Spring (École des Sables)
Jemima Brown as Clorinda in Clorinda Agonistes (Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company)
Zeleidy Crespo in 100% Cuban (Acosta Danza)
Naya Lovell as Grace in Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby (Rambert)
Zizi Strallen as Lana in The Car Man (New Adventures)
Outstanding Male Modern Performance
Jean-Daniel Broussé as Hades in Ruination (Lost Dog)
Israel Galván in La Consagración de la Primavera (Compañia Israel Galván)
Musa Motha as Barney in Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby (Rambert)
Guillaume Quéau as Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby (Rambert)
Hu Shenyuan in Samsara (Aakash Odedra Company)
in Samsara
Photo Jassy Earl
Outstanding Female Classical Performance (sponsored by Lee McLernon)
Constance Devernay-Laurence as Swanilda in Coppélia (Scottish Ballet)
Francesca Hayward as Tita in Like Water for Chocolate (The Royal Ballet)
Fumi Kaneko as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake (The Royal Ballet)
Marianela Nuñez as Natalia Petrovna in A Month in the Country (The Royal Ballet)
Maria Pagés in An Ode to Time (Compañia Maria Pagés)
Outstanding Male Classical Performance (sponsored by London Ballet Circle)
Manuel Liñán in Viva! (Compañia Manuel Liñán)
Bruno Micchiardi as Coppelius in Coppélia (Scottish Ballet)
Vadim Muntagirov as Crown Prince Rudolf in Mayerling (The Royal Ballet)
Marcelino Sambé as Pedro in Like Water for Chocolate (The Royal Ballet)
Joseph Taylor in the title role as Casanova (Northern Ballet)
Outstanding Creative Contribution
Bob Crowley (Designer, Like Water for Chocolate)
Roman GianArthur (Composer, Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby)
Mikael Karlsson (Composer, Hotel)
Paco Peña (Director and Guitarist, Solera)
Joby Talbot (Composer, Like Water for Chocolate)