Contestants announced for 32nd International Competition for Choreography

One of Europe’s most important platforms for emerging young choreographers has announced its next batch of dance hopefuls.

The International Competition for Choreographers Hannover 2018 has put forward 18 names to go through to the contest. Participants were picked from 300 applications from more than 50 countries.

Taking place from 29-30 June, contestants will be given the facilities to present professional standard works with full staging and technical support. The competition is open to trained dance professionals, aged up to 35 years old (to fit with the remit of young talent), with each given between five and 12 minutes to captivate the audiences and judges. While the choice of topics and music is optional, solo ballet interpretations are not allowed.

Hosted by Ballet Company Hannover, the competition and jury is headed up by artistic director Nanine Linning (of Dance Company Nanine Linning / Theater Heidelberg). Illustrious names on the judging panel are Marguerite Donlon, choreographer and artistic director DDC; Jörg Mannes, director Ballet Staatstheater Hannover; Johannes Öhman, 2018-19 incoming director Staatsballett Berlin; and Adriana Pous, director DantzaZ Dance Company.

The Productions Awards Jury brings together Stephen Delattre, director Delattre Dance Company; Kevin Haigen, artistic director Bundesjugendballett; Yuki Mori, director Theater Regensburg Tanz; Adriana Pous, director DantzaZ Dance Company; Garry Stewart, director Australian Dance Theatre; Ed Wubbe, director Scapino Ballet, Rotterdam.

The total prize fund is a modest €13,500, with 1st prize worth €6,000, 2nd prize €3,000 and 3rd prize €2,000. The audience award is worth €1,000 and critics award €1,500. Winners will have the chance to present their works with festival partners Wools International, the international dance festival of Scapino Ballet Rotterdam led by Ed Wubbe; Staatstheater Braunschweig; Eric Gauthier’s Gauthier Dance // Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart; and The Bundesjugendballett founded by John Neumeie.

New prizes this year are The Production Award Theater Regensburg Tanz, the winner of which will create a choreography with the dancers of the Theater Regensburg Tanz, to be presented at Tanz.Fabrik; and the Residance Award DantzaZ Dance Company, the winner will create a choreography with the dancers of Dantzaz which will be presented during their 2019-20 tour.

Also up for grabs is the Delattre Dance Company Award, Tanja Liedtke Scholarship, Scapino Ballett Rotterdam: Production Award, and the Bundesjugendballett Hamburg: Production Award.

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Participants to get through to the 2018 contest are:

Judith Argomaniz, Spain
Borna Babić and Louis Thuriot, Croatia / Belgium
Gil Kerer and Korina Fraiman, Israel
Philippe Kratz, Germany
Maciej Kuzminski, Poland
Hung-Chung Lai, Taiwan
Kristian Lever, Finland
Max Levy, Japan
Sade Mamedova, Russia
Giovanni Napoli, Italy
Beatrice Panero, Italy
Nastja Bremec Rynia and Michal Rynia, Slovenia / Poland
Sylva Safkova, Czech Republic
Florent Schwartz, France
Connor Scott, Great Britain
Roberto Tedesco, Italy
Tracy Wong Choi Si and Mao Wei, Macau / Hong Kong
Zhiren Xiao, China