Jarmila Jeřábková Award Goes to Choreographers from Hungary and the Czech Republic
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Hungarian and Czech artists presented the best choreographic work of the 13th year of Jarmily Jeřábková Award. The jury awarded the first prize to Hungarian choreographer and solo dancer Eszter Herold, the second prize was not granted and the third place went to Czech choreographic debutante Markéta Maia Kuttnerová. The laureates receive funds for the creation of new works that will be presented next year at the Duncan Centre Theatre. From this year the competition is changed to a biennale. "In addition to financial reasons there will also be more space for the presentation of the winning works, laureates will also show their pieces in partner theaters in Visegrad countries. Two-year periodicity will also help us to choose from a wider range of entered works," the founder of the competition and the Duncan Center Eva Blažíčková center says.
Choreographic competition is aimed at young artists from Central and Eastern Europe in the beginning of their careers. It also wants to commemorate the personality of Jarmily Jeřábková (1912-1989), a pioneer of modern dance in Czechoslovakia. Participants compete with one free piece and one choreographed to a composition of contemporary author, who is always designated by the organizers. This year, it was work by Lukáš Matoušek. The composer was present for the entire duration of the contest and a concert of his works is included in the final gala of the winners.
The organizers selected five finalists out of works of 25 authors that submitted their works on video - two from the Czech Republic and one each from Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. Herold was selected as the winner by the jury on the basis of her choreography hoME on music by Matoušek and her free composition Mátka (Mother). "The jury praised a distinctly expressed and deeply rooted emotion of motherhood that bears the work, consistent thoughtfulness of the work’s composition, detailed articulation and strong, but at the same time delicate sensitivity of dance motion and strong atmosphere which the dancer transmits onto the audience," Nina Vangeli comments.
Markéta Maia Kuttnerová was awarded the third prize. In her solo piece on Lukáš Matoušek’s music the jury appreciated her strong theatrical presentation and energetic dance expression. The choreographer also presented a group work Breath Control in which she develops her own theme of artificial, perhaps an alien world, states the jury. Source: Divadlo.cz