The Prize of The Ministry of Culture Goes to Jiří Kylián
News
On October 27 choreographer Jiří Kylián was awarded the Prize of the Ministry of Culture for his artistic contribution in the theatre field - "for his long-term merit in the development of dance all around the world and his continuous support of the Czech dance." The prize has been awarded since 2003 as a recognition of exceptional artistic creative or interpretive achievements, or for long-term artistic merit in the theatre field. The prize is awarded on the basis of a proposal of the jury appointed by the Minister of Culture. This time the award nicely corresponds with the anniversary of Kylian Video Library that is celebrated by the Institute of Arts - Theatre Institute.
The Ministry of Culture also awarded writer Daniela Hodrová with the State Prize for Literature, the State Prize for translation work went to Martin Hilský. The Prizes of the Ministry of Culture have been awarded since 2003: this year one went to the music publicist and musicologist Lubomír Dorůžka for his contribution in the field, Leoš Válka was awarded another one for his contribution in visual arts (namely for his creation of DOX - Centre for Contemporary Art, Architecture and Design), the prize for architecture went to Miroslav Masák, composer Zdeněk Liška was posthumously awarded the prize for cinematography and audiovision along with film director Jan Němec. The awards were presented at the National Theatre in Prague.
Choreographer Jiří Kylián was born on March 21, 1947 in Prague. After graduating from the Prague Conservatory and a one-year dance scholarship at the Royal Ballet School in London he joined the Stuttgart Ballet. At the age of 28 he was appointed to head the Netherlands Dance Theatre (NDT), he said goodbye to his dancing career and focused solely on choreography. Under his leadership, the NDT gradually built up a solid international reputation. Alongside NDT he also created a junior ensemble NDT 2 and after some time a unique NDT 3, a troupe of dancers, as he said, "between the age of forty and death."
From the Kylián "incubator" emerged several renown choreographers such as Nacho Duato, Mário Radačovský or Nataša Novotná and Václav Kuneš, founders of the company 420PEOPLE. Kylián's oeuvre consists of as many as one hundred choreographic pieces that reflect a remarkable development, ranging from neo-classical works based on music, through the very specific artistic and aesthetic pieces of the „black and white period“ to his recent experimental work. His choreographies have been staged by ensembles such as the Paris Opera Ballet, Vienna State Opera Ballet, the Royal Ballet, Australian Ballet, Tokyo Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre. He has won prestigious art prizes (two-time recipient of the Prix Benois de la Danse for the best choreography of the year, Vaclav Nijinsky Prize for the best choreographer of the year) and honors (Order of the Legion of Honour, Order of the Prince of Orange for the Arts and Science).
Despite being a cosmopolitan person, he has never broken ties with his homeland, on the contrary, he has consistently supported the Czech dance and ballet. For example, in 1991 he founded a Prague branch of his foundation, by the means of which many talented artists found foreign internships. In the meantime, this branch has been replaced the Kylian Video Library, unique in its extent.
The Ministry of Culture also awards prizes in the field of amateur art activities. The Prize of the Ministry of Culture for her lifelong work in the field of stage dance went to Iva Švarcová. The prize was presented by the Director of the Department of Regional and National Culture of the Ministry of Culture Zuzana Malcová at the Municipal office in Jablonec nad Nisou as a part of the 25th annual national festival of stage dance Dance, dance ... 2011. This event took place in Jablonec on 27 - 30 October along with a discussion forum of experts in the field of stage dance and folk dance.
Source: The Ministry of Culture
Josef Bartos
Thank you for your thoughts. One got stuck in my mind – that passion makes us different from AI. Just yesterday I read…I am a dance critic. I am a member of an endangered species