Federal Office of Culture to present Swiss Dance Awards for the first time at the end of September
Bern, 05.09.2013 - The Federal Office of Culture is to present the Swiss Dance Awards for the first time, in the presence of Federal Councillor Alain Berset. The award ceremony takes place on 20 September at the Théâtre Equilibre in Fribourg. On the recommendation of the Federal Dance Jury, Martin Schläpfer, director of ballet at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, is honoured with the Swiss Dance Award. A further accolade goes to the Théâtre Sévelin 36 in Lausanne: the “Special Dance Award” recognises an outstanding contribution to dance.
The presentation of the Swiss Dance Award to Martin Schläpfer by the Federal Office of Culture honours an artistic career and an individual who has played a central role in establishing the reputation of Swiss dance both nationally and internationally. The Special Dance Award goes to the Théâtre Sévelin 36 in Lausanne in recognition of its outstanding contribution to dance in areas such as mediation, documentation and cultural policy. Each award carries prize money of CHF40,000.
Other awards
Two further awards, one each in the outstanding male and outstanding female dancer categories, will also be presented at the ceremony. Four pieces receive accolades in the federal Current Dance Works competition. The June Johnson Dance Prize, which is awarded in association with the Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation, honours a person or an ensemble for young, innovative work. Each prize is worth CHF25,000.
Award ceremony
In addition to the award presentation in the presence of Federal Councillor Alain Berset and the film tributes, Martin Schläpfer and the Ballett am Rhein will be performing two short works: his own choreography "Lontano" from 2009, and "The Old Man and Me" by Hans van Manen, in which Schläpfer dances with Marluccia do Amaral.
Call for submissions for the 2015 competition
The new calls for submissions for the federal "Current Dance Works" competition for the 2013 to 2015 seasons and for "Dance as Cultural Heritage" will be open online from 5 September to 5 November 2013. For detailed information see: www.danceawards.ch.
Detailed information and visual materials
Additional information about Martin Schläpfer and the Théâtre Sévelin 36 is attached to this media release.
High-resolution images and information about the Swiss Dance Awards can be found on the new website www.danceawards.ch.
Swiss Dance Awards press accreditation
Award ceremony: Friday, 20 September 2013, 7.30 p.m., Théâtre Equilibre, Fribourg
Requests for accreditation should be submitted by 16 September 2013 to sarah.schwerzmann@bak.admin.ch.
Address for enquiries
Claudia Rosiny, Dance Promotion, Cultural Creativity Section, Federal Office of Culture,
claudia.rosiny@bak.admin.ch, +41 (0)31 325 39 19.
Esther Sutter Straub, chair of the Federal Dance Jury, +41 (0)79 625 20 15
Publisher
Federal Office of Cultural Affairs
http://www.bak.admin.ch
