The Benois de la Danse is a major international dance prize for ballet professionals produced in cooperation with the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, each year the nominees include dancers from around the world.

On June 2020 and 3 June 2020 on the Historic stage of the Bolshoi Theatre will take place Festival Benois de la Danse — 2020 under the artistic leadership of Yuri Grigorovich. 
The participants of the galas are nominees to the Prize —2020 and laureates of different years.

“The ballet theatre is unique. Different periods of the history of the dancing art live together in harmony on its stage. The staging, the librettos and the scores never reach a forgotten old age. Of all the theater arts, this timeless harmony is possible only in ballet. The task of Benois De La Danse is to honour the extraordinary events in the colorful world of dance, merging classical ballet with contemporary and modern productions.”

Yury Grigorovich
President of the International Dance Union,
Chairman of the Jury of BENOIS DE LA DANSE,
Choreographer of Bolshoi Theatre of Russia,

Professor.

Among this year nominees are dancers from 12 of the best classical and contemporary companies in the world. Preceding the concert, the Jury, under the leadership of Yuri Grigorovich, will announce the names of Benois-2020 laureates.

Besides this year nominees and laureates, the brilliant star of the American Ballet Theatre Herman Cornejo will participate in the Gala. He will receive the Prize awarded to him in 2014 and will dance with his sister, prima-ballerina Erica Cornejo, Tango choreographed for them by Benois nominee Anna-Maria Stekelman.

List of the Jury 2020:

YURI GRIGOROVICH – President

SVETLANA ZAKHAROVA – Co- President, international star, prima-ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia and La-Scala Theatre

JACOPO GODANI – Choreographer, artistic director of Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company

JOAQUIN DE LUZ – Artistic director of the Spanish National Dance Company

ELISABETH PLATEL –Director of Paris Opera Ballet School

EDWARD WATSON – Star of the Royal Ballet London

ASHLEY WHEATER – Artistic director of Joffrey Ballet

LILI XIN – Artistic director of Shanghai Ballet

The detailed programme is kept in secret and will be know just several days before the performance, as it is a surprise for the ballet lovers from the Bolshoi Theatre. Below you can see programme of the previous Awarding Ceremony and Prize Winners Ballet Gala.

BENOIS DE LA DANSE-2019 LAUREATES:

The Russian-Italian Prize Benois-Massine

Anna Laudere

CHOREOGRAPHERS 

Fredrik Benke Rydman

Christian Spuck

FEMALE DANCERS

Ashley Bouder

Elisa Carrillo Cabrera

MALE DANCERS

Vadim Muntagirov

DESIGNERS

John Macfarlane

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT

Jiri Kylian

Jury Benois de la Danse-2019:

Juri Grigorovich - President of the jury;
Svetlana Zakharova - Bolshoi Theatre Prima ballerina, the Co-Chairman;
Dirk Badenhorst - CEO of the South African International Ballet Competition, founder of the South African Mzansi Ballet and CuDanSA school;
Ted Brandsen - Director of Dutch National Ballet;
Ana Laguna - international star, ballet master and coach;
Agnès Letestu - Paris Opera Ballet etoile (1997 – 2013), now guest star, costume designer;
Vladimir Malakhov - international star, choreographe, r coach;
Rachel Moore - President and CEO of the Los Angeles Music Center.

Program of the last year:

PART I

MATTHEW PIERCE – Benois-2019 nominee
Excerpt from THE WIZARD OF OZ
Choreography by SEPTIME WEBRE – Benois-2019 nominee
The Kansas City Ballet soloists

LILIANA HAGERMAN
JEREMY HANSON
LAMIN DOS SANTOS
Colorado Ballet soloist
CHRISTOPHOR MOULTON
Royal Winnipeg Ballet soloist
STEPHAN AZULAY
Russian premiere

KATE WHITLEY – Benois -2019 nominee.
Excerpt from IGNITE
Choreography by JUANJO ARQUÉS– Benois-2019 nominee
soloists of Dutch National Ballet
ANNA TSYGANKOVA
YOUNG GUY CHOI
Piano – KATE WHITLEY
Russian premiere

THE TREATMENT (NUTCRACKER - RELOADING)
to music by P. Tchaikovsky
Choreography by FREDRIK BENKE RYDMAN – Benois-2019 nominee
House of Shapes soloists
ELLEN LINDBLAD
DANIEL KOIVUNEN
Russian premiere

Excerpt from WINTERREISE
to music by F. Schubert/ H. Zender
Choreography by CHRISTIAN SPUCK – Benois-2019 nominee
Ballet Zurich soloists
ELENA VOSTROTINA
COHEN AITCHISON-DUGAS
DOMINIK SLAVKOVSKY
Moscow premiere

Excerpt from ARTIFACT-SUITE
to music by I.S. Bach
Choreography by W. FORSYTHE – Benois de la Danse laureate
Royal Swedish Ballet soloists
KAHO YANAGISAWA – Benois-2019 nominee
JONATAN DAVIDSSON

L. Delibes
Excerpts from SYLVIA
Choreography by MANUEL LEGRIS – Benois de la danse laureate, Benois-2019
nominee
Based on the ballet by LUIS MÉRANTE
Vienna State Ballet soloists
NIKISHA FOGO
DENIS CHEREVICHKO – nominee of Benois de la Danse

Duet from act II of LADY OF THE CAMELLIAS
to music by F. Chopin
Choreography by J. NEUMEIER – Benois de la Danse laureate
Dutch National Ballet soloists
MAIA MAKHATELI– Benois-2019 nominee
JAMES STOUT

ADAGIETTO from FIFTH SYMPHONY
music by G. Mahler
Choreography by J.NEUMEIER – Benois de la Danse laureate
Hamburg Ballet soloists
ANNA LAUDERE – Benois–Massine Prize laureate
EDVIN REVAZOV

PART II

S. Prokofiev
Duet from ROMEO AND JULIET
Choreography by N. DUATO – Benois de la Danse laureate,
State Ballet Berlin soloist
ELISA CARRILLO CABRERA – Benois- 2019 nominee
Mikhailovsky Theatre soloist
IVAN ZAYTSEV

I. Demutsky – Benois de la Danse laureate
A LETTER TO RUDI. THE PUPIL scene from NUREYEV
Choreography by Y.POSSOKHOV – Benois de la Danse laureate
Bolshoi Theatre of Russia soloist
VIATCHESLAV LOPATIN – Benois-2019 nominee

CARRING MY OWN STAGE
to music by E. Satie
Choreography by A. ROJO
soloist of Malpaso Company
ABEL ROJO - Benois-2019 nominee
Piano – VALERIA KACHUROVSKAYA
Russian premiere
H.S. Løvenskiold

Pas de deux from LA SYLPHIDE
Choreography by A.BOURNONVILLE
The Washington Ballet soloists
MAKI ONUKI
ANDILE NDLOVU – Benois-2019 nominee

Duet from the act III of LADY OF THE CAMELLIAS
to music by F. Chopin
Choreography by J.NEUMEIER – Benois de la Danse laureate
Paris Opera Ballet soloist
AMANDINE ALBISSON – Benois-2019 nominee
Hamburg Ballet soloist
EDVIN REVAZOV

THE OTHER YOU
to music by L. van Beethoven
Choreography by C. PITE – Benois de ls Danse laureate
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago soloists
MICHAEL GROSS
ANDREW MURDOCK
Russian premiere

L.Delibes
Pas de deux from COPPÉLIA
Choreography by G. BALANCHINE and A. DANILOVA after M. PETIPA
©The George Balanchine Trust
New York City Ballet soloist
ASHLEY BOUDER
Passific North-West Ballet soloist
SETH ORZA

K. Henson
TAKE A DEEP BREATH
Choreography by CH. WHEELDON
San Francisco Ballet soloists
YUAN YUAN TAN – Benois-2019 nominee
CARLO DI LANNO
Moscow premiere

L.Minkus
Pas de deux from DON QUIXOTE
Choreography by A. GORSKY
Stuttgart State Ballet soloist
ELISA BADENES
DANIEL CAMARGO – Benois -2019 nominee

About project

International ballet prize by "Benoits de la of dans" ("Benois de la danse") is awarded yearly for the most salient works in the region of choreography in last year. This only in its kind ballet reward of press from the very beginning was named "ballet Oscar".

Prize is founded in Moscow by the international association of the workers of choreography, the now international union of the workers of choreography, and it is represented for the first time in 1991 on the scene of the Bolshoi theater.

Organizer of project - Public Noncommercial Organization "Center of Benoits". The President of union, salient choreographer Yuri Grigorovich, are the artistic leader of project and, on the post, by the chairman of judges.

The yearly changed international judges, which consists of the most authoritative workers of world choreography - leaders of the largest ballet companies, salient choreographers, well-known teachers, the stars of world ballet, advances nominantov and, working for a period of year, as a result are determined best.

Author of the statuette of prize - well-known Parisian sculptor Igor Ustinov, the representative of the renowned family of the Benoits.

The presentation of prize is devoted to the international Day of Dance - on 29 April - Declared UNESCO. The conquerors of prize on all nominations declare during the yearly charitable "Benois de la danse - Gala" the stars of ballet - laureates and degree students of prize.

In 1992 the prize by "Benoits de la of dans" is accepted under patronazh OF UNESCO, in 1996 it is included in the program OF UNESCO "world decade of culture". In 2002 the ministry of culture of the Russian Federation included project into the federal program the "cultural heritage of Russia". Federal agency on culture and cinematography lends financial and organizational support project.

Since 2003 the project was enlarged to the framework of the festival, in program of which in 2004, besides the traditional evening of the presentation of prize and charitable Gala-concert of those rewarded, on 23 February in the London theater of sedlers Wales even on 28 April in the Bolshoi theater in Moscow took place the Gala-concerts the "Stars OF BENOITS DE LA dans - laureates of different years".

From the history of prize

First four years the presentation of prize "BENOITS DE LA DANS" passed to the Bolshoi theater of Russia. The five-year anniversary of prize was noted solemn gala in the palace OF UNESCO in Paris (1996). Then the scene of national theater in Warsaw (1997) assumed prize, State Kremlin palace (1998), Berlin Shtatsopera (1999), Shtatsteatr in Stuttgart (2000).

The tenth anniversary, eleventh and twelfth presentations of prize and BENOIT DE LA DANS - Gala of laureates (2002, 2003, 2004) they again passed in Moscow on the scene of the Bolshoi theater.

In 2005 - on 26 April on the scene of the Bolshoi theater of Russia take place the sequential thirteenth presentation of prize and the charitable Gala-concert of those rewarded; - on 27 April there - the Gala-concert of ballet the "Stars OF BENOITS DE LA dans - the laureates of different years".