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The Benois Gala

A Celebration of Dance Artistry

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History

Origins and Foundation

The Prix Benois de la Danse is an annual ballet competition established in Moscow by the International Dance Association in 1991. Its inception was driven by a desire to honor and celebrate excellence within the global ballet community.

Annual Timing

The prestigious event takes place each year around April 29th, deliberately coinciding with the birthday of the renowned Russian-French artist Alexandre Benois (1870–1960), after whom the award is named. This timing underscores the award's connection to artistic heritage.

UNESCO Patronage

The initiative gained significant international recognition when it secured the patronage of UNESCO in the autumn of 1992. This endorsement highlights the gala's commitment to promoting dance as a universal art form.

The Award Statuette

The distinctive statuette awarded to laureates was designed in 1992 by the French sculptor Igor Ustinov. Notably, Ustinov is the son of the celebrated actor Peter Ustinov and a great-nephew of Alexandre Benois, adding a personal layer to the award's design.

Competition Goals

Showcasing Performance

A primary objective is to present the Benois audience with the finest performances of works submitted for consideration, irrespective of their origin or creator. This ensures a broad appreciation of ballet's diverse repertoire.

Uniting Dance Traditions

The competition aims to foster collaboration and mutual understanding by bringing together leading representatives from various dance styles, techniques, and schools worldwide.

Supporting Veterans

Through funds generated from gala concerts, the Benois de la Danse provides crucial financial support to veteran ballet artists, acknowledging their lifelong contributions to the art form.

Esteemed Jury

Judging Panel

The jury, responsible for evaluating the year's submissions, comprises distinguished figures from the international ballet world. Membership changes annually, ensuring a fresh perspective and broad representation of expertise.

The jury panel has included numerous luminaries of the dance world, such as:

  • Alessandra Ferri
  • Alexander Grant
  • Altynai Asylmuratova
  • Claude Bessy
  • Brigitte Lefèvre
  • Carla Fracci
  • Davide Bombana
  • Frank Anderson
  • Galina Ulanova
  • Helgi Tomasson
  • Irina Kolpakova
  • John Neumeier
  • John Taras
  • Karen Kain
  • Laurent Hilaire
  • Loipa Araújo
  • Nadia Nerina
  • Patrice Bart
  • Peter Schaufuss
  • Rudi van Dantzig
  • Rudolph Nureyev
  • Sofia Golovkina
  • Yuri Grigorovich
  • Yvette Chauviré
  • Vladimir Malakhov

Distinguished Laureates

Composers

Recognizing contributions to ballet music:

  • George Kouroupos (1996) - Greece
  • Michel Legrand (2012) - France
  • Joby Talbot (2015) - United Kingdom
  • Ilya Demutsky (2018) - Russia

Designers

Honoring excellence in stage and costume design:

  • Olivier Debré (1998) - France
  • Jaffar Chalabi (2000) - Austria
  • Jurgen Rose (2002) - Germany
  • Carlos Gallardo (2007) - Argentina
  • John Macfarlane (2015) - United States
  • Ren Dongsheng (2016) - People's Republic of China
  • Kirill Serebrennikov (2018) - Russia

Special Recognition

Awards for unique contributions and partnerships:

  • Prix "Benois-Moscow Massine-Positano": Ana Laguna (2015) - Sweden, Edward Watson (2015) - United Kingdom, Ekaterina Krysanova (2016) - Russia, Maria Kochetkova (2018) - United States
  • For High Artistry in Partnership: Alexandre Riabko (2016) - Germany

Award Categories

Lifetime Achievement

Recognizing a lifetime dedicated to ballet:

Name (Nationality) Year Country Company Training
Alicia Alonso (Cuba) 2000 Cuba National Ballet of Cuba Sociedad Pro-Arte Musical
Rudi van Dantzig (Netherlands) 2002 Netherlands Dutch National Ballet Anna Sybranda, Sonia Gaskell
William Forsythe (USA) 2002 Germany Stuttgart Ballet Joffrey Ballet School
Mikhail Baryshnikov (Latvia/USA) 2003 United States American Ballet Theatre Vaganova Academy
Maurice Béjart (France) 2003 France Béjart Ballet Lausanne Paris Opera Ballet School
Marina Semyonova (Russia) 2003 Russia Bolshoi Ballet Vaganova Academy
Trisha Brown (USA) 2005 United States Trisha Brown Dance Company Mills College
Hans van Manen (Netherlands) 2005 Netherlands Dutch National Ballet Sonia Gaskell, Françoise Adret
Mats Ek (Sweden) 2006 Sweden Cullberg Ballet
Laurent Hilaire (France) 2007 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Fernando Alonso (Cuba) 2008 Cuba National Ballet of Cuba
Peter Farmer (UK) 2010 United Kingdom
Ohad Naharin (Israel) 2010 Israel Batsheva Dance Company Juilliard School & School of American Ballet
Toer van Schayk (Netherlands) 2011 Netherlands Dutch National Ballet Irail Gadescov, Sonia Gaskell
Pierre Lacotte (France) 2012 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
John Neumeier (USA/Germany) 2013 Germany Hamburg Ballet Vera Volkova, Royal Ballet School
Brigitte Lefèvre (France) 2014 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Sylvie Guillem (France/UK) 2015 United Kingdom Royal Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
John Neumeier (USA/Germany) 2016 Germany Hamburg Ballet Vera Volkova, Royal Ballet School
Edward Watson (UK) 2016 United Kingdom Royal Ballet Royal Ballet School
Marcia Haydée (Brazil) 2017 Brazil Ballet de Santiago Royal Ballet School, Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas
Natalia Makarova (Russia) 2018 Russia Mariinsky Ballet Vaganova Academy
Jiří Kylián (Czech Republic) 2019 Czech Republic

Ballerinas

Celebrating outstanding female dancers:

Name (Nationality) Year Country Company Training
Nadezhda Gracheva (Russia) 1992 Russia Bolshoi Ballet Kazakh Ballet School, Moscow State College of Choreography
Isabelle Guérin (France) 1993 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Sylvie Guillem (France) 1994 United Kingdom Royal Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Galina Stepanenko (Russia) 1995 Russia Bolshoi Ballet Bolshoi Ballet Academy
Dominique Khalfouni (France) 1995 France Ballet National de Marseille Paris Opera Ballet School
Diana Vishneva (Russia) 1996 Russia Mariinsky Ballet
Ulyana Lopatkina (Russia) 1997 Russia Mariinsky Ballet Vaganova Academy
Yulia Makhalina (Russia) 1998 Russia Mariinsky Ballet Vaganova Academy
Marie-Claude Pietragalla (France) 1998 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Élisabeth Platel (France) 1999 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Sue Jin Kang (South Korea/Germany) 1999 Germany Stuttgart Ballet Académie de Danse Classique in Monte Carlo
Julie Kent (USA) 2000 United States American Ballet Theatre Academy of the Maryland Youth Ballet, School of American Ballet
Alessandra Ferri (Italy) 2000 Italy La Scala Theatre Ballet La Scala Theatre Ballet School
Aurélie Dupont (France) 2002 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Anastasia Volochkova (Russia) 2002 Russia Mariinsky Ballet Vaganova Academy
Lucia Lacarra (Spain/Germany) 2003 Germany Bayerisches Staatsballett Víctor Ullate School of Danse
Alina Cojocaru (Romania/UK) 2004 United Kingdom Royal Ballet Kyiv State Ballet School
Svetlana Zakharova (Ukraine/Russia) 2005 Russia Mariinsky Ballet Vaganova Academy
Marie-Agnès Gillot (France) 2005 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Ekaterina Kondaurova (Russia) 2006 Russia Mariinsky Ballet Vaganova Academy
Kim Joo-won (South Korea) 2006 South Korea Korea National Ballet Bolshoi Ballet Academy
Agnès Letestu (France) 2007 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Svetlana Lunkina (Russia) 2007 Russia Bolshoi Ballet Bolshoi Ballet Academy
Tamara Rojo (Spain/UK) 2008 United Kingdom Royal Ballet Madrid Royal Conservatory of Dance
Silvia Azzoni (Italy/Germany) 2008 Germany Hamburg Ballet Baletna Skola, Hamburg Ballet School
Natalia Osipova (Russia) 2009 Russia Bolshoi Ballet Bolshoi Ballet Academy
Kirsty Martin (Australia) 2009 Australia Australian Ballet Australian Ballet School
Hélène Bouchet (France/Germany) 2010 Germany Hamburg Ballet École supérieure de danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower, École Nationale de Danse de Marseille
Bernice Coppieters (Belgium/Monaco) 2011 Monaco Ballets de Monte-Carlo Royal Ballet School of Flanders, Juilliard School
Zhu Yan (China) 2011 China National Ballet of China Beijing Dance Academy
Alina Cojocaru (Romania/UK) 2012 United Kingdom Royal Ballet Kyiv State Ballet School
Olga Smirnova (Russia) 2013 Russia Bolshoi Ballet Vaganova Academy
Polina Semionova (Russia/USA) 2014 United States American Ballet Theatre Bolshoi Ballet Academy
Mariko Kida (Japan/Sweden) 2014 Sweden Royal Swedish Ballet San Francisco Ballet School
Svetlana Zakharova (Ukraine/Russia) 2015 Russia Bolshoi Ballet Vaganova Academy
Alicia Amatriain (Spain/Germany) 2016 Germany Stuttgart Ballet John Cranko School
Hannah O'Neill (New Zealand/France) 2016 France Paris Opera Ballet Australian Ballet School
Ludmila Pagliero (Argentina/France) 2017 France Paris Opera Ballet Instituto Superior de Arte of Teatro Colón
Maria Riccetto (Uruguay) 2017 Uruguay National Ballet of Uruguay Uruguay National Ballet School
Sae Eun Park (South Korea/France) 2018 France Paris Opera Ballet Korea National Academy of Ballet
Elisa Carrillo Cabrera (Mexico) 2019 Mexico Staatsballett Berlin Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura
Ashley Bouder (USA) 2019 United States New York City Ballet School of American Ballet
Amandine Albisson (France) 2021 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Ekaterina Krysanova (Russia) 2021 Russia Bolshoi Ballet Bolshoi Ballet Academy
Misun Kang (South Korea) 2023 South Korea Universal Ballet, South Korea
Qiu Yunting (China) 2023 China National Ballet of China

Danseurs

Celebrating outstanding male dancers:

Name (Nationality) Year Country Company Training
Julio Bocca (Argentina) 1992 Argentina Ballet Argentino Instituto Superior de Arte of Teatro Colón
Alexander Kölpin (Denmark) 1992 Denmark Royal Danish Ballet Royal Danish Ballet School
Andrei Uvarov (Russia) 1993 Russia Bolshoi Ballet Bolshoi Ballet Academy
Sergei Filin (Russia) 1994 Russia Bolshoi Ballet Bolshoi Ballet Academy
Nicolas Le Riche (France) 1995 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Irek Mukhamedov (Russia/UK) 1996 United Kingdom The Royal Ballet Bolshoi Ballet Academy
Vladimir Derevianko (Russia/Germany) 1996 Germany Sächsischen Staatsoper Dresden Bolshoi Ballet Academy
Gregor Seyffert (Germany) 1997 Germany Komische Oper Berlin Berlin State Ballet School
Farukh Ruzimatov (Russia) 1997 Russia Mariinsky Ballet Vaganova Academy
Manuel Legris (France) 1998 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Vladimir Malakhov (Ukraine/Germany) 1998 Germany Stuttgart Ballet Bolshoi Ballet Academy
Nikolay Tsiskaridze (Russia) 1999 Russia Bolshoi Ballet Bolshoi Ballet Academy
Jean-Guillaume Bart (France) 2000 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Ángel Corella (Spain/USA) 2000 United States American Ballet Theatre Víctor Ullate School of Danse
Jeffrey Gerodias (USA) 2002 United States Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Boston Conservatory, The Ailey School
Jiří Bubeníček (Czech Republic/Germany) 2002 Germany Hamburg Ballet Prague Dance Conservatory
Lukáš Slavický (Czech Republic/Germany) 2003 Germany Bavarian State Ballet Prague Dance Conservatory
Laurent Hilaire (France) 2004 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Lloyd Riggins (USA/Germany) 2004 Germany Hamburg Ballet Orlando Southern Ballet School
Mathieu Ganio (France) 2005 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Di Wang (China) 2006 China Guangzhou Dance company Revolutionary Army of China Art College
Leonid Sarafanov (Russia) 2006 Russia Mariinsky Ballet Kyiv State Ballet School
Hervé Moreau (France) 2007 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Marcelo Gomes (Brazil/USA) 2008 United States American Ballet Theatre Helena Lobato and Dalal Aschcar Ballet Schools
Carlos Acosta (Cuba/UK) 2008 United Kingdom The Royal Ballet Cuban National Ballet School
Ivan Vasiliev (Russia) 2009 Russia Bolshoi Ballet Belarusian State Choreographic College
Joaquín De Luz (Spain/USA) 2009 United States New York City Ballet Víctor Ullate School of Danse
David Hallberg (USA) 2010 United States American Ballet Theatre Ballet Arizona School
Thiago Bordin (Brazil/Germany) 2010 Germany Hamburg Ballet Mannheim Academy of Dance
Fernando Romero (Spain) 2011 Spain Lope de Vega Theatre Manolo Marín Dance School
Rolando Sarabia (Cuba/USA) 2011 United States Miami City Ballet Cuban National Ballet School
Semyon Chudin (Russia) 2011 Russia Stanislavsky Ballet Company Novosibirsk State Ballet School
Mathias Heymann (France) 2012 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Carsten Jung (Germany) 2012 Germany Hamburg Ballet Palucca School of Dance, The School of the Hamburg Ballet
Alban Lendorf (Denmark) 2013 Denmark Royal Danish Ballet Royal Danish Ballet School
Vadim Muntagirov (Russia/UK) 2013 United Kingdom English National Ballet Perm Ballet School, Royal Ballet School
Herman Cornejo (Argentina/USA) 2014 United States American Ballet Theatre Instituto Superior de Arte at Teatro Colón
Edward Watson (UK) 2015 United Kingdom The Royal Ballet Royal Ballet School
Kim Kimin (South Korea/Russia) 2016 Russia Mariinsky Ballet Korea National University of Arts
Hugo Marchand (France) 2017 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School
Denis Rodkin (Russia) 2017 Russia Bolshoi Ballet Moscow State Academic Dance Theatre of Dance Gzhel
Isaac Hernández (Mexico/UK) 2018 United Kingdom English National Ballet The Rock School for Dance Education
Vladislav Lantratov (Russia) 2018 Russia Bolshoi Ballet Bolshoi Ballet Academy
Vadim Muntagirov (Russia/UK) 2019 United Kingdom The Royal Ballet Perm Ballet School, Royal Ballet School
Jesus Carmona (Spain) 2021 Spain Compañía Jesús Carmona
Hugo Marchand (France) 2023 France Paris Opera Ballet Paris Opera Ballet School

Choreographers

Recognizing innovative choreographic achievements:

Name (Nationality) Year Country Company Training
John Neumeier (USA/Germany) 1992 Germany Hamburg Ballet Vera Volkova, Royal Ballet School
Jiří Kylián (Czech Republic/Netherlands) 1993 Netherlands Nederlands Dans Theatre Prague Dance Conservatory, Royal Ballet School
Roland Petit (France) 1994 France Ballet National de Marseille Paris Opera Ballet School
Angelin Preljocaj (France) 1995 France Ballet Preljocaj Schola Cantorum
Valentin Elizariev (Belarus) 1996 Belarus National Academic Bolshoi Ballet of Belarus Vaganova Leningrad Academic Choreographic School
Carolyn Carlson (USA/France) 1998 France Atelier de Paris-Carolyn Carlson San Francisco Ballet School
Davide Bombana (Italy) 1998 Italy Maggio Danza Company La Scala Theatre Ballet School
Jiří Kylián (Czech Republic/Netherlands) 1999 Netherlands Nederlands Dans Theatre Prague Dance Conservatory, Royal Ballet School
Nacho Duato (Spain) 2000 Spain Spanish National Dance Company Rambert School, Maurice Béjart’s Mudra School, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
David Dawson (UK) 2003 United Kingdom Dutch National Ballet Royal Ballet School
Édouard Lock (Canada) 2003 France La La La Human Steps
Paul Lightfoot & Sol León (Netherlands) 2004 Netherlands Nederlands Dans Theatre
Alexei Ratmansky (Russia/USA) 2005 United States American Ballet Theatre Bolshoi Ballet Academy
Boris Eifman (Russia) 2006 Russia St Petersburg Ballet Theatre Saint Petersburg Conservatory
Martin Schläpfer (Switzerland/Germany) 2007 Germany Ballet Mainz Royal Ballet School
Jean-Christophe Maillot (France/Monaco) 2008 Monaco Ballets de Monte-Carlo École supérieure de danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower
Wayne McGregor (UK) 2009 United Kingdom Royal Ballet José Limón School
José Carlos Martínez (Spain/France) 2009 France Paris Opera Ballet École supérieure de danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower, Paris Opera Ballet School
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui & Damien Jalet (Belgium) 2011 Belgium Kidd Pivot Performing Arts Research and Training Studios, Institut National Supérieur des Arts du Spectacle
Jorma Elo (Finland/USA) 2011 United States Boston Ballet Finnish National Ballet School, Vaganova Academy
Lar Lubovitch (USA) 2012 United States Lar Lubovitch Dance Company Juilliard School
Hans van Manen (Netherlands) 2013 Netherlands Dutch National Ballet Sonia Gaskell, Françoise Adret
Christopher Wheeldon (UK) 2013 United Kingdom Royal Ballet Royal Ballet School
Alexei Ratmansky (Russia/USA) 2014 United States American Ballet Theatre Bolshoi Ballet Academy
Christopher Wheeldon (UK) 2015 United Kingdom Royal Ballet Royal Ballet School
Inger Johan (Sweden/Germany) 2016 Germany Nederlands Dans Theater Royal Swedish Ballet School & National Ballet School of Canada
Yuri Possokhov (Russia) 2016 Russia Bolshoi Ballet Bolshoi Ballet Academy
Crystal Pite (Canada) 2017 Canada Kidd Pivot The School of Toronto Dance Theatre
Deborah Colker (Brazil) 2018 Brazil Deborah Colker Company
Yuri Possokhov (Russia) 2018 Russia Bolshoi Ballet Bolshoi Ballet Academy

Award Statistics

Analysis of laureates by country and company affiliation:

Total Awards by Country (Approximate):

Number Country
23 France
21 Russia
16 Germany
11 United States
9 United Kingdom
6 Netherlands
2 Argentina, China, Cuba, Italy, Monaco, Spain, South Korea, Mexico, Brazil
1 Uruguay, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Israel, Sweden

Top Companies Represented by Laureates:

Number Country Laureate's Company
16 France Paris Opera Ballet
10 Russia Bolshoi Ballet
8 Russia Mariinsky Ballet
7 Germany Hamburg Ballet
7 United Kingdom Royal Ballet
5 United States American Ballet Theatre

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References

References

  1.  Prix Benois de la Danse, Laureates
A full list of references for this article are available at the Prix Benois de la Danse Wikipedia page

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Important Notice

This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date. It is not affiliated with the official Prix Benois de la Danse organization.

This is not an official award guide. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for consulting official sources or seeking expert advice regarding ballet and its awards. Always refer to official documentation for the most current and accurate information.

The creators of this page are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for any actions taken based on the information provided herein.