The Hannover choreography competition is inviting entries

Ballet Gesellschaft Hannover’s choreography competition, one of the most prestigious international dance competitions, is accepting submissions.

Although it was held online this year, it will return to the Theater am Aegi and a live audience in 2012, overseen by Gregor Zöllig, chief choreographer of the dance theatre at the Staatstheater Braunschweig, who has been the artistic director of the competition since 2020.

The competition is open to professionally-trained participants, choreographers and dancers. Choreographers must be 39 or younger. The competition is open to any kind of style; its duration must be between five and twelve minutes. Evaluation is based exclusively on imaginative use of space and time, the realisation of an idea, and its transfer onto the performers. A solo-ballet may not be interpreted by the choreographer him/herself but the applicant is free in his choice of subject and music. The choreographic work may be sent as a video link or DVD.

The deadline is 26 March, 2021.

14,500 euros will be awarded in total, as well as three production awards. the 1st prize winner will receive 6,000 euros; 2nd prize, 3,000 euros; 3rd prize, 2,000 euros. The Audience and Online Awards are 1,000 euros each. The Critics Award, 1,500 euros.

Production Awards:

There is a new Production Award from the Tanja Liedtke Foundation at Staatstheater Hannover. The Tanja Liedtke Foundation was established in 2008 in honour of Tanja Liedtke who was killed by a truck in August 2007, just two months into her position as artistic director of Sydney Dance Company. This prize, awarded by Marco Goecke, ballet director at Staatstheater Hannover, includes the development of a fifteen-minute choreography with the dancers of the theatre, the fee donated by the Foundation.

Other Production Awards are:

• The MiR Dance Company Production Award, which is also new and will be awarded by the director of the MiR Dance Company at the Theater im Revier Gelsenkirchen, Giuseppe Spota.
• Production Award Theater Pforzheim, a production prize donated for the multi-part, contemporary ballet evening, TANZ PUR. The winner is invited to create a world premiere with dancers of the Ballett Theater Pforzheim. Ballet director, Guido Markowitz, member of the jury, will award the prize. The artist's fee includes the accommodation costs during the production period.
• NTM Production Award, which grants the winner the offer to work with the Ensemble of the NTM Dance to create a choreography at the Nationaltheater Mannheim as part of a multi-part dance evening. The prize is awarded by Stephan Thoss, director dance and chief choreographer at the Nationaltheater Mannheim.
• Scapino Production Award, awarded by Ed Wubbe since 2005. It includes the development of an unique choreography with dancers from Scapino Ballet, presented in the series, TWOOLS.
• Bundesjugendballett Production Award, sponsored by the Bundesjugendballett since 2012. Part of the award is the development of a choreography with the Bundesjugendballett.

Find everything you need to know to enter here.

View the 2020 winners here.

- CANDIDE MCDONALD