Prague Chamber Ballet and the production of Kytice were successful as well: the best choreography award went to Petr Zuska, the stage design award went to Jan Dušek, and the composer Ondřej Brousek received the award for the new ballet piece. The award for the best collective performance went to Ostrava.

The ceremony of the BALLET 2019 with awards and bonuses took place at the occasion of staging the winning performance of The Taming of the Shrew on 19 April 2019 at 7 p.m. at the Estates Theatre.

There were 11 ballet companies from the Czech Republic participating at the BALLET 2019 showcase: National Theatre Ballet Prague, Laterna magika, Prague Chamber Ballet, Ballet Prague Junior (the Dance Center Prague conservatory company), F. X. Šalda Theatre in Liberec, North Bohemian Theatre Ústí nad Labem, J. K. Tyl Theatre Pilsen, South Bohemian Theatre České Budějovice, National Theatre Brno, National Moravian-Silesian Theatre Ostrava, and Moravian Theatre Olomouc with 28 performances.

The jury of five members included Kateřina Dedková, Lucie Dercsényiová, Lucie Hayashi, Zdeněk Prokeš, and Roman Vašek. They gathered the great number of 116 expert opinions, which have the indispensable importance as documents and reviews. Regional companies appreciated concern for their work and the fact that the number of reviews mostly in journals.

BALLET 2019 was organized by the Czech Association of Dance Artists (formerly Czech Dance Association) and financially supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic. Awards and bonuses were provided by Grishko, Life of an Artist Foundation, and Czech Literary Fund Foundation. All permanent and independent ballet companies, which have had at least one premiere in the past five years, participated in the showcase. “The fact that theatres are interested in participation only vindicates the showcase and the need to have such a confrontation at least once in a while, when it cannot be done at one place and concentrated time,” says Zdeněk Prokeš, the head of the jury, and adds: “On the other hand, the model is much cheaper and allows for the unlimited choice of repertoire and participation of companies. It is definitely more objective because performances take place in the home environment; performances and the shape of the production are not influenced by touring conditions.” The goal of the showcase, which has been organized since 1992, is to stimulate dance and ballet companies to raise awareness about the contemporary Czech production and strive for regular performances. The showcase presented what companies consider their best representative performances.

Foto: J. K. Tyl Theatre in Pilsen – The Taming of the Shrew

The jury decided in accordance with the Voting Statute on awards and bonuses: BALLET 2019 main prize – award with the material prize from Grishko company worth 25,000 CZK and the bonus of 10,000 CZK
J. K. TYL THEATRE IN PILSEN “THE TAMING OF THE SHREW” 
(music by Jan Kučera, choreographer and director Alena Pešková)

Award for best choreography – prize and a bonus worth of 10,000 CZK to
PETR ZUSKA
for Prague Chamber Ballet’s “Kytice”

Award for the best solo performance – prize with the bonus of 10,000 CZK to
IVONA JELIČOVÁ for her interpretation of the role of Kateřina Kabanová in the dance drama “The Storm” in the F. X. Šalda Theatre in Liberec (director and choreographer Alena Pešková)

Award for the best solo performance – prize with the bonus of 10,000 CZK to
GAËTAN PIRES for his interpretation of Petruccio in the “Taming of the Shrew” at the J. K. Tyl Theatre in Pilsen (choreographer and director Alena Pešková)

Award for the best solo performance – prize with the bonus of 10,000 CZK to
BARBORA ŠULCOVÁ for her interpretation of the solo in the ballet “O Balcão de Amor” at the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre in Ostrava (choreographer Itzik Galili)

Award for the best solo performance – prize with the bonus of 10,000 CZK to
ONDŘEJ VINKLÁT for his interpretation of Josef K. in the dance drama “The Trial” at the National Theatre in Prague (choreographer and director Mauro Bigonzetti)

Award for the best collective performance – prize with the material prize from Grishko company worth of 10,000 CZK to
BALLET OF THE NATIONAL MORAVIAN-SILESIAN THEATRE IN OSTRAVA
for the performance in “Rossini Cards” (choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti), considering performances in the current repertoire in Ostrava

The jury also decided to award the honorary mentions:

for the ballet original music
ONDŘEJ BROUSEK (Kytice, Prague Chamber Ballet)
JAN KUČERA (The Taming of the Shrew, J. K. Tyl Theatre in Pilsen)

for stage design
JAN DUŠEK
for stage design for Kytice (Prague Chamber Ballet), considering the designs for “Keys from Nowhere” (South Bohemian Theatre České Budějovice)
JAN HLADIL AND FRANTIŠEK PECHÁČEK
for screenings and video-mapping in the production of “Cube” in Laterna magika
PAVEL KNOLL
for costumes from “Keys from Nowhere” (South Bohemian Theatre České Budějovice), considering costumes for “Production Meeting” (South Bohemian Theatre České Budějovice)