Sophie Whittome, one of this year’s nominees in the Dance category, recently joined NDT 1 after two years with NDT 2. “So far, it feels familiar, in some ways. There are unique qualities to each of the two companies, but what remains is that there are many people in each who are dear to me. It is the people, always, who pique and maintain my interest in a place. The brilliance of a company of this size is that it can act as an anchor that draws all these wonderful people together.”
“It feels as if the Piket award ceremony is only a week ago,” Isla Clarke (winner Piket Art prize 2022 (Dance)) “The past few months have been so demanding and intense.” She will be taking next season off for the final stages of her transition and looks forward to what she calls her ‘next chapter.’
Dancer and choreographer Isabelle Chaffaud (MEYER-CHAFFAUD, CLOUD/Danslab) joined the Piket Art Prizes jury in 2017, succeeding Cora Bos-Kroese. She has completed the set term and retired from the jury at the end of 2022. “It’s important for a jury member to be able to change cap,” Isabelle says.
Isla Clarke, one of this year’s nominees in the Dance category, is a trans woman who is still in the middle of her transition. Isla received praise from the jury for her courage in doing her transition through her career “without stepping aside and apologizing for it.” She has used the summer months to move further on this path and is now taking it easy to recover from surgery.
Isla Clarke, dit jaar genomineerd in de categorie Dans, is transvrouw en nog bezig met haar transitie. De jury prees Isla vanwege haar moedige keuze om haar transitie en haar carrière samen te laten gaan en “niet opzij te stappen of zich te verontschuldigen.” Ze heeft de zomermaanden aangegrepen om weer wat verder te gaan op dit pad en doet het momenteel rustig aan om te herstellen van een operatie. Lees verder
India Sardjoe is in top form. In May of this year the B-girl became women’s national breakdance champion and she recently received a wildcard enabling her to take part in the Red Bull BC World Final scheduled to be held in New York in November.
Faile Sol, one of this year’s nominees for the Piket Art Prizes in the Dance category, has swapped The Hague for the Hungarian city of Székesfehérvár. After a succesful audition with Royal Ballet Fehérvár, he was hoping for a traineeship, but they immediately offered him a one-year contract. “I was absolutely speechless,” Faile says.
At first, Goda Žukauskaitė genuinely thought the nomination was a mistake. “It was such a big surprise. I found it difficult to accept that I might be worth it. I don’t see myself as a dancer who goes for high technique. For me dance is more than an art form. It’s a tool to talk with people. Movement is about energy and dynamics, it’s a conversation.” In Goda’s view, the fact that she was nominated says a lot about the open-minded attitude of the jury. The recognition makes her feel “super grateful.”
Despite the fact that many of the Covid-19 measures are still in force, Boston Gallacher, 2020 winner in the Dance category, has been working hard these past few months. “I’m lucky to be in one of those jobs which are able to go on as normal.”
Theatre makers, actors, visual artists, and dancers are much affected by government measures to keep the corona virus under control. What is the impact of these measures on the young (former) nominees and winners of the Piket Art Prizes? Part 50: Zahira Suliman, 2016 nominee in the Dance category.
