A Quiet Evening of Dance, an evening of work by celebrated American choreographer William Forsythe produced by Sadler’s Wells, has won the 100,000 Euro prestigious prize FEDORA – VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Prize for Ballet 2018.
A Quiet Evening of Dance was selected by a jury who chose the production because of the variety of dancers involved with the project, and the intriguing idea of much of the work’s only accompanying sound track being the performers themselves.
A Quiet Evening of Dance receives its world premiere at Sadler’s Wells from 4 – 6 October.
For this unusual configuration of new and existing work, Forsythe creates an intimate, pure evening of choreography, stripped down to its essence.
The intricate phrasing of the dancers’ breath is the primary accompaniment for a distillation of the geometric origins of classical ballet, which explores themes of space and time.
Including Rauf “RubberLegz” Yasit and his take on contemporary and breakdance, the evening is performed by seven of Forsythe’s most trusted collaborators,exploring new shapes and modes of movement.
Nicholas Payne, member of the jury and Director of Opera Europa, said: “Sadler’s Wells has a matchless record in nurturing innovative dance. The FEDORA jury, which brought together directors of six of the world’s leading ballet companies, was convinced by its commitment both to unerring quality and to ensuring the programme’s wide accessibility.”
The three other finalists in the ballet category were Story Water by Emanuel Gat Dance, Romeo and Juliet by National Theatre Brno, and Ignite by Birmingham Royal Ballet.
In addition to the main prize, the production received crowdfunding of over 2,000 Euros through the FEDORA Platform, which will go towards touring the production and was acknowledged with a diploma at the award ceremony.
Seven Stones, a new opera co-production led by the Aix-en-Provence Festival, won the FEDORA – GENERALI Prize for Opera 2018, while a prize was also awarded to The True Story of King Kong, an interdisciplinary opera co-production lead by Theater Magdeburg, for obtaining the highest number of public votes on the new FEDORA Platform.
A Quiet Evening of Dance is part of Sadler’s Wells’ 20th anniversary celebrations, and is among 20 commissions celebrating 20 years of the current building, which opened in 1998.
Last year’s FEDORA Prize winner in the ballet category was L-E-V’s Love Chapter 2 by Sharon Eyal and her co-creator Gai Behar. Eyal became a Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist in 2018, and presents the UK premiere of Love Chapter 2 at Sadler’s Wells on 13 & 14 July.