Les Prix de la danse de Montréal 2014

On December 3, the 2014 winners of Les Prix de la danse de Montréal were announced.

New this year was the Prix du RQD — Interprète, presented by the Regroupement québécois de la danse as part of the organization’s thirtieth anniversary. The inaugural award for best performer went to Carol Prieur (see Prieur in video below), independent dancer and member of Compagnie Marie Chouinard. “The prize celebrates the unparalleled virtuosity of Carol Prieur and her rigorous artistic approach. It also recognizes her tireless commitment and immense generosity to the dance community and to the discipline as a whole,” said RQD’s executive director, Lorraine Hébert. The award is accompanied by a grant of $10,000, part of which is provided by the Caisse de la Culture, and is awarded to a Québec artist who has distinguished him/herself in the professional dance scene of Québec.

American Meg Stuart won the grand prize for Built to Last (see review, here), a work she presented in Montréal at the Festival TransAmériques 2014. The grand prize comes with a $15,000 grant, presented by Québecor and private donors, and is awarded to a Canadian or international dancer or choreographer for his/her exceptional contribution to dance presented in Montréal during the 2013-14 season.

Benoît Lachambre won the award for best choreography for his work Prismes, which premiered in Sherbrooke, Que., in 2013. This prize, accompanied by a grant of $10,000, highlights excellence in dance creation by recognizing a work by a Québec choreographer presented in Québec and is awarded by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.

Les Prix de la danse de Montréal was founded in 2011 by Marie Chouinard who, after receiving a Bessie Award in New York, recognized a need for an international prize to be awarded in Montréal. Les Prix de la danse de Montréal is a not-for-profit organization with a mandate to promote Montréal as an international centre for dance creation and dissemination by awarding honourable distinctions and monetary rewards. The board of directors appoints independent juries and seeks private donations, service sponsorships and financial partners. This is the awards’ fourth year.~