New Year and End of Year Awards

The winners of the twelfth international Erik Bruhn Prize, awarded November 15th, 2016, in Toronto, were Natasha Sheehan and Angelo Greco, both of the San Francisco Ballet. The Choreographic Prize went to Marc Jubete, a soloist at the Hamburg Ballet, for his work, Remember. The annual award, decided by a panel of judges, recognizes young ballet dancers chosen by their companies’ artistic directors and the evening’s best contemporary choreography.

The six Prix de la danse de Montréal were awarded on November 15th, 2016. The Grand Prix went to Édouard Lock as recognition for his lifetime achievements. Daina Ashbee received two awards: the Découverte for her work Unrelated and the Prix du CALQ for the best choreographic work for her work When the Ice Melts, Will We Drink the Water? The prize for best dance artist went to Sophie Corriveau and the Prix du gestionnaire culturel, created by Diagramme – gestion culturelle, was awarded to Gilles Savary, general director of Fortier Danse-Création.

The Atlantic Ballet Theatre (ABT) of Moncton, New Brunswick, was named a 2016 Champion of Cultural Diversity in the small- and medium-sized business category by the New Brunswick Multicultural Council. The award recognizes employers and individuals for their good practices and leadership in the Winter 2016 Awards areas of promoting diversity, inclusion and integration of newcomers in the New Brunswick labour market. Out of ABT’s twenty-one employees, eleven are foreign born, representing eleven different countries. The award also commended ABT’s advocacy for cultural diversity.

Fifteen-year-old Travis Lim of Vancouver won two gold medals at the 2016 International Dance Organization (IDO) Hip Hop Championships in the “Junior Hip Hop Solo” and “Junior Electric Boogie” categories. Lim was the defending Electric Boogie champion. The IDO is a world dance and dancesport federation and its championship attracts over 3600 competitors from thirty countries.

Paul Tanguay, an administrator and general manager of numerous performing arts organizations for over forty years, was awarded with the National Arts Centre’s 2016 Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring. The list of artists and organizations Tanguay has worked with during his career includes Compagnie Marie Chouinard, RUBBERBANDance, La La La Human Steps, The Old Trout Puppet Workshop and O Vertigo. The award, which recognizes exceptional achievement in fostering the touring of live performing arts in Canada, includes $2500 and a specially designed porcelain sculpture by artist Paula Murray.

At Dance Ontario’s DanceWeekend’17, Vivine Scarlett, founder and curator of dance Immersion, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes Scarlett’s more than thirty years of participation in the Canadian dance community and as curator of dance Immersion. She has been influential in creating space and presentation opportunities for Canadian artists of African descent. The Jacque Foesier Youth Dance Award was given to Tess Vosper of Milton, Ontario. 

France Geoffroy, artistic director of Montréal-based Corpuscule Danse, won the Prix À part entière presented by the Office des personnes handicapées du Québec. The award honours individuals who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to reducing the obstacles to social participation facing people with disabilities in that province.

Ontario Contact, a conference produced by Ontario Presents, a provincewide network of performing arts touring and presenting organizations, awarded Dreamwalker Dance of Toronto with its 2016 Artist of the Year Award. The award recognizes excellence in the field of live presentation and touring in Ontario. Andrea Nann of Dreamwalker Dance was presented with a painting by Dianne Latchford, an emerging artist, in recognition of the award.