Pictured: Manuel Rodriguez: Rewind. Photo: Paweł Wyszomirski.
The results of the International Solo Dance Contest 2014 for the best contemporary dance/contemporary ballet solo performances have been announced. The contest targets European professional dancers and is set to support and promote contemporary dance on the Old Continent. This year?s jury included: Laurie Uprichard (France/USA) ? curator, producer, critic, Quaternaire; Ruby Edelmann (Israel) ? choreographer, artistic director of the Machol Shalem Dance House in Jerusalem; Anna Królica (Poland) ? dance critic and curator, author of the book Pokolenie Solo [Solo Generation]; Włodzimierz Kaczkowski (Poland) ? director of the theatre Scena Współczesna, organiser of the Zawirowania Dance Theatre Festival; Eryk Makohon (Poland) ? director of the Kraków Choreographic Centre, founder of the Cracow Dance Theatre.
This year 35 artists took part in the contest. Finalists presented their solos on Sunday, 8 June in Club Żak as part of the 6th Gdańsk Dance Festival.
Audience award: This is not a white woman by Marion Alzieu
First Prizes (2000 euro):
Rewind by Manuel Rodriguez
and The Hands by Marina Mazaraki
Second Prizes (1000 euro):
This is not a white woman by Marion Alzieu
and Svarupa-Vyakta by Stefano Fardelli
About the winners
Manuel Rodriguez studied ballet and contemporary dance in Cordoba and Madrid (Spain), as well as technical illustration and graphic design. He has won a number of prizes, e.g. at the International ACT Festival in Bilbao, the Burgos/New York Choreography Competition, the Madrid International Choreographic Competition, or MASDANZA. He currently collaborates with James Thierree / Compagnie du Hanneton and La Veronal Dance Company.
Marina Mazaraki has graduated from SEAD and completed Niki Kodaxaki?s professional dance school in Athens (Greece). She has performed with Transitheart Productions of Linz and is a member of the Vertebra Dance Collective.
Marion Alzieu has completed professional dance courses at Coline, Istres, France, and le Centre de Développement Chorégraphique La Termiti?re in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. She has worked with Emanuel Gat?s company in Istres, Jasmin Vardimon?s company in London, as well as the Royal Opera House. Currently, she dances with Mouvements Perpétuels.
Stefano Fardelli works as a model in Italy and the UK, while dancing with different opera houses (Berlin, Royal Finland, English National), the BBC television, and numerous dance theatres. In 2011 he was chosen to represent Italy by the Italian culture ministry. As an actor he has collaborated with the Hollywood director Mike Figgis, and in 2014 he will star in Stefano Tummolini?s new movie.
