Mozambican dancer and choreographer Idio Chichava, alongside Anglo-Rwandan artist Dorothée Munyaneza, has won the inaugural Salavisa European Dance Award, the most prestigious dance prize in the world. The award, presented by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, was given on Wednesday in Lisbon and is valued at 150,000 euros (over 10 million meticais).
The winners will also have the opportunity to present their work on the stages of six partner institutions, including the ImPulsTanz – Vienna International Dance Festival, KVS - Royal Flemish Theatre (Belgium), Dansehallerne (Denmark), Maison de la Danse/Biennale de la Danse (France), Joint Adventures (Germany), and Sadler’s Wells (United Kingdom).
The jury highlighted that the works of both Idio Chichava and Dorothée Munyaneza are “rooted not only in personal artistic interests but also in a complex understanding of the world around them and the crucial role that dance can play in broader social discussions.”
Idio Chichava, a Mozambican dancer and choreographer, made his career in France before returning to Mozambique, where he became the artistic director of the company Converge+, which promotes free dance education for local communities. He has also focused on multidisciplinary productions and collaborative creations. The jury praised his work as “a powerful affirmation of collective energy and the desire to create and coexist.”
Founded in 2023, the Salavisa European Dance Award honors the legacy of Portuguese dancer and artistic director Jorge Salavisa (1939-2020) and is awarded every two years to artists who have yet to achieve significant visibility in the European dance circuit.
This year's jury included Mette Ingvartsen, a Danish choreographer who combines dance with visual arts and technology, Nayse López, curator and artistic director of the Panorama Festival, and Fu Kuen Tang, a dramaturg and curator based in Bangkok with projects across Europe and Asia.
(By MozaVibe)
