Jarmila Jeřábková Award 2003

PRESS RELEASE
Duncan Centre Theatre, 14–17 November 2003

On Monday 17 November at Duncan Centre Conservatory awards were given to the winners of the competition which bears the name of the legendary Czech modern dancer. The competition is for young dancers from Central and Eastern Europe. The number of participating countries grows every year. This year competitors came from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland and Latvia. Each participant presents two choreographies – one free and one obligatory. The latter is set to music by a Czech contemporary composer. This year it was Marek Kopelent, who had just recently received the Prize of the Ministry of Culture. The international jury, comprised of representatives of the USA, Great Britain, France and the Czech Republic, awarded the prizes which are accompanied by a financial contribution to cover the creation of a new piece. The prizes went to Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. The first prize was awarded to Katalin Inhof for her choreography Becoming a Picture and the piece Lightning to Kopelent´s String Quartet No. 3. The jury praised the compactness of her opinion and dance expression, the power of her solo performance which fills the space, attentive attachment to music, distinct phrasing and the subtle ways of mixing flamenco influences with contemporary dance expression. The second prize was awarded to Jaro Viňarský from Slovakia who had received a Jarmila Jeřábková Award before. The jury admired his free choreography Never Infused Tea for its daring intimate topic, choreographically brilliant parts as regards conception and quality of movement, the merge of dance and everyday-life movements and a sense of space. His obligatory piece Decision, set to Kopelent´s String Quartet No. 4, ranked among the most interesting performances (with the help of a mask he expressed the contrasts among socially ritualistic, binding and also vulnerable motifs in the music). Malwina Rzonca received the third prize for her piece Dream and for the obligatory choreography Trio for One Body, Mind and Soul to Kopelent´s String Quartet No. 3. The jury liked the originality, even eccentricity, of her concept, her ability to wake the spectators´ imagination and the artistic purity of the piece. Special mention was awarded to the youngest participant in the competition, the sixteen-year-old student of Prague Dance Conservatory Eva Kolářová who surprised all by her exceptionally musical expression in the performance of String Quartet No. 4 by Marek Kopelent, by her mature composure and childish fragility as well as precise movement. The directress of Duncan Centre Conservatory Eva Blažíčková announced the next competition which will welcome competitors from a new participating country – Bulgaria. The assigned composer for next year is Jan Hanuš.