Dorothée Munyaneza and Idio Chichava win the SEDA – Salavisa European Dance Award 2024
Dorothée Munyaneza and Idio Chichava are the first winners of the SEDA – Salavisa European Dance Award, a prize created on the initiative of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation together with six other European art institutions. In addition to JOINT ADVENTURES, these include the Maison de la Danse / Biennale de la Danse, Lyon, France; ImPulsTanz - Internationales Tanzfestival Wien, Austria; Dansehallerne, Copenhagen, Denmark; K.V.S., Brussels, Belgium and Sadler's Wells, London, United Kingdom.
The winners, who were selected by a jury of three independent experts – Mette Ingvartsen, Nayse López and Fu Kuen Tang – from a list of five nominees, will share the 150,000 euro prize and have the opportunity to present their work on the stages of the partner institutions.
According to the jury, Dorothée Munyaneza and Idio Chichava stand out “for their particularly successful artistic approaches in recent works, as well as for the close link they maintain with their artistic contexts, communities and collaborators.” The works of both artists are “rooted not just 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.”
Dorothée Munyaneza is a multidisciplinary artist who uses music, song, text and movement to understand disruption as a dynamic force and to create spaces of resonance and hope. Born in Rwanda, she studied music and social sciences in London and then moved to Paris, where she worked with various choreographers. In 2013, she founded her own company, Kadidi. According to the jury, Munyaneza goes to the places that hurt the most in her work. She connects “history, trauma, but also love and hope, with a deep comprehension of the body and its potential to tell stories and create emotional spaces.”
Idio Chichava is a dancer, choreographer and artistic director of the Converge+ dance company in Mozambique. After a successful career in France, he returned to his home country, where he has campaigned for free dance classes in communities and invested in multidisciplinary productions and collaborative creations in which everyone can explore their own inner world. The jury sees Chichava's work as “a powerful affirmation of collective energy and the desire to create and coexist.”
The SEDA – Salavisa European Dance Award was presented at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon on November 27, 2024 from 6:30 pm local time (7:30 pm CET).
About the award
The SEDA – Salavisa European Dance Award was established in 2023 by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation together with six other European art institutions, including JOINT ADVENTURES, in honor of the Portuguese dancer, teacher and artistic director Jorge Salavisa (1939 – 2020). The internationally most highly endowed prize for contemporary dance is awarded every two years to artists from all over the world who demonstrate special talent or artistic qualities and are to be supported in developing their international reputation.
About the jury
Mette Ingvartsen is a Danish choreographer and dancer with a company based in Brussels. Her internationally recognized hybrid works expand choreographic practice by combining dance and movement with other disciplines such as visual arts, technology, sports, language and theory.
Nayse López has been Artistic Director of the Panorama Festival in Brazil since 2005 and has acted as guest curator for various projects. She has participated in numerous international events and has extensive experience as a speaker at various forums, covering a wide range of topics related to cultural management, art and media.
Fu Kuen Tang is a Bangkok-based curator, producer and dramaturge dedicated to performance and contemporary visual arts. He was Director of Bergen International Theatre (BIT Teatergarasjen), Taipei Arts Festival and collaborates with various institutions and platforms in Europe and Asia.