The Year Begins with Award Ceremonies - R. Vašek

Two dance awards were among the flood of awards that were distributed during the first months of the New Year. The Competitive Showcase of Czech Republic announced the results of its production category and the Philip Morris Ballet Flower 2005 also announced its winners. 

Once every three years, the Dance Association of the Czech Republic announces the winners of the production category of the competitive showcase (the awards are alternated with the categories of choreography and interpretation). The jury under the guidance of dance critic, Vladimír Vašut, decided that the main award for the best Czech dance performance of the past three years and the modest cash prize of 700 Euro was awarded to Petr Zuska for his production of D.M.J. 1953-1977, created for the National Theatre in Brno in 2004. The piece by Tomáš Rychetský, Unnecessary Fragility (Bezpředmětná křehkost), was awarded as an exceptional author piece. This creatively interesting piece was staged at the National Theatre one year ago. For the first time, the jury decided to award two prizes for an exceptional collective performance: the South Bohemian Theatre of České Budějovice for its production of Marné opatrnosti and the Prague Dance Conservatory for its production of Sleeping Beauty.

Honourable mentions for individual performances were awarded to Richard Kročil (for the leading role in the ballet D.M.J. 1953-1977) and Ivona Jeličová (for the role of Lady Macbeth in the J.K. Tyl´s production of Macbeth in Pilsen). The Philip Morris Ballet Flower Awards 2005 were distributed during a gala concert at the National Theatre in Prague on February 2nd. The grand prize, which is given together with a cash award of 8.500 Euros, was given to Jiří Kodym from the National Theatre in Prague. The jury, led by Vlastimil Harapes, awarded him with the prize, primarily for his significant artistic growth in the performance of the lead role in the ballet, Oněgin. The talented twenty-one year old soloist of the National Theatre Ballet in Brno, Andrea Smejkalová, received a minor award for a young emerging artists and a cash prize of 1.700 Euros.