National Dance Awards winners announced 

The Winners of the 2023 National Dance Awards were announced at a ceremony at The Coronet Theatre in Notting Hill Gate. This was the first time that the event had been held at this atmospheric venue.

The awards – voted upon by the 60 dance critics who are members of the Critics’ Circle – are for performances seen during 2022.

The winners are as follows:

Dancing Times Award for Best Male Dancer: Jeffrey Cirio (English National Ballet)

Best Female Dancer: Laura Morera (The Royal Ballet)

Stef Stefanou Award for Outstanding Company: Scottish Ballet

Best Mid-Scale Company: Lost Dog

Best Independent Company: Alleyne Dance

Best Classical Choreography: Jessica Wright and Morgann Runacre-Temple (Jess and Morgs) for Coppélia (Scottish Ballet)

Best Modern Choreography: Ben Duke for Ruination(Lost Dog)

Emerging Artist Award: Musa Motha (Dancer, Rambert)

Outstanding Female Modern Performance: Zeleidy Crespo in 100% Cuban (Acosta Danza)

Outstanding Male Modern Performance: Israel Galván in La Consagración de la Primavera (Compañia Israel Galván)

Outstanding Female Classical Performance: Constance Devernay-Laurence as Swanilda in Coppélia (Scottish Ballet)

Outstanding Male Classical Performance: Marcelino Sambé as Pedro in Like Water for Chocolate (The Royal Ballet)

Outstanding Creative Contribution: Bob Crowley (Designer for Like Water for Chocolate) and Paco Peña (Director and Guitarist for Solera)

The De Valois Award for Outstanding Contribution: Jonzi D.

It was a great year for diversity in the awards. The winners came from a list of 70 nominations covering every dance genre and the nominees came from a record list of nearly 400 recommendations from the dance critics.

Musa Motha, a dancer with Rambert, who has been performing so well in the latest edition of Britain’s Got Talent won the Emerging Artist Award.  The judges were completely split in the choice of winner in the Outstanding Creative Contribution category and so a joint award was made to the designer, Bob Crowley, and the Flamenco guitarist, Paco Peña. 

Speaking after the Awards Ceremony, the NDA Chair, Graham Watts OBE said: “This was a fantastic year for Scotland and Spain, as Scottish Ballet took home a record three awards and two superb artists from Spain, Israel Galván and Paco Peñaalso won. Paco is over 80 and it was a very good year for mature artists, since there were four performance-based nominees in the awards in their 60s, proving that you are never too old to dance.”

Visit royalballetschool.org.uk to learn more.