Carlos Acosta and Javier de Frutos UK Dance Awards

June 10, 2024

Choreographers Carlos Acosta and Javier de Frutos received awards for best dance short and most creative contribution at the 2023 National Dance Awards of the UK Circle of Critics.

Spanish-Venezuelan Javier de Frutos was awarded for his short film 'WHOEVER YOU ARE', an adaptation to cinema of Walt Whitman's poem 'Whoever You Are Holding Me Now in Hand'.

For his part, Cuban Carlos Acosta received the award for outstanding creative contribution for the concept of 'Black Sabbat - The Ballet', in which the 'heavy metal' band is responsible for providing the music for an internationally successful ballet.

Spanish dancer Sara Baras was also nominated for these awards in the best dancer category, an award that was ultimately given to Fumi Kaneko, from the Royal Ballet Company.

Furthermore, although she also did not win any, Baras was vying for two other awards, one of them for her role as choreographer, for best classical choreography, which went to William Forsythe, from 'The Barre Project'.

The other, for the most outstanding female classical performance for her show 'Alma' at the Flamenco Festival, was ultimately received by Tiler Peck, for 'Turn it Out'.

Among the winners of the other awards were William Bracewell, from the Royal Ballet Company, as best dancer, Drew McOnie from The McOnie Company as best independent company, and Sae Maeda as emerging artist.