Critics from United Kingdom nominate Cuban company Acosta Danza

May 9, 2021

The Cuban company Acosta Danza is among the pre-selected nominees for the 21st edition of the Dance Awards of the Circle of Critics of the United Kingdom, as reported today by the British Embassy in Havana.

In a publication on its Facebook profile, the entity congratulated the ensemble that is competing for the award in the Best Independent Company category alongside other prestigious formations at the international level.

2Faced Dance, Boy Blue Entertainment, Rhiannon Faith Company Scottish Dance Theatre are those that are vying for the award with the troupe, directed by the renowned Cuban dancer and choreographer Carlos Acosta.

The Royal Ballet leads the general list of candidates with a record of 18 nominations, three more than in the previous year; followed by English National Ballet (9), Birmingham Royal Ballet (6), Scottish Ballet (5) and Rambert (4).

The event organizers announced four new awards for the current call: Best company response to the pandemic, Best digital choreography, Best dance film and Best dance short film.

Due to the international situation generated by Covid-19, the qualification period for live performances and through digital platforms was extended between September 2019 and December 2020.

According to the president of the event, Graham Watts, the negativity of the pandemic brought other lights to the dance circuit such as the innovative and enthusiastic way to use a digital outlet in a meaningful way.

'This opened the opportunity to see foreign companies without getting on a plane and, as a consequence, we are delighted to include nominees from the Dutch National Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theatre, New York City Ballet and Pacific Northwest, he stressed.

For their art, the evaluation committee highlighted the number of applications that reached a total of 456 companies, choreographers, performers and other artists, a figure that exceeds those made in 2019 (418).

During a virtual ceremony, scheduled for June 7 next, the winners of the competition will be announced, in addition to the winner of the De Valois Award for Outstanding Achievement for which there are no prior nominations.

Organized by the Dance Section of the Circle of Critics of the United Kingdom and unique of their kind given by said group of professional analysts, these Awards celebrate the vigor and variety of dance in that European nation.