25th Dance Week Festival closes with ovations
The 25th Dance Week Festival closed in Zagreb on June 3rd with the Audience Award which this year, with a high score of 4.94, went to British Random Dance Company for the performance « Entity » by choreographer Wayne McGregor.
With a 15 minute long applause and to standing ovation the Dance Week Festival audience bid good-bye to its favourits – the performance « Entity », marking the conclusion of the 25th festival.
‘Entity’ was programmed in the Festival program for June 2nd and 3rd, however the first presentation was postponed due to technical difficulties in mounting the performance. This postponed presentation on June 3rd, with start at 5.30pm was then disrupted twice due to lack of electric power caused by severe storm which had lighting and thunder strike the National Theatre directly. In these severe conditions it was a fortunate sequence of circumstances that due sever weather audiences had difficulty arriving to the performances, thus making it possible that all those who chose to wait for the next (now delayed) performance, to be placed and the performance was able to commence later in the evening playing to packed house and to standing ovations.
The Audience Award was handed out around midnight in the theatre Gavella, and receiving the the award was the choreographer himself – Wayne McGregor.
Receiving the Award McGregor said : « I wish to congratulate the Festival on this remarkable 25th anniversary. We are very pleased to have had the opportunity to be part of this for the third time and especially felt it was important to do so this year. I am very grateful to the Zagreb audiences for their patience and a fantastic welcome as well as to the whole Festival team that has made this possible. This reward means a lot to us ».
The audience voted after each performance, and all those who participated were able to partake in the draw for three prizes by festival sponsor ISKON. ISKON awards comprising of free 3, 6 and 12 month free internet access went to :_ Oleg Jadrešanin (3 months), Jana Kolarek (6 months) i Lina Kovačević (12 months).
The Festival direction decided to instigate a production award for a local production at the festival and which was also voted upon with highest scores by the audiences. This initial award of 5.000kn production support goes to Andrea Gotovona choreographer of « Blue Friday », produced by INK Pula.
The 25th Dance Week Festival took place in both Zagreb and Rijeka between May 26 and June 3, and the 18 presented works were viewed by more than 7000, while the adjacent program consisted of late-night « Little Dance Chats », the launch of book « Ana Maletić, biography » and the presentation of the results of a month long workshop facilitated by Robert Hylton with the School of Contemporary Dance « Ana Maletić » in Zagreb.
At the close of this year’s festival edition, the Festival team wishes to thank all its partners, sponsors, and especially the public for its continued suport and we invite all to the next 26th DANCE WEEK FESTIVAL in 2009.
