• Biennale de la Danse

New European dance award

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The Maison de la Danse and the Biennale de la danse work in synergy and run many joint projects.

The Maison de la Danse and the Biennale de la danse work in synergy and run many joint projects. As the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation launches the Salavisa European Dance Award (SEDA) in memory of Jorge Salavisa, the two Lyon entities, led by Tiago Guedes, are nominating three choreographers for this outstanding new distinction.

This new Prize, worth 150 thousand euros, will recognise artists from all-around the world, who evidence a particular talent or unique qualities, and whose importance exceeds their personal context and national borders.

SEDA thus presents itself as an incentive for young artists, beyond a strictly defined age category, who are lesser-known in the dance canon due to their artistic discourse or social and cultural origins.

Seven European cultural institutions are partners in establishing the Prize. They will actively participate in the nomination of candidate artists (three per institution) and in the public presentation of the winner work:

The Kees Eijrond Foundation, whose founder was a great friend of Jorge Salavisa and a promoter of SEDA, is also a partner.

The winner will be selected, out of a maximum of 21 nominees (three from each of the partner institutions), by an international jury.
The Prize, worth €150,000, will be awarded every two years and it will take the laureate to the stages of all cultural institutions from the partner network.
The first award ceremony will take place on the 27th November, 2024, at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Jorge Salavisa (1939-2020)

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Jorge Salavisa began his dance training with Anna Mascolo, in Lisbon, and continued his artistic training and further career in Paris and London. During the 60s and the 70s, he worked with worldwide renown dancers, such as Rudolf Nureyev e Margot Fonteyn.

Before returning to Portugal, in 1977, at the invitation of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Jorge Salavisa worked with the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas, the Ballet National Populaire, the Ballets de Paris and the London Festival Ballet (in which he was the first foreigner to be part of).

Besides his position of artistic director of the Ballet Gulbenkian (from 1977 to 1996), he was a dance teacher in several cities of the United States, in the Dance School of the Portuguese Conservatório Nacional and founding professor of P.A.R.T.S. (Performing Arts Research and Training Studios), in Belgium.

One of the most influencing cultural programmers in Portugal, he was responsible for the Dance area in Lisboa’94 – European Cultural Capital, President of the Board of the Portuguese Companhia Nacional de Bailado and Director of the Teatro Municipal de São Luiz.