Victor Caixeta en Giorgi Potskhishvili
Photo: Altin Kaftira and Michel Schnater

Victor Caixeta & Giorgi Potskhishvili nominated for international ‘Dancer of the Year’ title

3 October 2023

Principal dancer Victor Caixeta and soloist Giorgi Potskhishvili have both been nominated in the category ‘Dancer of the Year’ in the Critics’ Choice of leading dance magazine Dance Europe. For the 2022/2023 dance season, Dutch National Ballet received a total of fifteen mentions in various categories, including  ‘Dancer of the Year’, ‘Company of the Year’, ‘Director of the Year’, ‘Best Premieres’ and ‘Outstanding Performances’.

Caixeta and Potskhishvili are both competing with ten other leading dancers from international dance companies for the readers’ vote. Readers can cast their vote for ‘Dancer of the Year’ throughout October by e-mail or sms.

If you’d like to cast your vote, here’s how!

  • E-mail: media@danceeurope.net
  • Sms: +44(0)7542770072
  • State the name of the dancer you want to vote for
  • State your own name and e-mail address/phone number

Outstanding performances

Besides the nominations for Caixeta and Potskhishvili, other dancers from Dutch National Ballet were mentioned in the Critics’ Choice as well. In the categories ‘Outstanding performance by a female dancer’ and  ‘Outstanding performance by a male dancer’, there were honourable mentions for Olga Smirnova in La Belle and La Bayadère (productions elsewhere), for Riho Sakamoto in Blake Works l and, together with Nina Tonoli, in Pas/Parts 2018 as “delicious partners in crime”, for Maia Makhateli in Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux (production elsewhere), for James Stout (former principal) in Legacy Variations, for Floor Eimers in The Four Seasons, for Joseph Massarelli in Blake Works l and in Pas/Parts 2018 and for Dustin True in Legacy Variations and The Four Seasons.

 

Company and director of the year

In addition, Dutch National Ballet was nominated ‘Company of the Year’ and Ted Brandsen ‘Director of the Year’. One member of the jury praised Dutch National Ballet as follows, “The quality of the principals plus impressive growth of young talent ensures excellent performances, also the encouragement of new choreography while sustaining the heritage.”

 

Best premieres

In the category ‘Best Premieres’, there was a mention for the world premiere of Legacy Variations, by Associate Artist David Dawson. In this new work, the choreographer paid tribute to Dutch National Ballet and Ted Brandsen, for all the wonderful creative years they have shared together. Mention also went to the Dutch premiere of William Forsythe’s Blake Works I.

 

Jury

The Critics’ Choice 2023 was compiled by a jury of twelve dance correspondents who write for Dance Europe and for other international publications. Each member of the jury compiles their own personal list of mentions in all the different categories.