It has been announced that The Dying Swans Project is a finalist for a Rose d'Or Award 2021 in the Arts category. The Rose d'Or Awards, formerly known as The Golden Rose of Montreux, are considered the most important prizes for TV and audio entertainment in Europe.
A jury of 150 broadcast executives and leading producers selected the shortlist from over 750 entries across 12 categories. The awards have now arrived at their 60th edition and will be live-streamed on 29 November 2021, hosted by British presenter and author Sue Perkins.
The Dying Swans Project revisited The Dying Swan in 16 new creations: 16 solos by 16 choreographers from all over the world, danced by the 16 dancers of Gauthier Dance Company in Stuttgart. The music was by 16 composers and the pieces were filmed by 16 video artists. Eric Gauthier took his idea to ZDF/3sat television and collaborated with Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele, Holland Dance Festival, Festival Bolzano Danza, and Bürgerzentrum Waiblingen.
The 16 short films can still be viewed online on the two platforms on which they were launched in April 2021: Theaterhaus Stuttgart YouTube channel and in the 3sat media library as part of the 3sat campaign #wirlebenkultur.
Timeline
- Mid-January 2021: Eric Gauthier develops the idea for the project in response to the cancellation of the entire spring tour of Gauthier Dance: 16 short films for the 16 members of the company, realised by 16 choreographers, 16 filmmakers and 16 composers – adding up to 64 artistic participants and 48 external commissions in difficult times.
- End of January 2021: Funding is secured, thanks to the support of the Daimler initiative ‘be a mover' and international event partners.
- April 16, 2021: Online launch on the Theaterhaus Stuttgart YouTube channel, the Gauthier Dance Instagram account as well as in the 3sat media library
- May 12, 2021: The project is presented in an Instagram live chat between Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Eric Gauthier.
- July 8, 2021: Premiere of the stage show The Dying Swans Live Experience in cooperation with the festival Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele
- September 25, 2021: The Dying Swans Project wins the prize of the Dagmar and Václav Havel Foundation VIZE 97 as well as a special mention for an extraordinary artistic achievement in the category Czech Television Prize at the Golden Prague International Television Festival.
- October 2 & 3, 2021: Performances of The Dying Swans Live Experience at the Dance Inversion Festival Moscow
- December 5, 2021: Premiere of The Dying Swans Project. Director's Cut at the festival Filmschau Baden-Wuerttemberg 2021
Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.
