Chrystal Dance Prize

Since 2010, Dance Victoria has supported western Canadian dance artists through its Chrystal Dance Prize for Emerging Artists and Independent Artists. The prize is funded through an annual disbursement from the Chrystal Dance Fund held at the Victoria Foundation. Learn more about Dr. Betty “Chrystal “Kleiman.

Chrystal Dance Prize for Emerging Artists
2019 winners 

On June 24, Dance Victoria was pleased to announce support for dancer Mikaela Kos from Nanaimo who is studying dance at Palucca Hochschule fur Tanz in Dresden, Germany. Mikaela will be entering her second year in September. Her previous training includes a year at the National Ballet of Canada’s school in Toronto. Dance Victoria awarded $3,000 towards her tuition. Dance Victoria will also support Briana Del Mundo from Calgary, who is studying dance at The Juilliard School in New York. Briana’s previous training includes three years with The School of Alberta Ballet. Dance Victoria also awarded $3,000 towards her tuition.

The Chrystal Dance Prize for Emerging Artists supports young dancers completing their training at an international dance institution. Learn more about the 2019 application guidelines and submission procedure.

Independent Artists
2019 winners

In 2019, Dance Victoria will award $38,900 to the Chrystal Dance Prize – Independent Artists program for dance artists from Western Canada working with international artists. The prize money may be allocated across multiple projects or could be awarded to one project. The Chrystal Dance Prize – Independent Artists may also include a two-week residency at Dance Victoria Studios.

In 2019, the Awards Committee of Dance Victoria selected the following artists and companies as winners of the Chrystal Dance Prize – Independent Artists from a fall 2018 competition, committing a total of $65,000:

• Vancouver based Vanessa Goodman working with New York artist Belinda McGuire to develop a project titled The Other Half ($10,000)
• Vancouver based Kidd Pivot co-production support for its new production, Revisor, which will be presented at the Royal Theatre in February 2020 ($25,000)*
• Vancouver based Out Innerspace Dance Theatre for the further development of its next full-length work Aftermath ($20,000)**
• Vancouver based Dancers of Damelahamid for the continued development of its new full-length work titled Minowin ($10,000)

[* Kidd Pivot was awarded $10,000 from the Chrystal Dance Prize and a further $15,000 from donors in greater Victoria. ** Dance Victoria committed a total of $20,000 over two years to Out Innerspace.]

Read about previous winners of the Chrystal Dance Prize.

*WATCH Crystal Pite in rehearsal with the Kidd Pivot dancers rehearsing Revisor.