LiCHT (2+) by Gaia Gonnelli

Jury about the nomination

“LiCHT begins as the audience enters, with only flashlights, which the dancers use to illuminate parts of the audience’s bodies and then their own. The small beams of light gradually grow larger. As the performance progresses, mirrors are introduced, shadows appear on the back wall, and colored light creates a magical atmosphere. The performance is carefully constructed.

The use of aerial acrobatics creates something special: the entire space comes to life. The acrobat forms a single unit with her rope, and the performance clearly transcends a mere “trick.” The collaboration between the dancer and the acrobat is playful yet powerful: the way they guide, pull, and push away from one another looks natural and effortless.

At the end, the performers hand out colored lights to the young audience. The children naturally make their way onto the stage. That’s the moment when you realize that this performance has been preparing its audience all along to become co-performers in this magical world of light. It’s abstract yet direct. Playful yet precise. LiCHT takes the very youngest audience members seriously.''

About Dadodans

Dadodans, led by choreographer Gaia Gonnelli, creates evocative, intimate, and imaginative dance performances for young children (ages 0–8) and their caregivers. Through an interplay of dance, visuals, music, and materials, sensory worlds are created that directly resonate with young children’s experiences. Shapes, colors, sounds, and movement invite wonder, imagination, self-expression, and interaction. The performances are suitable for theaters and schools and encourage children to view themselves and the world around them with an open and imaginative perspective.