Paul Bronkhorst receives the prestigious Jiří Kylián Ring

Holland Dance Festival has officially started

In the presence of Their Royal Highnesses Princess Beatrix, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, the Jiří Kylián Ring was awarded for the tenth time during the opening of the nineteenth edition of the Holland Dance Festival. Paul Bronkhorst, director of Omscholing Dansers Nederland, received the prestigious Jiří Kylián Ring from the hands of the 2022 winner, German choreographer Marco Goecke. He received the ring because of his important work for the Dutch dance world.

24 januari 2024

Paul Bronkhorst

For almost 40 years Paul Bronkhorst has been associated with Omscholing Dansers Nederland (ODN), which supports dancers with resources and advice for making a successful transition to a new career. A dancer's career is intense and short and towards the end of the dance career every dancer faces a new challenge: What will the future bring me? How do I fill it? What do I need for that? Since 1986, ODN has been helping dancers on their way to a second career.

ODN offers career guidance, explores options and provides advice. ODN also offers financial support to dancers after their "retirement" so that they can fulfill their future plans. Paul Bronkhorst was also co-founder and president of the IOTPD (International Organization for the Transition of Professional Dancers). In this important role, he has helped to put the subject of retraining on the agenda and shape it internationally, based on the pioneering role that the Netherlands has in it.

Jiři Kylián Ring

The Jiři Kylián Ring award is a joint initiative of former director of Nederlandse Dansdagen Leontien Wiering and artistic director of the Holland Dance Festival Samuel Wuersten. The ring was established in 2006 out of admiration for Kylián's mastery. Jiři Kylián was asked to eventually pass the ring on to an artist who, like him, is an inspiration and innovator within the dance world.

The design of the Ring is by Hans Appenzeller and consists of a set of 14 rings, one ring for each letter of the price. The rings are on a ring size stick and are increasing in size. The person who receives it gets to pick out a matching ring and also keep it when he or she passes on the prize. The winner will also receive a financial incentive of five thousand euros from the Kylián Foundation.

Previous winners were:

Nederlandse Dansdagen

Nederlandse Dansdagen is an organization dedicated to Dutch dance. Its highlight is an annual festival that takes place in and from Maastricht. In the first week of October, a range of dance performances and the best of Dutch dance is shown: from 'classical' to 'urban' from 'avant garde' to 'modern dance'. The program of the Nederlandse Dansdagen thus represents the diversity of Dutch dance and shows important developments in Dutch dance: from striking work by young choreographers to impressive performances by established dance companies.

Holland Dance Festival

For more than 30 years, Holland Dance Festival has been bringing dance from all over the world to the Netherlands. The festival presents companies and dance artists who cannot otherwise be seen in our country. From January 24 through February 17, 2024, Holland Dance Festival showcases the universality and enormous richness of dance. In a consistently diverse program, audiences will have the chance to admire the top of international dance up close. Holland Dance Festival is a festival to feel at home at: there is something new for everyone to discover or just recognize. The program is enriched with (hotel) packages and a DanceAble symposium. This makes a visit to the dance capital of the Netherlands, The Hague, in the winter months unforgettable.

HOLLAND DANCE FESTIVAL 2024 - January 24 to February 17
View the offer: https://www.holland-dance.com/en/