Vilcek Foundation awards $250,000 in prizes to immigrant dancers and choreographers

NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vilcek Foundation announces the recipients of the 2022 Vilcek Foundation Prizes in the Arts and Humanities, a part of the Vilcek Foundation Prizes Program. In 2022, the Vilcek Foundation Prizes in the Arts and Humanities are awarded in dance. 

In 2022, the Vilcek Foundation is awarding four prizes in dance. The main prize—the Vilcek Prize in Dance—includes a cash award of $100,000. Three smaller awards—the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Dance—each include a cash award of $50,000. The prizes are part of the foundation's work to recognize and celebrate immigrants' contributions to intellectual and cultural life in the United States.

The Vilcek Prize in Dance

The 2022 Vilcek Prize in Dance is awarded to Soledad Barrio. Barrio receives the prize for her commitment to the growth and evolution of the genre of flamenco through her artistic leadership and instruction with Noche Flamenca, and for the creative vision and technical mastery she brings to her performances. Born in Spain, Barrio has toured extensively, performing throughout Europe and the Americas. Her work has garnered support and accolades from major institutions, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Dance Project, and the Lucille Lortel Awards. 

"Soledad Barrio is a virtuoso—her commitment to her artistry is nonpareil," said Vilcek Foundation Cofounder, Vice Chairman and Secretary Marica Vilcek. "Just as Baryshnikov did with ballet, Barrio has transformed the genre of flamenco with new life and energy, attracting new audiences and inspiring dancers and choreographers the world over." 

Vilcek Foundation President Rick Kinselsaid, "Soledad Barrio is an artist to be aware of. She has consistently pushed the boundaries of how people perceive the art of flamenco for more than 20 years. Barrio leaves everything on the stage: She renders each performance with unmatched emotional force and physical precision."

The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Dance

The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Dance are awarded to young foreign-born dance and movement artists living and working in the United States. Recipients are selected for the professional and creative quality of their work: dance and choreography that represent an important contribution to their genre, and inspire both performers and audiences alike. The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise also provide unrestricted financial support to young artists at a critical point in their careers. 

The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Dance are awarded to Tatiana Desardouin, Tamisha Guy, and Leonardo Sandoval.

Tatiana Desardouin receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Dance for her presentation of hip-hop and house dance that brings the vernacular tradition of these genres in the Black diaspora to her performances, choreography, and artistic direction. Of Haitian origin, born and raised in Switzerland, Desardouin is the founder and artistic director of Passion Fruit Dance Company; she has established herself as a leader in urban dance movements in both Europe and the United States. 

Tamisha Guy is a Trinidadian-born performer and choreographer based in Brooklyn, New York. A dancer and former rehearsal director with A.I.M by Kyle Abraham and an alumna of the Martha Graham Dance Company, Guy receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Dance for her work that engages elements of contemporary, modern, and narrative dance traditions to inform her performance language which is both intuitive and compelling. Guy earned her BFA in dance and BA in arts management at the State University of New York at Purchase.

Leonardo Sandoval is a Brazilian-born artistic director, choreographer, and dancer, and the founder of Music From The Sole, a tap dance and live music company that celebrates the Afro-diasporic roots of tap, including samba, forró, maracatu, and passinho. He receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Dance for his body of work that serves to expand the boundaries of tap as a genre.

The Vilcek Foundation

The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation for the arts and sciences. The foundation was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia. The mission of the foundation was inspired by the couple's respective careers in biomedical science and art history. Since 2000, the foundation has awarded over $6.4 million in prizes to foreign-born individuals and has supported organizations with over $5.5 million in grants.

The Vilcek Foundation is a private operating foundation, a federally tax-exempt nonprofit organization under IRS Section 501(c)(3).

Contact
Elizabeth Boylan
The Vilcek Foundation
212-472-2500
elizabeth.boylan@vilcek.org

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SOURCE The Vilcek Foundation