Flemish choreographer and dancer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker is to receive the Praemium Imperiale, an internationally prestigious award considered to be the “Nobel Prize for the Arts”. She is only the second Belgian artist ever to be awarded the prize. Only COBRA painter Pierre Alechinsky preceded her.
The prize is awarded annually by the Japan Art Association, under the patronage of the Imperial House of Japan. There are five laureates in five different categories.
Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker (65) is one of the big names in contemporary dance. She becomes the first Belgian laureate in the category ‘Theatre and Film’.
She follows in the footsteps of renowned choreographers and dancers who were previously awarded the prize in this category, including choreographer Merce Cunningham (2005), Pina Bausch (1999) and Maurice Béjart (1993), with whom she trained at the Brussels dance school Mudra.
Founded P.A.R.T.S.
Ms De Keersmaeker’s creations include “Fase, Four Movements to the Music of Steve Reich”, “Rosas danst Rosas” and “Rain”.
In 1995, she founded the P.A.R.T.S. (Performing Arts Research and Training Studios) School in Brussels. During the past 10 years, her work also explored the visual arts, with projects in museums including the Louvre (Paris), the Tate Modern (London) and the MoMA (New York).
Her most recent production is “BREL”. In it, she dances with dancer and emerging choreographer Solal Mariotte to music by chansonnier Jacques Brel.
Allegations of toxic leadership
Last summer, Ms De Keersmaeker was accused of toxic leadership by (former) employees and dancers of her dance company Rosas. They spoke of transgressive behaviour. Dancers said they were humiliated to tears and pressured to perform despite injuries.
Several months later, the choreographer publicly apologised for this. ‘As a leader, I take full responsibility for the working environment that existed within Rosas and as a person, I want to apologise to all the people I have disappointed and hurt along the way,’ she said.