NEW ADVENTURES CHOREOGRAPHER AWARD 2014

JOHN ROSS, SALLY MARIE & CAROLINE FINN ANNOUNCED AS THE WINNERS OF THE 2014 NEW ADVENTURES CHOREOGRAPHER AWARD

New Adventures are delighted to announce that John Ross, Sally Marie and Caroline Finn are the joint-winners of the 2014 New Adventures Choreographer Award (NACA). Nearly 100 applied for the award. These applications were shortlisted to six with Ross, Marie and Finn chosen as the winners after a weekend of interviews chaired by Matthew Bourne and his team of distinguished judges:
Scott Ambler (Associate Artist, New Adventures), Lez Brotherston (Designer and Associate Artist, New Adventures), Nina Goldman (Principal Dancer, New Adventures), Christopher Hampson (Artistic Director, Scottish Ballet), Etta Murfitt (Associate Artist, New Adventures), Emma Rice (Artistic Director, Kneehigh Theatre Company), Sharon Watson (Artistic Director, Phoenix Dance Theatre) and Edward Watson (Principal Dancer, Royal Ballet).
Due to the overwhelmingly high standard of the six finalists Bourne and his team of judges decided to make three distinct awards:

THE SHOWCASE AWARD
John Ross initially trained as an actor before training as a dancer at the Scottish School for Contemporary Dance and at The Place, graduating with 1st Class Honours in 2011. Since graduating John has created a number of short works including choreographing a musical, Epidemic for Old Vic New Voices.
John will be offered 12 months of mentoring and support and develop new work to be presented by New Adventures, at his own showcase performance, at a prestigious London venue in the Autumn of 2014.

THE COMMISSIONING AWARD
Munich-based British Dancer/Choreographer Caroline Finn trained in Dance at the Arts Educational School,Tring and at the Julliard School, New York. Finn has worked as a freelance dancer since 2009 for companies such as Ballett Teater München in Germany and Ballet Preljocaj in France. She is currently a member of Tanztendenz München. Finn is keen to develop her choreographic language and establish a choreographic career in the UK.
Caroline will create a new work for Leeds based company, Phoenix Dance Theatre to appear in the company’s 2015 triple-bill that will tour the UK.

THE SPECIAL AWARD
Sally Marie has had a successful career as a dancer working with a range of choreographers and companies ranging from Jasmin Vardimon to Protein. In 2012 Marie created the company Sweet Shop Revolution in order to launch a choreographic career.
Sally will be provided with the resources to appoint a freelance Producer to work with her company to develop, promote and programme her work over a twelve month period.
The bi-annual NACA award is run by the charitable arm of New Adventures, Re:Bourne who provide mentoring, support on budgeting, management, contracting and fundraising. Over £40,000 will be shared by the winners.
NACA has established itself as one of the sector’s most hotly sought after platforms for new choreographic talent. The award was originally established by colleagues and friends in celebration of Matthew Bourne’s 50th birthday in 2010.

Matthew Bourne said today "When these awards were created three years ago, I was adamant that we used the word “choreographer”, rather than “choreography” as it was the artists, rather than the work that I wanted to support. I am delighted to be able to announce today the three winners for the 2014 New Adventures Choreographer Award (NACA). John, Sally and Caroline unanimously impressed the panel of judges, and we are thrilled and proud to have been able to support all of them in the next steps of their choreographic careers.”
WINNERS BIOGRAPHIES
 
JOHN ROSS winner of THE SHOWCASE AWARD
Ross started his training as an actor in Scotland before making the switch to dance at the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance in Dundee followed by The London Contemporary Dance School. He went on to successfully graduate with a First Class Honours Degree.
He has worked with artists such as Akiko Kutimara, Freddie Oppokua Addiae, Jorge Cresis, Jasmin Vardimon and Tom Dale.
Ross has made commissioned works for Dance United, The Scottish School of Contemporary Dance, Shoreditch Youth Dance and choreographed Epidemic, a musical for Old Vic New Voices.
Ross hopes to fully establish himself as a choreographer and set up his own dance company to collaborate with all art forms to make new and exciting Dance Theatre.

SALLY MARIE winner of THE SPECIAL AWARD
Sally trained at Central School of Ballet and has since performed extensively with Protein Dance, including B for Body, which was a finalist in the Place Prize. This was followed by the full-length touring production of Dear Body, and more recently a world tour with LOL.
Other work includes pieces by Jasmin Vardimon, Tilted Productions, Frauke Requart, H2, Sean Tuan John, Duckie at The Barbican, Deja Donne in Italy, Rajni Shah, Gary Stevens, Lulus’ Living Room, and Steve Koplowitz. She also works creatively with Ridiculussmuss as well as with children on the wards of St Thomas’s Hospital, where she has recently completed her third dance project.
Since 2008, Sally has been twice voted Best Female performer by Dance Europe and twice nominated as Best Female Performer, as well as a Spotlight award for new talent by The National Critics Dance Circle.
Her first group work Dulce et Decorum was performed two years running at Spring Loaded and led to the formation of her company Sweetshop Revolution, for which a new piece Tree was created last year, and will be touring in 2014.

CAROLINE FINN winner of THE COMMISSIONING AWARD
Born in England, Caroline Finn attended the Arts Educational School and Tring before moving to New York where she acquired a BFA degree from the Juilliard School. For three years she was a member of Ballett Theater München under the direction of Philip Taylor before joining Ballet Preljocaj in France and later working with Carolyn Carlson in Roubaix on her 2011 creation We were Horses.
A freelance dancer and choreographer Caroline has presented her work internationally for companies and festivals. Her acclaimed solo work Bernadette (2009) has been performed in Aixen Provence, Munich, Luzern, Berlin, Paris and South Korea.
Caroline is based in Munich where she teaches regularly at various dance studios. She is a member of Tanztendenz München e.V.
 
For further press information please contact Simon Raw or Alison Duguid on simon@rawpr.co.uk/alison@rawpr.co.uk