Natalia Osipova once again wins Critics’ Circle prize
The winners of this year’s Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards were announced in London on 25 January. Natalia Osipova was named the best female dancer for the second year running. She was awarded in the category of Outstanding Female Performance (Classical) for her title role in the ballet Giselle, performed at the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden. This is the fourth time in her career that Osipova has received this prestigious award, her artistry and talent having been recognized by the panel of British experts in 2008, 2011 and 2014. But this time her achievements did not stop at one nomination. In addition to her success in the main category, Natalia Osipova was also presented with a special prize, the Grishko Award for Best Female Dancer.
“There were some stonkingly good performances on the UK dance stage last year that deserved recognition,” wrote Judith Mackrell for the Guardian Online. “Few who saw Natalia Osipova’s shockingly reimagined Giselle... would quarrel with [her] getting an outstanding dancer award. And given the standard of [her] dancing in other productions last year, it’s not such a stretch to award [her] in the best dancer category, either.”
The Mikhailovsky Theatre wholeheartedly congratulates Natalia Osipova on yet another outstanding success! We eagerly await the Russian ballerina’s return to the St. Petersburg stage.
The Critics’ Circle is a professional association of British critics of drama, architecture, music, film, and dance. It brings together around 60 journalists covering ballet and dance in English. The Critics’ Circle was founded more than a century ago, and its dance section has existed since 2000. The annual National Dance Awards recognize British and international performers, choreographers and dance companies for their achievements over the course of the season. British and foreign companies are nominated in separate categories. The Mikhailovsky Theatre ballet company is also a National Dance Awards winner. In 2014 it earned the Stef Stefanou Award for Outstanding Company for its tour in London from March to April 2013.
