Over the weekend, as part of Machol Shalem Dance House's Jerusalem International Dance Week, winners of the second annual Jerusalem International Choreography Competition were announced. Over 100 applicants from over a dozen countries were received, of which eight were selected for the semi-final round. To consider these works, Machol Shalem's directors Ruby Edelman and Ofra Idel assembled a panel of judges hailing from many fields. The panel consisted of cultural leaders from around the globe such as choreographer Uri Ivgi; Laurent Van Kote, head of dance of France's Ministry of Culture and Communication; Zach Granit, head of Culture and Art Administration of Israel's Ministry of Culture and Sport; Angela Mattox, artistic director of the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art; and Polish critic and panel chair, theoretician Jadwiga Grabowska. After viewing all of the works, the panel awarded first place to French choreographer Jean Gallois for P = mg. Second place went to Israeli dancer and choreographer Ido Batash for his work Bodymagic. Mariko Kakizaki of Japan was awarded third place for Golem Couple. Cash prizes of $4,000, $2,800 and $1,800 accompanied the awards. Jerusalem International Dance Week will continue through Wednesday night with performances by a number of local and international choreographers. For more information, visit www.macholshalem.org.il.
