Jurgita Dronina wins Top Amsterdam Award

AMSTERDAM:On September 13th, at a glittering Gala heralding the opening of the Dutch National Ballet season, Jurgita Dronina and her partner Isaac Hernández were awarded the prestigious Alexandra Radius Prize.

Dronina joined the company in 2010 and Hernández in 2012. They have delighted audiences in roles as diverse as Kitri and Basilio in Don Quixote, Titania and Oberon in Frederick Ashton’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and in Hans van Manen’s Dances with Harp.

Dronina joined the Royal Swedish Ballet in 2005 as a corps de ballet member. A meticulous hard-worker and blessed with great charm and stage presence she came to artistic maturity in the company excelling in roles like Giselle and MacMillan's Juliet.

In her acceptance speech Dronina said dance is about partnership: trusting, taking risks and challenging each other and in Hernández she has a partner who fulfils all this. She thanked him for making their performances such a joy.

Mexican-born Hernández first saw Dronina dance at the Jackson International Festival when he was competing as a 16 year-old and he promised himself that one day he would partner this wonderful dancer! He also had high praise for the orchestra and the artistic staff under the leadership of Ted Brandsen.

The Awards were followed by a spectacular evening of dance in which the school, the junior company and the entire company of 80 dancers all had their moment on stage not forgetting Dronina and Hernández who celebrated their win with a spectacular Le Corsaire pas de deux.

Maggie Foyer
7 Oct 2014