National Dance Awards

The National Dance Awards are presented annually in the United Kingdom by The Critics' Circle, and are awarded to recognise excellence in professional dance. They are widely regarded as the most prestigious award presented for dance in the UK, and are considered to be the equivalent of the Laurence Olivier Awards, which are presented for general theatre.

Overview

The National Dance Awards (NDAs), were first presented by The Critics' Circle at the Coliseum Theatre, London, in 2001. The key sponsor of the event was the late Richard Sherrington and an award is now presented in his name every year. Since the first ceremony, the awards have also been hosted by the Royal Opera House and Sadler's Wells Theatre, with both organisations providing sponsorship for the event. Since 2004, a specially sculpted statuette has been created by Tom Merrifield Studios, and presented to the winner of the De Valois Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance. Artwork for the rest of the awards was created by Lady Deborah MacMillan, wife of the late Sir Kenneth Macmillan. Dame Beryl Grey is Patron of the awards.

Categories

The awards are judged by the critics and journalists who see and review dance companies in performance on a daily basis. There are 11 awards in all, though at the committee's discretion one or two extra awards may be given including a Patron's Award. For most of the awards there are three nominations made in each category.

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