The Kurt Jooss Prize was established as a prize for young choreographers in 2001 on the occasion of the 100th birthday of Kurt Jooss, creator of the anti-war dance drama, ›The Green Table‹, co-founder of the Folkwang Academy and founder of the Folkwang Dance Studio. Carrying an endowment of 10.000 Euro, the prize is sponsored by the Anna and Hermann Markard Foundation and the City of Essen and is awarded every three years. It is open to choreographers of all ages who are not yet fully established in the profession.

The prize nominees were selected by an international jury which this year included Muchtar Al Ghusain (Head of Cultural Affairs of the City of Essen), Adolphe Binder (artistic director and dramaturg), Lucie Conrad (producer), Nils Christe (choreographer), Reinhild Hoffmann (choreographer), Martin Schläpfer (ballet director and chief choreographer, Ballett am Rhein) and Dr. Patricia Stöckemann (dance dramaturg, Theater Osnabrück).

Nominees for the Kurt Jooss Prize 2019:

Kai Strathmann ›Regnet es?‹

Dancers: Chih-I Wu, Chilh Ming Yu, Ying Yun Chen, Uwe Brauns, Nejma Narici, Simon Wolant, Maria Giovanna Delle Donne, Murat Alkan

Emma Evelein ›Wolves‹

Dancers: Xanthe van Opstal, Matthew Decuyper, Michal Strugarek, Sara Europaeus, Lucien Denny, Ido Gidron, Polly Mirovskaya, Dale Ratcliff

Chun Zhang ›Being far away from‹

Dancers: Chih-I Wu, Chilh Ming Yu, Ying Yun Chen, Uwe Brauns, Nejma Narici, Simon Wolant, Maria Giovanna Delle Donne, Mariane Verbecq

Prize winners 2001-2016 (in chronological order):

Samir Akika, Annelise Soglio, Torsten Konrad, Renate Graziadei, Arthur Stäldi, Johannes Wieland, Nicola Mascia, Matan Zamir, Arkadi Zaides, Wu Kang Chen, Su wei Chia, Maura Morales, Oscar Buthelezi