CINARS is happy to present the Prix de la diffusion internationale to the artist who has had the most notable exposure outside the country, not only by the number of her presentations but by the quality and rich dimension of her tours. This year, the winner is none other than Dana Michel.
Awarded at ImPulsTanz, winner of a Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale and the International Prize for Live Art at the ANTI Festival in Finland, Dana Michel has continued her exceptional career path, touring with three emblematic works that were presented in alternating performances in 12 countries for 15 presenters during the year. Developing new territories and venues for dance, notably in Japan and Spain, Dana garnered rave reviews and an impressive media coverage, as well as a number of proposals for co-production and residency projects.
Choreographer and performer
Dana Michel is a live artist. Her works interact with the expanded fields of improvisation, choreography, sculpture, comedy, hip-hop, cinematography, techno, poetry, psychology, dub and social commentary to create a centrifuge of experience.
Before graduating from the BFA program in Contemporary Dance at Concordia University in her late twenties, Michel was a marketing executive, and a competitive runner and football player. In 2014, she was awarded the newly created ImPulsTanz Award (Vienna) in recognition for outstanding artistic accomplishments, and was highlighted among notable female choreographers of the year by the New York Times. In 2017, Michel was awarded the Silver Lion for Innovation in Dance at the Venice Biennale. In 2018, she became the first ever dance artist in residence at the National Arts Centre, Canada. In 2019, she was awarded the ANTI Festival International Prize for Live Art (Kuopio, Finland). In 2022, the Canada Council for The Arts awarded her the Jacqueline-Lemieux prize in recognition of her contribution to dance in Canada.
Based in Montréal, Michel is currently touring four solo performance works: Yellow Towel, Mercurial George, Cutlass Spring, and Mike.