Olivier Wevers Receives Princess Grace Award

First Seattle Choreographer To Receive Award For Seattle Dance Company

Olivier Wevers, Artistic Director of Seattle dance company Whim W’Him, has been awarded the prestigious Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship. Wevers, a former principal dancer at Pacific Northwest Ballet, is the first recipient of the choreographic fellowship award residing in Seattle, as well as creating a new work for a Seattle-based company.

Donald Byrd, Artistic Director of Spectrum Dance Theatre, nominated Wevers for the prestigious award. A portion of the award will go towards funding a new creation by Wevers for Spectrum’s upcoming season. In nominating Wevers, Byrd said ‘As he leaves his career as a dancer Olivier enjoys strong public and critical interest in his choreography and I would like to help to build that support. At Spectrum Dance Theater he will find a platform for deep investigation of his ideas and ideas are what will sustain his career.”

Wevers choreographic career started in 2002 and the new works he’s choreographed for Whim W’Him’s sold-out audiences since 2009 have caused a stir not only on the local and national dance scene but also abroad. In April, Whim W’Him was the first and only US dance troupe invited to compete in the 4th Copenhagen International Choreography Competition. In 2010 Whim W’Him picked up the Grand Prize Award at the 13th Annual Dance Under The Stars Choreography Festival in Palm Desert.

Two of Whim W’Him’s dancers, PNB principal dancer Lucien Postlewaite and PNB corps dancer Andrew Bartee were the recipients of Princess Grace Dance Awards in 2008 and 2007.

Wevers will be recognized in an award ceremony hosted by Prince Albert II of Monaco November 1^st at Cipriani in New York City. Joining him will be his husband, Lucien Postlewaite. They are the first married couple in the country to both be Princess Grace award recipients.

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The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is a national foundation dedicated to identifying and assisting emerging talent in theater, dance, and film by awarding grants in the form of scholarships, apprenticeships, and fellowships. It was named after Princess Grace of Monaco.

Spectrum Dance Theatre: Under the artistic direction of choreographer Donald Byrd since 2002, Spectrum Dance Theater has thrilled audiences in Seattle and across the nation with dynamic, rigorous, thoughtful and provocative contemporary dance. ” . . .the toughest, sexiest, wiliest dance troupe in town.”, Michael Upchurch, The Seattle Times.

Whim W’Him: Recently voted 2011 Best Arts Organization by Seattle Weekly readers, Whim W’Him is Seattle’s hottest young dance company, led by former PNB principal dancer and choreographer Olivier Wevers. Committed to innovation, collaboration, and high caliber relevant art that engages and challenges audiences Whim W’Him is both “entirely classic and entirely now”.