2022 Vilcek Prize in Dance Awarded to Flamenco's Foremost Dancer, Soledad Barrio

The Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Dance celebrate the contributions of immigrant dancers, choreographers, and artistic directors to arts and culture in the United States


NEW YORK, March 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Soledad Barrio receives the 2022 Vilcek Prize in Dance for her commitment to the growth and evolution of flamenco through her leadership with Noche Flamenca, and for the creative vision and technical mastery she brings to her work. 

"Soledad Barrio is a virtuoso—her commitment to her artistry is nonpareil," said Vilcek Foundation Cofounder, Vice Chairman, and Secretary Marica Vilcek. "Just as Baryshnikov did with ballet, Barrio has transformed the genre of flamenco with new life and energy, attracting new audiences and inspiring dancers and choreographers the world over."

Barrio's performances resound with emotional intensity. She brings athleticism and physical rigor to her work, using her body as an instrument of form and sound. Barrio's legs, torso, and arms arc and contort to meet the physicality of flamenco's most dramatic postures; this artistic precision is paired with her exacting footwork, percussing the staccato rhythms of flamenco into the floorboards.

Barrio was born in Madrid, Spain, during the Franco regime. She grew up dancing and performing other styles, then discovered flamenco at the age of 19. She recalls the experience as being reborn. In 1992, Barrio was living and working in Spain when she met her future husband, Martín Santangelo. One year later, the pair founded their company, Noche Flamenca, in New York. The company has become a regular feature on the city's main stages, performing at Lincoln Center, The Joyce Theater, and Joe's Pub at the Public Theater. 

Barrio and Noche Flamenca return to the stage for the first time since early 2020 with ni bien ni mal, todo lo contrario, April 5 - 10 at The Joyce Theater in New York City.

The Vilcek Foundation Prizes are awarded annually in recognition and celebration of the contributions of immigrants in the arts and humanities and in biomedical science in the United States. Prizes awarded in the arts and humanities are given in categories that rotate annually. One Vilcek Prize of $100,000 is awarded to an immigrant artist in recognition of career-long achievement and leadership. Three smaller prizes of $50,000 each—the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise—are awarded to emerging and early-career artists. The recipients of the 2022 Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Dance are Tatiana Desardouin, Tamisha Guy, and Leonardo Sandoval

Recipients of the Vilcek Foundation Prizes are also celebrated in biographical and video profiles shared by the foundation, which highlight the prizewinners' experiences as immigrants, and the impact of their artistry on culture and society in the United States. 

Read more about Barrio at the Vilcek Foundation: Soledad Barrio: "When I dance, I am my true self"

The Vilcek Foundation

The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation of the arts and sciences. The foundation was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia. The mission of the foundation was inspired by the couple's respective careers in biomedical science and art history. Since 2000, the foundation has awarded over $6.4 million in prizes to foreign-born individuals and supported organizations with over $5.6 million in grants.

The Vilcek Foundation is a private operating foundation, a federally tax-exempt nonprofit organization under IRS Section 501(c)(3).

Press Contact:

Liz Boylan (she/her)
Communications Manager
The Vilcek Foundation
21 East 70th Street
New York, NY 10021

+1 (212) 472-2500
elizabeth.boylan@vilcek.org 

Related Images






Image 1: Soledad Barrio - 2022 Vilcek Prize in Dance


A photograph of Soledad Barrio. Barrio, a flamenco dancer, is photographed in a dynamic pose, with her arms outstretched.



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Soledad Barrio - 2022 Vilcek Prize in Dance