The Vilcek Foundation announces the recipients of the 2022 Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Dance. $250,000 in prizes are awarded to immigrant dancers, choreographers, and artistic directors. As with all of our prize programs, the Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Dance recognize the importance of immigrants’ contributions to intellectual and cultural life in the United States.

The Vilcek Prize in Dance

The Vilcek Prize in Dance is awarded to an artist whose career work represents a substantial contribution to their genre, and whose artistic leadership has had a profound influence in their field. The recipient of the Vilcek Prize in Dance receives a cash award of $100,000 and a commemorative trophy.

Soledad Barrio

The 2022 Vilcek Prize in Dance is awarded to Soledad Barrio. The Spanish-born dancer receives the award for her commitment to the growth and evolution of the genre of flamenco through her artistic leadership and instruction with Noche Flamenca, and for the creative vision and technical mastery she brings to her performances. Her work has garnered support and accolades from major institutions, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Dance Project, the Lucille Lortel Awards, and the Bessie Awards.

“Soledad Barrio is a virtuoso—her commitment to her artistry is nonpareil,” said Marica Vilcek, vice chairman and secretary of the Vilcek Foundation. “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.”

The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Dance

The 2022 Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Dance are awarded to young foreign-born dance and movement artists living and working in the United States. Recipients are selected for the professional rigor and aesthetic quality of their work. Creative Promise Prize recipients each receive a cash award of $50,000, and a commemorative certificate. The 2022 Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Dance are awarded to Tatiana Desardouin, Tamisha Guy, and Leonardo Sandoval.

Tatiana Desardouin

Tatiana Desardouin receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Dance for her presentation of hip-hop and house dance that brings the vernacular tradition of these genres in the Black diaspora to her performances, choreography, and artistic direction. Of Haitian origin, born and raised in Switzerland, Desardouin is the founder and artistic director of Passion Fruit Dance Company; she has established herself as a leader in street and club dance styles and culture in both Europe and the United States.

Tamisha Guy

Tamisha Guy is a Trinidadian-born performer and choreographer based in Brooklyn, New York. A dancer and former rehearsal director with A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham and an alumna of the Martha Graham Dance Company, Guy receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Dance for her work that engages elements of contemporary, modern, and narrative dance traditions to inform her performance language which is both intuitive and compelling. Guy earned her BFA in dance and BA in arts management at Purchase College, SUNY.

Leonardo Sandoval

Leonardo Sandoval is a Brazilian-born artistic director, choreographer, and dancer, and the founder of Music From the Sole, a tap dance and live music company that celebrates the Afro-diasporic roots of tap, including samba, forró, maracatu, and passinho. He receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Dance for his body of work that serves to expand the boundaries of tap as a genre.