Taiwanese Lai Hung-Chung, winner of the 24th Burgos-New York International Choreography Competition

The work "Push and Pull," by Taiwanese creator Lai Hung-Chung , won first prize at the 24th Burgos - New York International Choreography Competition , which closed on the evening of July 25. The winning choreography received a prize of 9,000 euros. The competition, held annually at the Teatro Principal in Burgos, is organized by the Burgos Contemporary Ballet. The work by the Taiwanese creator also won the audience award.

The competition, which celebrates its 25th anniversary next year, is directed by choreographer Alberto Estébanez and is the one that has won the most awards in its various categories nationwide. It also offers festival residencies and contracts for various national and international events to the winning companies.

This year's edition saw more than 300 submissions from over twenty-one countries, with fourteen reaching the finals. The competition also held several parallel events, such as "Dance on the Road," "Dancing with Stones," and a program of activities that kicked off on Monday, July 21, with street performances and unconventional venues, talks, workshops, urban dance battles, and a mobile-recorded choreography competition.

The international jury of the 24th Burgos-New York Choreographic Competition was chaired by choreographer and dancer Mario Bermúdez, founder and director of the Marcat Dance company. Bermúdez has received, among others, the Talía Award (2024), MAX Awards (2023), Lorca Awards (2025, 2023, 2022, 2021), and PAD Awards (2022, 2021, 2020, 2019). In 2023, he received the 'Ojo Crítico de Danza Contemporánea' Award from Radio Nacional de España. The jury also included programmers, journalists, festival directors, and contemporary dance experts.

The second prize, with a cash prize of 6,000 euros, went to the show "Lighea," a creation by Italian choreographer Thomas Martino, performed by Sofia Fagioli and Daniel Rodriguez Domenech.

The jury awarded the third prize of 4,000 euros to the Italian duo Giovanni Gava Leonarduzzi and Lia Claudia Latini for their piece entitled "Olvídame." The fourth and fifth prizes went to the works "Steady Hands" by Fonsi López, performed by dancers Kino Luque and Paula Fernández, and "The Passenger" by American Nikolaos Doede , performed by Chiara Zincone and Álvaro Olmedo . The prizes are endowed with 3,000 and 2,000 euros, respectively.

The list of winners was completed with the recognitions given each year by some of the Contest's collaborating institutions. The 'SóLODOS en Danza' award, which grants direct access to the festival held in Costa Rica, went to Chey Jurado , the creator of 'Asceta', one of the pieces in competition for the festival's parallel program entitled 'Danza en el Camino', which toured twenty towns along the Camino de Santiago this summer.

The Sara Sáiz Award , worth 2,000 euros, went to choreographer Fonsi López for 'Steady Hands,' who also received the La Gomera Choreographic Center Award, consisting of an artistic residency.

The Burgos Festival is sponsored by Burgos City Council, the Ministry of Culture through the INAEM (National Institute of Culture and Culture), the Regional Government of Castile and León, and other private and public entities in the region.