Sheree Lenting wins BNG Bank Dansprijs 2024

This year’s winner of the BNG Bank Dansprijs is filmmaker, dancer and choreographer Sheree Lenting. Sheree was awarded the prize this Saturday in Korzo. Sheree made a big impression on the jury with her work I am my ancestors wildest dreams – performed in Korzo mere weeks ago during the double-bill POWER with Lloydscompany – and will tour the Netherlands across 15 theatres with the DansClick-concept.

Sheree is a multidisciplinary maker and storyteller with Surinamese roots, who draws her inspiration from the African diaspora and who tries to capture the zeitgeist in her work. The jury about Sheree: ‘In Sheree, the jury sees a curious, critical maker who’s in search of a beautiful, poetic and rich dance language to tell big and small stories. These stories can seem hard to understand or complex, but Sheree knows how to make them accessible. The jury feels Sheree has much more potential and will tell us more stories, in whichever way she chooses. We’re curious to hear those stories and we hope the BNG Bank Dans Prijs 2024 will give her career a much deserved push forward.’

Sheree Lenting is Rotterdam-based dance artist, program curator and teacher with Surinamese roots. Lenting fuses multiple art disciplines together through her works; as a born storyteller, she draws from her experiences in society as a Black woman to create art that’s reflective of our times. Sheree has a Bachelor's degree in Dance & Education from the Amsterdam University of the Arts and traveled across the African diaspora to hone her practice, which focuses on hip hop and African dance. 

I am my ancestors wildest dreams

In I am my ancestors wildest dream, Sheree works with two strong female dancers bridging multiple generations. These performers tell untold tales of past, present and future. The two are evenly matched, they support and strengthen each other in both movement and spirit. With the power, wisdom and love of their female foremothers as a legacy draw from, they look to their future with confidence. 

Touring with DansClick 26

As prize money for winning the BNG Bank Dansprijs, Sheree will tour 10 Dutch theatres with I am my ancestors wildest dreams under the guise of DansClick. Korzo is a producer of DansClick and that’s why we get to send one of our artists in residence on the road as well. This year, that’ll be Tú Hoàng with his piece False Memories that he performed during Korzo’s anniversary programme. You’ll have a chance to attend DansClick in Korzo: stay tuned for the announcement of our new programme at the end of May.

About the BNG Bank Dansprijs

The BNG Bank Dansprijs is awarded annually by the BNG Cultuurfonds to stimulate young Dutch choreography talent in realising their productions and to give them a push forwards in their careers. The BNG Cultuurfonds has been doing this in collaboration with Korzo for several years.