30r364 boek.qxd:awards book 11 - Prince Claus Fund

Jeanguy SaintusHaitiVisionary choreographer, dancer and educator, Jeanguy Saintus (b. 1965, Port-au-Prince)expresses the rich fusion of Caribbean culture and the contemporary life of his country throughthe body. He studied anthropology, sociology and languages, taught himself Haitian, classicaland modern dance and co-founded Ayikodans, a group that has matured over 20 years, establishinga centre and training programme.Researching and producing a new performance every year, Saintus continuously pushes thelimits of modern dance. Folk performance, free improvisation, voodoo religious culture andvaried African, indigenous Indian and French influences can be found in his work and his Afro-Contemporary technique offers a unique vocabulary. Saintus’s experimentation has significantlydeveloped Caribbean dance, rooting it in the region’s historical experience while exploringsubjects such as the experience of people dying of Aids, the long journey to freedom, and tensionsbetween ancestral forces and contemporary rituals.To expand local possibilities, Saintus runs an annual workshop for talented youngstersunable to afford tuition, organises cultural exchanges, invites guest artists to Ayikodans, teachesin Jamaica and works internationally.Jeanguy Saintus is awarded for his exciting contemporary work that connects the spiritualand the physical and honours the human body, for expanding the possibilities of the dancemedium and fostering young talent, and for inspiring pride in the strength, beauty and richnessof Haitian identity.[from the 2008 Prince Claus Awards Jury Report]Culture and the Human Body75