Pearls of Dance 2025: Award for Filip Barankiewicz

The prestigious Perły tańca award is presented by the Foundation for the Support of Dance Art in Poland, led since 2008 by former prima ballerina of the Teatr Wielki in Warsaw, Bożena Kociołkowska. The award honors outstanding figures in Polish dance—whether they work in Poland or abroad—for their lifelong contribution to the art of dance.

The statuette to be awarded to Filip Barankiewicz is a miniature of the bronze sculpture Tribute to Polish Ballet Artists, also known as the "Warsaw Terpsichore." Created by artist Zbigniew Stanuch, the original sculpture has stood since 2016 next to the Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera in Warsaw, thanks to the initiative of Bożena Kociołkowska and her foundation.

To date, twelve extraordinary individuals have received the Perły tańca award, each leaving an indelible mark on the history of Polish ballet. This year, the thirteenth award goes to Filip Barankiewicz, a native of Warsaw who began his training at the Roman Turczynowicz State Ballet School. After an international career in Stuttgart, where he danced as a principal and later served as ballet master, he took over as Artistic Director of the Czech National Ballet in 2017.

Under his leadership, the company has performed both landmark works of classical ballet and new creations by contemporary choreographers. Barankiewicz is admired not only for his artistic achievements and vision but also for his thoughtful approach to developing dancers and cultivating a dynamic, inspiring creative environment.

As Bożena Kociołkowska writes in the foreword to the evening’s celebration:

“Only a living, sensitive person can perceive the beauty of art and pass it on to others. Art is not something you find, but something you create.”

Laureates of the Perły tańca Award

Many prominent figures of Polish dance have received this accolade. Here are brief profiles of a few of them:

Witold Zapała
Choreographer, dancer, and educator associated with the Mazowsze folk ensemble. He created more than 30 choreographies for the group and collaborated with the Teatr Wielki in Warsaw and other institutions.

Kristóf Szabó
Soloist of the Polish National Ballet, recognized for his outstanding stage performances. He starred in productions such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Lady of the Camellias.

Alicja Bajorek
Dancer with the Teatr Wielki in Łódź, awarded for the best professional debut. She has danced leading roles such as Clara in The Nutcracker and the Queen in Snow White.

Paulina Bidzińska
Graduate of the ballet school in Bytom and winner of the 2017 Eurovision Young Dancers competition. Since the 2017/18 season, she has been a member of the Polish National Ballet.

Jagoda Ignaczak
Philologist, theatre scholar, and dance historian honored for her contributions to dance theory and promotion. She works with the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw.