Before I began my research into Irene Mawer, I knew very little about Classical Greek Dance. So, for the last few years, I have been thrilled to accept an invitation to attend both the Ruby Ginner Awards, and the Festival of Classical Greek Dance.
By watching the dancers, I have gained a real insight into what Miss Mawer and Miss Ginner were working on. I particularly enjoy watching the classes as the teacher sometimes jogs my memory of a step or two that Mrs Durling taught me, alongside the mime.
One of the events has a memorial trophy in the name of Miss Mawer. It was this that has prompted me to write a blog post, as I got mixed up about when the trophy is awarded. I am now clear that the trophy is given out at the Festival, while at the Ruby Ginner Awards event, the focus is on dancers actually taking a class on stage, with a teacher.
Both the the Awards and the Festival celebrate Classical Greek Dance, in the style created by Ruby Ginner. The Awards are held once a year, while the Festival is held every other year.
🏆 At the Ruby Ginner Awards event, the Awards are given to individual, solo dancers. Solo dancers are grouped together on stage, where they take part in classes taught by a teacher who is also on the stage. Each dancer is marked individually by an examiner who sits in the auditorium. The dancers have no idea of what they will be asked to do! Awards are given for specific achievements including Musicality Award, Performance Award, and Joy of Dance Award.
🎭 The Festival of Classical Greek Dance is a larger, more comprehensive event that includes a wider range of competitive categories. Dancers can perform solo, or in a duet, trio or as a whole group. The dancers already know what they will be doing before they arrive, and will have been practising hard. (Unless, of course, they are asked to improvise!)
The Finals of the Festival of Classical Greek Dance gives out awards for a much wider variety of performances than at the Ruby Ginner Awards. Categories include technical accuracy, dramatic expression, and choreography.
Styles include:
Lyrical (focused on grace and emotion)
Athletic (focused on strength and elevation)
Bacchic (focused on dramatic energy/release)
Pyrrhic (focused on martial/war-like movement)
Ritual (focused on ceremonial expression)
Choric (often performed to spoken verse) 🌟
The Festival also presents various trophies that recognize a competitor’s achievement in a specific area, often named after significant figures in the history of Classical Greek Dance. Examples of these special awards may include:
Technical Accuracy Trophy: Awarded for outstanding technical precision.
Most Dramatic Expression/Irene Mawer Trophy: Honors a dancer who demonstrates exceptional dramatic interpretation and expression (Irene Mawer was a contemporary of Ruby Ginner who focused on mime and movement).
Classical Greek Ideals Shield: Recognizes a performance that best embodies the aesthetic and philosophical ideals of the genre.
Musicality/Karen Collings Memorial Award: For the most sensitive and accurate response to the music.
Memorable Portrayal of a Mythological Character: Honors a standout performance based on a Greek myth.
The specific names of the shields and trophies can sometimes vary from year to year, but the focus remains on celebrating the full range of artistic, technical, and expressive skills within Classical Greek Dance.