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Into the Hairy © Rahi Rezvani i
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Sharon Eyal Wins Best New Dance Production at the Olivier Awards for "Into the Hairy"
Industry News
A powerful new milestone marks the artistic journey of Sharon Eyal, winner of the FEDORA – VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Prize for Ballet 2017 for her striking work Love: Chapter 2, as her latest creation, Into the Hairy, wins Best New Dance Production at the prestigious Olivier Awards 2026, a distinction that further affirms her singular voice at the forefront of contemporary choreography.
Established in 1976, the Olivier Awards, formerly known as the Society of West End Theatre Awards, are Britain’s most prestigious stage honours, recognising the world-class excellence of London theatre and renamed in 1984 in tribute to Laurence Olivier’s outstanding contribution as both actor and director.
Following its earlier recognition with the Dutch Swan Award for “Most Impressive Dance Achievement 2025”, awarding the dancers of NDT 1 & S-E-D for their roles in Into the Hairy in September 2025, this new distinction further highlights Sharon Eyal’s artistic language, at once hypnotic, visceral, and deeply immersive, through which she continues to redefine the boundaries of contemporary dance.
Created in collaboration with Gai Behar, Into the Hairy is an evocative, unsettling and dystopian journey that explores a powerful, idiosyncratic universe, where movement is hypnotising, rhythmic and elusive, and where improvised physicality is shaped into a highly sensory and virtuosic choreographic form, blurring the boundaries between classical dance and underground club culture while placing emphasis on vulnerability and collective physical intensity.
The work will further be presented in an expanded “XL” version, offering audiences a new way to engage with the performance beyond the stage, bringing together dancers from Nederlands Dans Theater and Sharon Eyal Dance (S-E-D), scaling from seven to twenty-eight performers in an ambitious collaboration that bridges classical technique with underground club culture. Available online on 17 and 18 April, this unique format offers an intimate perspective on the performance and its intricate visual and choreographic details.
From Love: Chapter 2 to Into the Hairy, Sharon Eyal’s trajectory reflects a continued commitment to innovation, pushing artistic boundaries while forging a deeply personal choreographic language. Her success today resonates strongly with FEDORA’s mission to support visionary artists who shape the future of dance.
The FEDORA - VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Dance Prize is supported by Van Cleef & Arpels, in collaboration with Opera Europa. The FEDORA Prizes competition is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Commission.
Olivier Awards 2026 with Cunard
The Olivier Awards 2026 with Cunard took place on Sunday 12 April at the Royal Albert Hall in London, hosted by Nick Mohammed. The ceremony will shine a spotlight on the last 50 years of the awards, with amazing performances from the biggest and brightest shows, a dazzling array of stars and special moments to celebrate our 50th anniversary.
© Rahi Rezvani 2025 i
Enjoy from the comfort of your own home: the XL edition of "Into the Hairy"
NDT 1 and Sharon Eyal Dance (S-E-D) join forces for this XL-edition of Into the Hairy (2023). Originally created for 7 dancers, the work is now performed by 28 dancers exploring the boundaries of contemporary dance by connecting classical dancing with underground club culture.
Ticket € 15
Only available on 17 & 18 April
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