As winners of the Prix de Lausanne’s Younger Creation Award in 2025, Henry Lichtmacher of the U.S. and Alexander Mockrish of Sweden had the chance to return to Switzerland to teach this yr’s Prix contestants on their choreography. Lichtmacher’s piece, 20 Miles from Shore, was chosen by 11 dancers, and Mockrish’s piece, Extinction, was chosen by 12.
Dance Spirit spoke with Lichtmacher and Mockrish about their choreographic inspiration, their expertise teaching the following era of dancers, and their objectives for the long run.
Henry Lichtmacher
What led to you coming into the Younger Creation contest?
I first discovered concerning the competitors in 2023 whereas I used to be coaching on the Tanz Akademie Zürich, as a result of one of many college students on the time was a finalist that yr. I used to be exploring a variety of choreography, as a result of we had a big concentrate on improvisation programs and up to date lessons in Zurich.
The subsequent yr, whereas I used to be coaching on the [American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School], I made a decision to use for the Younger Creation Award as a result of it’s a must to be in a accomplice college as a way to apply. That yr I didn’t find yourself making it previous the preselection spherical, however I used to be nonetheless capable of have my choreography carried out on the JKO Spring Showcase. I additionally fashioned a very nice reference to my dancer, [fellow JKO graduate] Rachel Quiner.
The next yr, I accepted a contract to Houston Ballet II, so I had the chance to use once more. This time I bought in, bought to the finals, and received. It was a fruits, and it took a number of tries to get there.
What evokes you as a choreographer?
I discover it’s best for me to start out with a number of items of music, even when it’s not essentially the music that I take advantage of. From there, I wish to discover a motif of some kind. It’s not intentional, however a variety of my motifs find yourself being associated to the ocean. My piece for the Prix was a few man swimming within the ocean.
As soon as I’ve a motif, I wish to construct some motion vocabulary round it. That’s just about all I do earlier than I begin to work with the dancers. From there, I let the method reveal itself.
What was it like to teach your individual work?
The Prix gives this unimaginable expertise for the YCA winners to attend its summer time intensive and coach their choreography on the dancers there. We principally bought a trial run of what the actual Prix can be like.
You solely get a small period of time with every candidate, so it’s exhausting to not get caught up on the small print, as a result of all of them discovered the items from a video. I needed to concentrate on particulars, sure, but in addition on the standard of motion on the whole, as a result of, in actuality, the jury doesn’t know the choreography in addition to I do. They’re not going to thoughts some slight variations in particulars.
Seeing my choreography final yr on the Prix stage was already an enormous deal for me, however seeing it on the identical stage as [works by] legendary choreographers, like Goyo Montero, was a defining second for me. I used to be additionally simply so excited to see how excited the dancers have been concerning the choreography. It was good to know that for such an vital second for them, they selected my piece, they usually thought that it represented them effectively.
What have you ever been as much as since your win in 2025?
I’m a pupil at Columbia College. I haven’t declared a serious but, however I’m on the cognitive science monitor. I hope to do a specialization combining cognitive science and dance/choreography. Proper now I’m taking ballet lessons via Barnard, and although I’m not coaching on the degree that I was, my ardour for dance is simply as excessive, if not greater. I’m additionally within the Columbia Ballet Collaborative, which is Columbia’s student-run ballet group. Final semester, I bought to create a piece for it, and this semester, I’m the assistant govt director.
What are your future objectives?
Proper now, my schooling takes up a big a part of my time, however choreography for me by no means actually stops. At any time when I’ve time alone in a studio, I’ll be choreographing. The choreography by no means stops flowing out, and it’s only a matter of if there’s an outlet the place I can pour it into in the intervening time. I’m all the time trying to find extra alternatives, however on the similar time, I really feel like I don’t essentially want a relentless undertaking to proceed creating my inventive voice.
I’d like to see my work carried out on a good bigger scale and with a good bigger group, and by skilled firms. That might all be unimaginable. However on the similar time, with a profession within the arts, you’ll be able to’t actually plan something. You simply should proceed to develop your ardour, discover methods to transmit it, and hope the remaining will fall into place.
Alexander Mockrish
What led to you coming into the Younger Creation contest?
I’ve recognized concerning the Younger Creation Award for a very long time. Even once I was in Sweden, at first of my dance schooling, I had a variety of older classmates who utilized. So it was all the time one thing that I used to be wanting ahead to doing. Then I moved to New York Metropolis, to the ABT JKO Faculty, and I stored fascinated about choreography. I had choreographed a number of items when the director, Stella Abrera, got here as much as me on the finish of the yr and instructed me she thought I ought to apply.
What evokes you as a choreographer?
If I’m sincere, generally I really feel like I simply create motion, after which afterwards, I can see what it was I used to be creating. I need to discover one thing that feels pure in your physique, however has the music in it too. The push-and-pull was like very a lot within the solo the complete time.
What was it like to teach your individual work?
On the summer time intensive, I felt very new to teaching, and it felt fairly bizarre. I didn’t actually know the way to do it. However Henry and I bought some assist from the academics and coaches. On the precise Prix, I might additionally have a look at the skilled coaches. You may see how they work, and that helped me.
I didn’t have many English-speaking individuals who selected my solo, so I couldn’t actually spend time speaking a lot. That’s additionally probably not me as an individual. I’m extra of the one that makes sounds to clarify issues and present the motion. It was actually enjoyable teaching, although it was very fast-paced.
What have you ever been as much as since your win in 2025?
I joined Boston Ballet II. By way of choreography, I bought to create a bit for the JKO Faculty straightaway. That’s the factor with the Prix—it provides so many alternatives. After I bought to Boston, the second day I used to be there the director requested if I needed to create a bit for the college. I bought the possibility to create a fairly lengthy, like 12-minute, piece on a a lot bigger variety of individuals than I’d ever finished earlier than. Now I even have the possibility to choreograph on my BBII colleagues. I’m very completely happy and simply need to preserve choreographing.
What are your future objectives?
I nonetheless need to be a dancer, however I’m additionally not going to drop the choreography factor fully and decide it up later. I need to proceed the whole lot on the similar time and take each alternative that’s obtainable. I simply need to preserve doing what I’m keen about, and I’m not fully positive the place that can lead me in life. However I need to preserve enhancing day-after-day.
