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 educate 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 technology of dancers, and their objectives for the longer term.
Henry Lichtmacher
What led to you getting into the Younger Creation contest?
I first came upon 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 whole lot of choreography, as a result of we had a big deal with improvisation programs and up to date lessons in Zurich.
The following 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 you must be in a companion faculty in an effort to apply. That yr I didn’t find yourself making it previous the preselection spherical, however I used to be nonetheless in a position to have my choreography carried out on the JKO Spring Showcase. I additionally shaped a extremely 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 end result, and it took a number of tries to get there.
What conjures up you as a choreographer?
I discover it’s best for me to begin with just a few items of music, even when it’s not essentially the music that I take advantage of. From there, I prefer to discover a motif of some kind. It’s not intentional, however a whole lot of my motifs find yourself being associated to the ocean. My piece for the Prix was a couple of man swimming within the ocean.
As soon as I’ve a motif, I prefer 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 educate your personal work?
The Prix gives this unbelievable expertise for the YCA winners to attend its summer season intensive and coach their choreography on the dancers there. We mainly 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 arduous 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 deal with particulars, sure, but in addition on the standard of motion normally, 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 had 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 scholar at Columbia College. I haven’t declared a significant but, however I’m on the cognitive science observe. I’m hoping to do a specialization combining cognitive science and dance/choreography. Proper now I’m taking ballet lessons by Barnard, and although I’m not coaching on the degree that I was, my ardour for dance is simply as excessive, if not larger. 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 government director.
What are your future objectives?
Proper now, my training 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 at all times looking for extra alternatives, however on the similar time, I really feel like I don’t essentially want a continuing challenge to proceed creating my creative 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 will all be unbelievable. However on the similar time, with a profession within the arts, you may’t actually plan something. You simply must proceed to develop your ardour, discover methods to transmit it, and hope the remaining will fall into place.
Alexander Mockrish
What led to you getting into the Younger Creation contest?
I’ve recognized concerning the Younger Creation Award for a very long time. Even once I was in Sweden, originally of my dance training, I had a whole lot of older classmates who utilized. So it was at all times one thing that I used to be trying ahead to doing. Then I moved to New York Metropolis, to the ABT JKO Faculty, and I saved enthusiastic about choreography. I had choreographed just a few 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 conjures up you as a choreographer?
If I’m trustworthy, typically 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 educate your personal work?
On the summer season intensive, I felt very new to teaching, and it felt fairly bizarre. I didn’t actually know how you can 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 who 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. When it comes to choreography, I bought to create a chunk 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 chunk for the varsity. I bought the possibility to create a fairly lengthy, like 12-minute, piece on a a lot bigger variety of folks than I’d ever finished earlier than. Now I even have the possibility to choreograph on my BBII colleagues. I’m very pleased and simply need to maintain 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 every thing on the similar time and take each alternative that’s accessible. I simply need to maintain doing what I’m captivated with, and I’m not fully positive the place that can lead me in life. However I need to maintain enhancing on daily basis.
