London Contemporary Dance School almuni Paul Liburd and Marie McCluskey have won major prizes at the Critics' Circle National Dance Awards.
Paul Liburd is the 2009 winner of the Dancing Times Award for Best Male Dancer. Paul trained at London Contemporary Dance School and went on to perform with London Contemporary Dance Theatre, before joining Rambert Dance Company in 1992. He is currently a soloist with Scottish Ballet, who he joined in 2004. Last year he was awarded an MBE for services to dance.
This is Paul's second National Dance Award triumph, after winning Outstanding Male Artist in 2004 for his work with Rambert. The Dancing Times Award is the Critics' Circle's premier award for performer, and previous winners include Carlos Acosta and Jonathan Cope.
Marie McCluskey won the Jane Attenborough Dance UK Industry Award. This award recognises an individual who has made a major contribution to the development of dance away from the limelight.
After training at Arts Educational School, London and LCDS, Marie worked as a performer and teacher before founding Swindon Dance, which she continues to run. Over the past 30 years, Swindon Dance has been hugely influential promoting dance in its region and developing the careers of artists including Lea Anderson, Wayne McGregor and Charlotte Vincent. She received her MBE for services to dance in 1993.