2003/4 Poll entries

Best production overall: The Royal Ballet's Mayerling

Two more of the RB's productions came next, though a long way behind: Romeo and Juliet second, and Onegin in third place.

Best new production: The Bolshoi Ballet's London season attracted support in several categories, and its The Pharaoh's Daughter won this one easily.

In second and third places were two pieces from one of the Royal Ballet's most exciting triple bills, Broken Fall and Qualia.

Best revival: A close call, this one, with the RB's Anastasia winning by just one vote...

...from Mayerling, with the Bolshoi's famous Spartacus in third place.

Best staging: Northern Ballet Theatre's many admirers will be delighted to see its Midsummer Night's Dream winning this category very easily.

The RB's Daphnis and Chloe was the only other piece more than a couple of votes.

Best home company: The Royal Ballet won this category again.

Best visiting company: The Bolshoi.

NDT2 came second, with just single votes for a few others.

Best male dancer: Carlos Acosta for the first time...

...whilst Johann Kobborg, who won our last two polls, this time came second. The Bolshoi's Sergei Filin was third.

Best female dancer: I don't think anyone who reads our discussion board would be surprised to see that Zenaida Yanowsky came first this time...

...with Sylvie Guillem second and Alina Cojocaru third.

Best partnership: Cojocaru and Kobborg won in this category, by miles, as they did in our last poll.

Two more Royal Ballet couples, Tamara Rojo and Jonathan Cope, and Lauren Cuthbertson and Edward Watson, came second and third.

Most promising male dancer: A new name here: the Royal Ballet's Thiago Soares had nearly four times as many votes as anyone else.

The RB's Edward Watson came second, as he did last time, and Ivan Putrov (also RB) was third. Both of them also picked up a few votes in the 'Best Male Dancer' category, but even adding them in wouldn't have made them catch up with Soares.

Most promising female dancer: Another landslide gave this title to the RB's Lauren Cuthbertson.

Her closest rivals were Deirdre Chapman (RB) and Pieter Symonds (RNZB).

Worst production: The Bolshoi's Swan Lake headed the least-liked list.

Comments: It was in the comments sections that the enthusiasm for such highlights of the season as Mukhamedov's farewell and the Cuthbertson/Watson Romeo and Juliet really came out. It's good also to be able to read the views of people who see most of their dance out of London: until more of them start voting, their favourites aren't going to win any of the main categories, but we need to be reminded of important changes like the rebirth of Scottish Ballet. There were a few views from Paris and New York, too - lots more needed next year, please!

It was even more difficult than usual to decide on a prizewinner: from quite a long 'shortlist' of interesting and thoughtful entries we finally chose Naoka S - please get in touch with Bruce to claim your prize!

And very many thanks, once more, to all who took the trouble to vote.