2025 - Joakim Visnes

Joakim came “flying” into the ballet world with physical qualities we had hardly ever seen before. Suddenly, we were witnessing a Norwegian dancer with qualities from another world.

Starting out in freestyle dance, he quickly excelled in many different styles, and under the Norwegian Dance Federation he has won 5 World Championship gold medals, 6 European Championship gold medals, and 16 Norwegian Championship gold medals. At fifteen he began training in classical ballet at the Norwegian Ballet School and Academy, and at nineteen he was accepted into the National Ballet’s junior company, Nasjonalballetten UNG, at the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet.

The jury has taken note of a boy who made unconventional choices early on in order to pursue his dream of becoming a dancer. This focused dedication, combined with a strong competitive instinct, has brought him to a permanent contract with the National Ballet, and as he says himself: “It’s quite unreal to walk into the Opera House every day and do what you love.”

Despite his young age and short time at the National Ballet, he has convinced both director Ingrid Lorentzen and the audience that here is an extraordinary talent who has found his stage. The foundation has been fortunate enough to follow his journey from fairly early in his career. We have been thrilled by his fantastic dance performances in sports dance, but above all by his ability to transition into classical ballet in such a short time. Joakim masters both modern and classical repertoire. He was outstanding in Duato’s Remanso, bringing a true sense of “whirl and flow” to the choreography. His clean lines and seamless transitions appeared beautifully in Le

ón & Lightfoot’s Susto. Playful, virtuosic, and musical in Kylián’s Day After Yesterday.

He captivated the audience as the Court Jester in Cinderella and was outstanding as Lescaut in Manon. He was convincing as Siegfried’s brother in A Story of Swan Lake and, not least, delivered a remarkable performance today as Solomon from 12 Years a Slave.

His technique, “flying qualities”, extraordinary flexibility, and emotional depth on stage make any choreography appear effortless. He has a unique ability to make even the most complex movements seem seamless and playfully easy - regardless of style or level of difficulty.

Joakim has solid technique and moves with exceptionally soft and dynamic quality. His brilliant dancing, extraordinary physical abilities, and curious, eager-to-learn attitude make the jury confident that we have chosen the right recipient of the Tom Wilhelmsen Opera and Ballet Prize for 2025.