Although unknown to most ballet fans, ballet competitions play an important role in uncovering young talent, significantly influencing ballet company rosters. Before they were stars, many of the leading lights in ballet had a successful record in these competitions. In most major companies, a majority of dancers performed in competitions, many winning medals and scholarships. An example of budding talent discovered at these events is former American Ballet Theatre (ABT) Principal Dancer and now Pennsylvania Ballet Artistic Director Angel Corella. As a young dancer struggling as a corps member at a minor Spanish company, he entered the Concours International de Danse de Paris and attracted the attention of former ABT Principal Dancer Natalia Makarova, a judge at the event. She contacted ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, alerting him of this rising star. The rest is history.
This post provides information on the major competitions and participation of dancers in major companies.
Ballet Competitions: Background
The International Ballet Competition (IBC) at Varna, Bulgaria in 1964 was the first major competition. Since then a number of competitions have sprouted globally including Lausanne, Moscow IBC (now known as the International Ballet Competition and Contest of Choreographers-I will generally use Moscow IBC throughout this post); USA IBC, Jackson, Mississippi; Helsinki IBC; Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP)-New York; Vaganova Prix-Saint Petersburg, Russia; Arabesque-Perm, Russia; Genée Ballet Competition (commonly held in Commonwealth countries). The Russian competitions are sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation while the others are generally not for profit organizations (501 (C)(3) entities in the U.S.) that accept tax-deductible donations.
Dancer eligibility and rules vary by competition and I summarize important characteristics at the bottom of this post. At YAGP there are three age groups ranging from 9 to 19 years of age. At Lausanne, dancer ages range from 15-18 while the range is 14-27 at Moscow and 14-26 for USA IBC. The stories of the competitors vary, ranging from young, unknown dancers aspiring to be discovered to seasoned competition dancers intent on adding another medal to their resume. For dancers not affiliated with a ballet company school, competitions provide wide exposure and, for top-rated performers, a stamp of approval from a third-party source regarding current and potential ability.
Many dancers at leading companies have competition experience, particularly Principal Dancers. However, it is a mistake to conclude that competition experience is required to advance in the ballet world.
Application procedures vary by contest. Some competitions evaluate an applicant from a submitted video and those with the most promise are accepted for the competition. For example, at Lausanne, applicants submit a digital video recording containing class work and a contemporary variation, with the website providing required steps in the video. At Moscow, an applicant can submit a video of any variation or duet. For Varna, application includes a vitae including details on education, training, prizes, artistic activities, two photos, and a recommendation from a company, school, or state arts body. The USA IBC requires a vitae and video. Soloists submit two classical variations and couples submit an entire pas de deux. Competitors are chosen by a selection committee of ballet professionals. YAGP hosts semifinals in various cities across the U.S. with open admission; dancers with high scores advance to the finals in New York (a dancer may also qualify for the finals with a video application).
Competitions generally last a week to 10 days. In the Lausanne competition, from Monday to Thursday, the jury observes and marks the candidates in ballet and contemporary classes (see photo below). On Friday, candidates present their classical and contemporary variations, selected from a list in the contest rules. At the conclusion, the jury selects a maximum of 20 dancers for the finals. Finals are held on Saturday with contestants performing classical and contemporary variations. In the YAGP competition, Junior and Senior divisions compete on separate days, each with a Classical Competition and Contemporary Competition. Awards are announced at a Closing Night Gala.
The Arabesque Perm competition, held at the Perm State Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre in Russia, is held over 11 days, with three days of Round I and II competitions, one rehearsal day, one day of Round III competitions, followed by a closing ceremony and a Gala performance. At Varna, the competition lasts for 15 days. 130 dancers compete, with 40 dancers with the highest score in the first round (lasting five days) advancing to round two (four days). Ten dancers each from the senior and junior groups advance to round three (two days). In the two-week USA IBC, approximately 100-110 dancers compete, performing classical variations in Round I (four days). Competitors who advance to Round II (two days) perform contemporary pieces. Finalists in Round III (three days) perform classical and contemporary variations.
Ballet Class at Prix de Lausanne. Photo: Gregory Batardon courtesy of Lausanne.
While competitions host dancers from around the world, country concentrations exist. For Moscow IBC, approximately 70% of medal winners from 1969-2009 were from Russia. Prominent non-Russian winners include Herman Cornejo, Amanda McKerrow, Danilo Radojevic, and Thiago Soares. The Arabesque Perm, Russia competition had a roughly equal number of Russian and non-Russian winners in 2016. In contrast, only three winners in 2000 were from outside of Russia. Winner lists at Vaganova Prix show a heavy dominance of Russian dancers with few non-Russians. At Lausanne, Japan has the highest number of winners since the first competition in 1973 (19%) followed by France (14%) U.S. and China (6%), and Russia/Ukraine (5%). At the USA IBC, 1,147 dancers from 70 countries have competed from 1979-2014; about 20% of the 194 medal and award winners were from US, followed by Japan (10%) and China (9%). At YAGP, the winner list in 2016 looks like a roll call at the United Nations, with many countries represented.
At most competitions, competitors select from a list of dances from classical ballets ranging from Swan Lake to Walpurgis Nacht. A panel of judges scores each dancer based on various factors including technique, musicality, and potential. Judges are typically leading names in the field, consisting of Artistic Directors, ballet school faculty members, former dancers, and choreographers.
“The training process (at competitions) is quite intense, and can really help to elevate a student’s technical and artistic abilities, as well as give them valuable exposure to artistic directors of professional companies.”
Top dancers are awarded prizes with the juries generally reserving the right not to award top prizes. Awards usually include scholarships or appointment to major ballet companies. For example, at Lausanne, prizes consist of one year’s tuition and 16,000 Swiss Francs (about $16,000) for living expenses at top schools chosen by the winner. For winners over the age of 17, Apprentice scholarships are available to such programs as ABT’s Studio Company, Australian Ballet, English National Ballet, Het Nationnale Ballet-Junior Company, Royal Danish Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet. As noted on the Lausanne website, the Prix is not just a competition, but a week where candidates work in daily classes and coaching sessions with leading figures in the dance world. The competition ends with the Networking Forum, a platform where non-prize winners can be seen by school and company directors, often leading to additional scholarships and apprenticeships. At Moscow, the top prize is $15,000. USA IBC also has a $15,000 Grand Prix prize, with award winners receiving company contracts and scholarships at leading programs. All competitors who advance to Round III receive a $1,000 travel stipend.
The major benefit competitors receive from competitions is exposure. Major companies are present, scouring talent in the same manner that NFL football scouts scrutinize college players. At YAGP, over 300 alumni have joined 80 dance companies around the world, according to their website.
Edward Ellison, who runs the Ellison Ballet training school in New York City, provides his thoughts on ballet competitions: “Ballet competitions, when approached in the right way, are very beneficial to our students and Ellison Ballet. The training process is quite intense, and can really help to elevate a student’s technical and artistic abilities, as well as give them valuable exposure to artistic directors of professional companies. I’ve had a number of students receive contracts after being seen in competition. Competitions have helped give Ellison Ballet exposure as well, and have attracted many other talented young dancers to audition to study at Ellison Ballet.”
Hee Won Cho and Gwan Woo Park, Silver Medalists, Valentina Kozlova IBC Ballet Competition, 2016. Photo at top of post: Da Woon Lee and Dong Hyeon Kwak, VKIBC Ballet Competition, 2016
Major Ballet Companies and Competitions
Tables at the bottom of this post-which present ballet competition summaries of Principal Dancers and Soloists at ABT, Bolshoi, Mariinsky, Paris Opera Ballet, and Royal Ballet-provide evidence of the importance of dance competitions in identifying future stars. I obtained the information from dancer profiles at ballet company websites from June/December 2016, supplemented by dancer and competition websites. The tables show that over half of Principal Dancers have competition experience. At ABT, 11 out of the 17 Principal Dancers have competition references (generally winning awards) in their bios. Among Soloists, 7 of the 13 have competed. The ratio of Principal Dancer participants to total Principal Dancers is as follows at other companies: 12/16-Royal Ballet; 11/14-Mariinsky; 15/21-Bolshoi; and 9/18-Etoiles at Paris Opera Ballet. For Soloists, the breakdown is: 18/35-Royal Ballet Soloists and First Soloists; 21/35-Mariinsky; 6/26-Bolshoi; 4/15-Paris Opera Ballet Premiers Danseurs and 2/41 Sujets. Note that these numbers may understate ballet competition participation. In some situations, the website may not include competitions in a dancer bio, possibly due to a non-medal outcome. Some dancers have experience with multiple competitions; ABT’s Maria Kochetkova (7 competitions), and Mariinsky’s Kimin Kim and Royal Ballet’s Iana Salenko (each with 6), stand out.
Ballet competitions are apparently not the path to success at New York City Ballet. I could find competition references for just two NYCB Principal Dancers and two Soloists: Gonzalo Garcia was the youngest Gold Medalist at Lausanne; Joaquin De Luz, was the Gold Medalist at the Second Nureyev International Ballet Competition in Budapest, Hungary; Antonio Carmena was a gold medalist at an IBC competition in Havana; while Zachary Catazaro won at YAGP. All four dancers entered competitions before entering NYCB’s School of American Ballet (SAB). Why the lack of competition participation at NYCB? First, training at SAB provides necessary information on dancers as SAB teachers and artistic personnel scrutinize students daily, making outside opinions of the quality of a young dancer less important. Almost all NYCB dancers trained at SAB, with outstanding students invited in the company as Apprentices. Second, qualities that competitions value-bravura big jumps, endless pirouettes, and What Was That? tricks are not typically present in the Balanchine-focused NYCB repertory, particularly for men. NYCB men generally don’t need these big steps to be successful in the rep.
Ballet Competitions by Company
Competition Information from Company Websites, June-Dec. 2016| ABT | Royal Ballet | Bolshoi | Mariinsky | Paris Opera | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moscow IBC | 4 | 4 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 31 |
| Lausanne | 5 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 21 |
| Varna IBC | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 17 |
| Vaganova | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 15 |
| Arabesque-Perm | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 15 |
| YAGP | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13 |
| Jackson | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| Seoul | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| Paris-IBC | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Genée | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| Helsinki | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Luxembourg | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
The table above shows the total number of competitions Principal Dancers and Soloists have participated in by company. Moscow IBC is the most popular, with 31 dancers in major companies participating in the competition, according to dancer profiles. The top standing of the Moscow competition is impressive given that it is held only every four years. The Moscow IBC has representation outside of Russian companies, with four dancers each at ABT and Royal Ballet. Lausanne is second with 21 dancers; Varna third with 17 followed by Vaganova and Arabesque Perm-15; and YAGP-13. ABT and The Royal Ballet have substantial participation globally while the Bolshoi dancers focus on competitions in Russia (Moscow IBC, Vaganova, and Arabesque-Perm). Of note is the large number of dancers at Mariinsky participating in the Seoul IBC competition (6); Paris Opera Ballet dancers at Varna (8-not including Director Aurélie Dupont, who won a Gold Medal in 1992); and Royal Ballet dancers in Lausanne (13) and Genée (7).
The results are point in time in 2016 and would change from year to year. Some competitions don’t seem to be active; I could not find any websites for IBC competitions in Paris, Rome, Luxembourg, and the Nureyev International Ballet Competition in Budapest, a sign that the competitions are no longer held.
Lausanne Finals Video
To their great credit, Lausanne live streams their annual competition. The 2016 finals on Lausanne’s YouTube channel is below.
Conclusion
Many dancers at leading companies have competition experience, particularly Principal Dancers. However, it is a mistake to conclude that competition experience is required to advance in the ballet world. Numerous dancers have gone through the competition route on their way to leading companies-but a large number of dancers have not. Superstars Roberto Bolle, David Hallberg, Ekaterina Kondaurova, and Marianela Núñez don’t appear to have any competition backgrounds and their careers haven’t suffered. It is also a misconception that success at a major competition guarantees greatness in future endeavors. Going through lists of past winners at Moscow, Lausanne, YAGP reveals dancers that have illustrious careers-but a number of Gold Medal dancers that have not advanced in the dance world. Like great minor league baseball prospects that don’t pan out in the major leagues, there are many possible reasons for lack of later success: injuries, early peaking, lack of commitment. There is no one path to success in the ballet world as each dancer at a major company has a unique story.
Competition Summaries
Moscow International Ballet Competition and Contest of Choreographers
The Moscow IBC was founded in 1969. Since 2001, the ballet competition is held with the contest of choreographers and is known as the Moscow International Ballet Competition and Contest of Choreographers. Legends of the Russian Ballet Igor Moiseyev, Olga Lepeshinskaya, and Galina Ulanova founded the competition. Since 1973 choreographer Yuri Grigorovich has been the permanent President of the Jury. Jury members for the first competition included Yuri Grigorovich, Maya Plisetskaya, Alicia Alonso, and Agnes de Mill. The competition is held at the Bolshoi Theater and is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.
Competition Dates
The competition every four years, the next in June 2017.
Eligiblity
For the 2017 competition, ages for the Junior Division are 14-19 and 19-27 for the Senior Division.
Noteable Winners
Mikhail Baryshnikov (1969); Alexander Godunov (1973); Amanda McKerrow, Andris Liepa (1981); Vladimir Malakhov (1985); Nikolai Tsiskaridze, Herman Cornejo (1997); Polina Semionova, Leonid Sarafanov, Thiago Soares (2001); Christine Shevchenko, Ivan Vasiliev, Anastasia Matvienko, Yevgenia Obraztsova (2005); Angelina Vorontosova, Vladimir Shklyarov (2009)
Fees
Application fee of $80-$100
The Competition Board pays hotel accommodations and meals for competitors for the period of their official participation in the competition
Prix de Lausanne
Prix de Lausanne is an annual competition held since 1973 in Lausanne, Switzerland. Philippe Braunschweig and his wife Elvire founded competition, with backing from Maurice Béjart and Rosella Hightower. In the early years, television gave the competition added visibility as the event was broadcast on Swiss and Japanese television. Since 2008, the final has been broadcast live on the internet. In 1984, contemporary dance was introduced into the selected rounds, a nod to increasing contemporary focus in many dance companies.
Lausanne has grown in size and stature. In 1973, there were 30 competitors and a handful of schools offering grants to today with 200 dancers and almost 30 grant offering schools, according to the website.
Competition Dates
Annually in late January/early February.
Eligibilty
Dancers must be at least 15 years of age and at most 19 years. Dancers who have signed professional contracts or have received a firm job offer in a professional company are not eligible.
Noteable Winners
Alessandra Ferri 1980; Viviana Durante 1984; Philip Neal 1985; Julie Kent 1986; Darcey Bussell 1986; Ethan Stiefel 1989; Carlos Acosta 1990; Christopher Wheeldon 1991; Diana Vishneva 1994; Benjamin Mellipied 1994; Gillian Murphy 1995; Marcelo Gomes 1996; Alina Cojucaro 1997; Sergei Pollunin 2006; Vadim Montagirov 2006.
Varna International Ballet Competition
Varna IBC was the first ballet competition, established in 1964. It is held at Varna, the biggest sea resort in Bulgaria. Following the successful Varna competitions, other events were established in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Perm, Kazan, Jackson and New York in the U.S., Osaka and Nagoya in Japan, Paris, Helsinki, and other cities. In its 50 years, the competition has had over 2,500 competitors from 40 countries.
Competition Dates
Held every other year in the second half of July at the Open-Air Theatre in Varna. The next competition will be held in early 2018.
Eligibility
Seniors: dancers under age 26
Juniors: 15-19
Noteable Winners
Vladimir Vassiliev, Natalia Makarova, Eva Evdokimova, Mikhail Barishnikov, Natalia Bessmertnova, Patrick Dupond, Sylvie Guillem, Agnes Letestu, Yoko Morishita, Martin Van Hamel, Evelin Hart, Loypa Araujo, Vladimir Malakhov, Fernando Bujones, Maximilliano Guerrra, Marin Boierou.
Vaganova-Prix International Ballet Competition
The Vaganova Ballet Academy established the Vaganova Prix in 1988 in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture of Russian Federation.
Competition Dates
The Vaganova Prix is held every two years, with the next competition in 2018.
Eligibilty
Juniors: 13-17 years of age
Seniors: 18-25
Noteable Winners
Ulyana Lopatkina (1990), Adrian Fadeev, Svetlana Zakharova, Igor Kolb (1995), Polina Semionova, Mikhail Lobukhin, Ekaterina Krysanova, Vladimir Shklyarov (2002), Vadim Muntagirov (2006).
Youth America Grand Prix
YAGP is an annual competition since 2000, with finals in New York City. According to the website, YAGP reaches over 7,000 dance students annually, holding workshops, scholarships, scholarship auditions in 17 U.S. cities and six international locations. Each season culminates in the week-long New York Finals where 1,200 dancers receive mentoring and performance opportunities. The New York closing night “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow” Gala features students showing the most potential alongside the stars of today’s leading dance companies.
According to the website, over 50,000 dancers have participated in YAGP’s workshops, scholarship auditions, and master classes worldwide. Over the past 15 years, YAGP has awarded $3 million in scholarships to leading dance schools. Over 300 YAGP alumni are now dancing in 80 companies worldwide, many in leading companies. The company has a bi-annual Job Fair, a special audition program giving YAGP participants and alumni a chance to be seen and hired by directors at leading dance companies.
Larissa and Gennadi Saveliev founded YAGP. Larissa danced at the Bolshoi Ballet and Gennadi at ABT. Remembering ballet competitions from their youth where schools, students, and teachers from all over the Soviet Union gathered to showcase young talent, the Saveliev’s decided to start a ballet competition in the U.S., according to Resident. “Our biggest challenge was to change the American attitude towards competitions, to break through the wall of prejudice against competitions among serious ballet schools,” Larissa recalls. “In 1999, there were only jazz competitions – and, for serious ballet dancers, it was the antithesis of artistry or the serious study of ballet.” Her primary task was to change the negative attitude towards ballet competitions int he U.S. “We promised as many talented students as we could find that they will be seen by the top dance professionals in the world; we promised directors of the top ballet schools that they will see some of the most talented students in the U.S. – and they believed us. Then we delivered both.”
Competition Dates
Annually, with the week-long finals held in New York early May.
Eligibility
Senior Age Division: 15-19
Junio Age Division: 12-14
Pre-Competitive Age Division: 9-11
Noteable Winners
Matthew Golding, Hee Seo, Sarah Lane, Joseph Philips (2002); Isaac Hernandez, Brooklyn Mack (2003); Joseph Gorak (2005); Sergei Polunin, Jeffrey Cirio (2006); Melissa Hamilton (2007); Vadim Muntagirov, Skylar Brandt (2008); Jeffrey Cirio (2009); Kimin Kim (2012)
Fees
Semi-Finals: $95 registration fee plus fees ranging from $45 to $100 per dance
Finals: fees range from $40 to $295
Russian Open Ballet Competition-Arabesque-Perm
Arabesque was first held in 1988 at the Perm State Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre, one of the oldest theaters in Russia. The Artistic Director and Chief of the Jury is Vladimir Vasiliev, former Artistic Director of the Bolshoi Ballet. Ekaterina Maximmova headed the jury from 1996 to 2008. Since 1994, Arabesque has been held under the patronage of UNESCO.
Competition Dates
Arabesque is held every two years, with the next competition April 11-22, 2018.
Eligibilty
Ballet dancers and students of ballet schools, Russian or foreign, may take part in the competition. The competition includes two age groups: Juniors (13-17) and Seniors (18-25). In each age group, dancers may perform either as soloists or in couples.
The performance program consists of three rounds:
Round 1: classical choreography (one pas de deux for couples and two variations for soloists)
Round 2: classical and contemporary choreography
classical choreography (one variation for everybody – soloists and for each dancer in a couple),
contemporary (one piece staged not earlier than 6 years before the competition)
Round 3: classical choreography (one pas de deux for couples and two variations for soloists)
Within round 2 there is a competition of contemporary choreography (dancers and choreographers can apply).
Noteable Winners
Maria Kochetkova (2002); Daniil Simkin (2004); Viktoria Tereshkina, Ivan Vasiliev, Vadim Muntagirov (2006); Angelina Vorontsova (2008)
Fees
On the day of arrival 1500 rubles (about $25) for Russian participants and 3000 rubles (about $50) for foreign participants
USA International Ballet Competition-Jackson
The first IBC premiered in 1964 in Varna, Bulgaria and grew into a cycle of ballet competitions that rotated among Varna, Moscow, and Tokyo. In 1975, the Jackson Ballet Guild invited ballet educator and author Thalia Mara to develop a professional ballet company and school for Mississippi, according to the USA IBC website. As part of the development plan, she convinced city leaders to secure the USA IBC for the city of Jackson. The first USA IBC was held in June 1979 consisting of 70 dancers from 15 countries, with Robert Joffrey (Artistic Director of the Joffrey Ballet) as the chair of the panel of jurors. Jackson then joined other sanctioned competitions that rotated each year among Varna, Moscow, and Tokyo (later replaced by Helsinki). The USA IBC was the first competition to limit the jury panel to one judge per country represented. Competitors eliminated in the first and second rounds participate in a contemporary showcase and a choreography workshop followed by a performance at the Awards and Encore Galas. Eliminated competitors also continue to take daily classes with semifinalists and finalists.
Competition Dates
The competition is held every four years at Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson, Mississippi. The 11th USA IBC will be held June 10-23, 2018.
Eligibility
Senior Age Division: 19-26
Junior Age Division: 14-18
Three rounds of competition: Round 1, classical choreography (one pas de deux for couples and two variations for soloists) Round II, contemporary choreography Round III, classical and contemporary choreography
$100 application fee; 2018 application available at usaibc.com in October 2017.
Noteable Winners
Nina Ananiashvili, Andris Liepa (1986); Jose Manuel Carreño, Vladimir Malakhov, Irina Dvorovenko (1990); Johan Kobborg (1994); Joseph Phillips, Sarah Lamb, Sarah Lane, Mikhail Ilyin (2002); Daniil Simkin, Brooklyn Mack, Isaac Hernandez, Jeffrey Cirio, Christine Shevchenko (2006)
Genée International Ballet Competition
The Genée International Ballet Competition is named after the first president of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), Adeline Genée. The first competition was held in 1931 and has taken place almost every year since. In 2002, the RAD held the Genée competition for the first time outside of London at the Sydney Opera House. Since then, the competition has been held around the world, including Athens, Hong Kong, Toronto, Singapore, Cape Town, Wellington, Antwerp, and Glasgow, returning to Sydney again in 2016. The final was live streamed for the first time from Sadler’s Wells in London in 2015 and the Final of the 2016 competition in Sydney is still available to watch online (until 11 March 2017) at the RAD website.
Competition Dates
The competition is held annually, usually in September. The 2017 competition will be held in Lisbon, Portugal.
Eligibility
The competition is open to dancers that are members of the RAD and have passed the RAD Intermediate, Advanced 1 as well as Advanced 2 exams in Classical Ballet (Advanced 2 with Distinction). Candidates must be 15-19 years of age and not employed on a professional contract prior to entry of the competition. There is a limit of 100 candidates.
Noteable Winners
Leanne Benjamin (1981); Stella Abrera (1995); Lauren Cuthbertson (2001); Steven McRae (2002); Xander Parish (2004); Céline Gittens (2005); Valentino Zucchetti (2006); Francesca Hayward (2010).
Helsinki IBC
Finnish National Ballet prima ballerina Doris Laine-Almi was the driving force behind the Helsinki IBC. According to the Helsinki website, Doris was a member of the International Theatre Institute of UNESCO and had a strong desire to have an IBC in Finland. She organized the event, helping to raise the necessary funds for the first event in 1985. There have been a total of eight competitions, the last in 2016.
Noteable Winners
Daniil Simkin, Iana Salenko, Joseph Gorak (2005); Brooklyn Mack, Meaghan Hinkis, Jeffrey Cirio (2009)
Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition
The Kozlova IBC was formerly known as the Boston IBC, which premiered in 2011. In 2013, the competition moved to Symphony Space in New York City. Valentina Kozlova, former Bolshoi Ballet Principal Dancer, founded the competition.
Competition Dates
Held annually, the next competition will be June 5-10.
Eligibility
Youth: 11-12
Student 13-14
Junior: 15-17
Senior: 18-26
According to the website, “…registration is by invitation. All dancers need first submit an application on our web site (see Application tab). After the application is reviewed, only those dancers invited can submit the Registration to the Classical Competition, the Contemporary Competition and/or the Choreography Competition.”
Noteable Winners
Brooklyn Mack, Young Gyu Choi
ABT Dancers and Competitions
Info from Dancer Bios from the ABT Website, June-December 2016| Principal Dancer | Competition | Soloist | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stella Abrera | Genée | Skylar Brandt | YAGP 2 years |
| Isabella Boylston | YAGP | Jeffrey Cirio | YAGP, IBC-Jackson, Helsinki, Seoul |
| Herman Cornejo | IBC-Moscow | Joseph Gorak | IBC-Helsinki, YAGP 2 years, National Young Arts Foundation |
| Marcelo Gomes | Lausanne, National Society of Arts and Letters, Winter Festival in Brazil | Alexandre Hammoudi | Trophee Arabesque, Biarritz Dance Competition |
| Maria Kochetkova | Lausannne, IBC-Seoul, Rome, Riety, Luxembourg, Varna, Moscow; Arabesque Perm | Sarah Lane | IBC-Jackson; YAGP |
| Gillian Murphy | IBC-Jackson; Lausanne | Luciana Paris | Latin American Dance Competition |
| Polina Semionova | IBC-Moscow, Nagoya; Vaganova-Prix | Christine Shevchenko | IBC-Jackson, Moscow |
| Hee Seo | Lausanne, YAGP | Thomas Forster, Craig Salstein, Arron Scott, Devon Teuscher, Cassandra Trenary, Roman Zhurbin | None |
| Daniil Simkin | IBC-Jackson, Helsinki, Varna, Vienna, Luxembourg, Arabesque Perm | ||
| Cory Strearns | YAGP | ||
| Diana Vishneva | Lausanne | ||
| Roberto Bolle, Misty Copeland, David Hallberg, Alban Lendorf, Veronika Part, James Whiteside | None | ||
The Royal Ballet Dancers and Competitions
Info from Dancer Bios from the Royal Ballet Website, June-December 2016| Principal Dancer | Competition | First Soloists and Soloists | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Acosta | Lausanne | Alexander Campbell | Genée, Lausanne |
| Frederico Bonelli | IBC Havana, Rieti; Lausanne | Yuhui Choe | IBC-Paris; Lausanne |
| Lauren Cuthbertson | IBC-Varna | Melissa Hamilton | YAGP |
| Matthew Golding | YAGP, Lausanne | James Hay | Lausanne |
| Sarah Lamb | IBC-Nagoya, NY, Jackson | Francesca Hayward | Genée |
| Steven McRae | Genée, Lausanne | Ryoichi Hirano | Lausanne |
| Vadim Muntagirov | Lausanne, Vaganova, Arabesque Perm | Hikaru Kobayashi | International Competition of Vignale Danza |
| Iana Salenko | IBC-Helsinki, Nagoya, Serge Lifar, Vienna, Varna; Arabesque Perm | Johannes Stepanek | Lausanne |
| Thiago Soares | IBC-Paris, Moscow | Akane Takada | Lausanne |
| Zenaida Yanowsky | IBC-Varna, Jackson; European Young Dancers Competition | Valentino Zucchetti | Genée |
| Natalia Osipova | IBC-Luxembourg, Moscow; Lausanne | Luca Acri | Lausanne |
| Alessandra Ferri | Lausanne | Meaghan Grace Hinkis | YAGP, Helsinki IBC |
| Nehemiah Kish, Laura Morera, Marianela Nuñez, Edward Watson | None | Fumi Kaneko | IBC-Varna, Moscow, USA |
| Emma Maguire | Genée | ||
| Fernando Montaño | IBC-Havana | ||
| Marcelino Sambé | IBC-Moscow, USA, YAGP | ||
| Paul Kay | Genée | ||
| Tierney Heap | Genée | ||
| Helen Crawford, Tristan Dyer, Bennet Gartside, Valeri Hristov, Itziar Mendizabal, Christine Arestis, Claire Calvert, Olivia Crowley, Nicol Edmonds, Elizabeth Harrod, Jonathan Howells, Laura McColluch, Kristen McNallly, Yasmine Naghdi, Beatriz, Stix-Brunell, Eric Underwood, Thomas Whitehead | None | ||
Bolshoi Dancers and Competitions
Info from Dancer Bios from the Bolshoi Website, June-December 2016| Principal Dancers | Competition | Leading Solist, First Soloist | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maria Alexandrova | IBC-Moscow | Vyacheslav Lopatin | Arabesque-Perm |
| Anna Antonicheva | IBC-Jackson | Daria Khokhlova | International Dance Festival, International Competition of Ballet Dancers and Choreographers |
| Ekaterina Krysanova | Vagnova Prix, IBC-Moscow, Luxembourg | Anna Tikhomirova | IBC Moscow |
| Evgenia Obraztsova | Vagnova-Prix, IBC-Moscow | Denis Medvedev | Arabesque-Perm, |
| Marianna Ryzhkina | Serge Lifar Competion, Kiev, International Competition in Osaka | Chinara Alizade | IBC Moscow |
| Ekaterina Shipulina | IBC-Luxembourg, Moscow | Yulia Grebenshchikova | IBC Moscow |
| Olga Smirnova | Mikhailovsky Theatre Grand Prix | Anastasia Goryacheva, Kristina Kretova, Andrei Merkuriev, Denis Savin, Igor Tsvirko, Anna Antropova, Anna Leonova, Anastasia Meskova, Yuri Baranov, Vitaly Biktimirov, Andrei Bolotin, Kristina Karasyova, Olga Kishnyova, Nelli Kobakhidze, Anna Rebetskaya, Irina Semirechenskaya, Victoria Yakusheva, Egor Khromushin, Alexander Vorobiyov, Alexander Voytyuk | None |
| Anastasia Stashkevich | IBC-Vaganova Prix, Arabesque-Perm | ||
| Svetlana Zakharova | Vaganova-Prix | ||
| Semyon Chudin | IBC-Seoul | ||
| Dmitry Gudanov | Arabesque-Perm, IBC-Paris | ||
| Mikhail Lobukhin | Vaganova Prix | ||
| Artem Ovcharenko | Arabesque-Perm, IBC Moscow | ||
| Ruslan Skvortsov | IBC-Moscow | ||
| Alexander Volchkov | International Competition of Young Ballet Dancers-Kazan | ||
| Maria Allash, Nina Kaptsova, Anna Nikulina, David Hallberg, Vladislav Lantratov, Denis Rodkin | None | ||
Mariinsky Dancers and Competitions
Info from Dancer Bios from the Mariinsky Website, June-December 2016| Principal Dancer | Competition | First and Second Soloists | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vladimir Shklyarov | IBC-Moscow; Vaganova Prix | Denis Matvienko | IBC-Luxembourg, International Rudolf Nureyev Competition in Budapest, IBC-Moscow |
| Ulyana Lopatkina | Vaganova Prix | Anastasia Kolegova | IBC-Rieti, Varna; Arabesque Perm |
| Yulia Makhalina | IBC-Paris | Anastisia Matvienko | IBC-Moscow |
| Oxana Skorik | IBC-Moscow | Olesya Novikova | Vaganova-Prix |
| Alina Somova | Vagnova Prix | Yekaterina Osmolkina | Vaganova-Prix, IBC-Seoul |
| Viktoria Tereshkina | Arabesque-Perm | Kristina Shapran | Mikhailovsky Theatre Grand Prix |
| Diana Vishneva | Lausanne | Andrei Batalov | IBC-Nagoya, Paris, Moscow, International Rudolf Nureyev Ballet Competition-Budapest, Arabesque-Perm |
| Timur Askerov | IBC-Moscow | Anton Korsakov | Vaganova Prix, IBC-Finland |
| Kimin Kim | IBC-Rome, Moscow, Seoul, Jackson; Arabesque-Perm, YAGP | Xander Parish | Genée |
| Igor Kolb | Vaganova Prix | Konstantin Zverev | IBC-Seoul |
| Danila Korsuntsev | Maya International Competition, IBC-Paris | Elena Yevseyeva | IBC-Seoul |
| Daria Pavlanko, Yevgeny Ivanchenko, Yekaterina Kondaurova | None | Nikita Shcheglov | IBC-Moscow |
| Oxana Bondareva | Oxana Bondareva | ||
| Yekaterina Chebykina | IBC-Moscow, Serge Lifar Competition, Yuri Grigorovich Competition, IBC | ||
| Nadezhda Gonchar | Serge Lifar Competition | ||
| Alexandra Iosifidi | Vaganova Prix | ||
| Ernest Latypov | IBC-Moscow, Arabesque Perm | ||
| Ivan Oskorbin | Youth Delphi Games, IBC-Varna | ||
| Yuri Smekalov | IBC-Moscow | ||
| Alexei Timofeyev | IBC-Seoul, Moscow, Rudolf Nureyev Ballet Festival | ||
| David Zaleyev | IBC-Moscow, Arabesque, Perm, Yuri Grigorovich Competition | ||
| Irina Golub, Sofia Gumerova, Alexander Sergeyev, Nikita Shcheglov, Philipp Stepin, Andrei Yermakov, Nadezhda Batoeva, Sofia Ivanova-Skoblikova, Valeria Martynyuk, Yana Selina, Renata Shakirova, Maria Shirinkina, Tatiana Tkachenko, Maxim Zyuzin | None | ||
Paris Opera Ballet Dancers and Competitions
Info from Dancer Bios from the Paris Opera Ballet Website, June-December 2016| Etoiles | Competition | Premiers Danseurs and Sujets | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eleonora Abbagnato | IBC-Varna | Eve Grinsztajn | Paris International Competition |
| Jérémie Bélingard | IBC-Varna | Hugo Marchand | IBC-Varna |
| Émilie Cozette | Paris International Choreography Competition | Hannah O'Neill | IBC-Varna |
| Marie-Agnés Gillot | IBC-Varna | Emmanuel Thibault | Paris International Competition, Eurovision Young Dancers Competition-Varna |
| Josua Hoffalt | IBC-Varna | François Alu, Léonore Baulac, Audric Bezard, Alessio Carbone, Vincent Chaillet, Valentine Colasante, Mélanie Hurel, Florian Magnent, Arthus Raveau, Stéphanie Romberg, Muriel Zusperreguy | None |
| Ludmila Pagliero | IBC-NY | Sujets-2 out of 42 have competition experience as of Dec 2016 | |
| Karl Paquette | Eurovison Young Dancers Competition in Lausanne | Sae Eun Park | Lausanne, IBC-Varna |
| Benjamin Pech | International Plisetskaya Competition | Jérémy-Loup Quer | IBC-Varna |
| Laëtitia Pujol | Lausanne, IBC Varna | ||
| Amandine Albisson, Stéphane Bullion, Mathieu Ganio, Dorothée Gilbert, Laura Hecquet, Mathias Heymann, Hervé Moreau, Myriam Ould-Braham, Alice Renavand | None | ||