Competition
has been held since 1969

History
History. About

International Ballet competition is the Olympics of the ballet world

It was founded in 1969 in the Bolshoi theater in USSR. World-wide influence of the Russian ballet together with the founders’ reputation and the magic of one of the best ballet stages in the world gave the event its status of key international ballet competition.

The International Ballet Competition and Contest of Choreographers is held every four years. Success in the Competition is the way to the future for young talented dancers and choreographers, while the laureate's certificate opens the doors of the leading ballet theaters all around the world.

Since 2001 not only performers, but also choreographers have been invited to participate in the  Competition. Participants of the contest of choreographers present solo and ensemble performances of their own composition. The author's choreographic style and unique artistic vision may be of interest to the ambassadors of the world's best ballet stages. There are chances of collaborations with the most talented participants.

The Organizing Committee holds not only a contest, but also an extensive educational program, which makes the International Ballet competition and the Contest of Choreographers a territory for international communication and exchange of experience between teachers, choreographers, and performers from all over the world

History. Jury

Every four years, the Organizing Committee of the Competition assembles the international jury panel made up of leaders of ballet and choreography from the most well-known ballet theaters of the world.

Yuri Grigorovich, one of the greatest modern choreographers, has been the permanent Chairman of the jury and the artistic director of the International Ballet competition and the Contest of Choreographers since 1973.

Over the years the Competition jury included dancers and choreographers who have changed the history of world ballet. Among them were Galina Ulanova, Maya Plisetskaya, Natalia Kasatkina, Vladimir Vasiliev (USSR), Yvette Chauvire and Charles Jude (France), Alicia Alonso (Cuba), Arnold Haskell (UK), Robert Joffrey and Natalia Makarova (USA), Konstanze Vernon and Dietmar Seyffert (Germany), Doris Laine (Finland), Julio Bocca (Argentina), Kirsten Ralov (Denmark), Brigit Cullberg (Sweden), Rudy van Dantzig (Netherlands).

History. Ballet dancers

Dancers who successfully pass the selection round present their best solo and duet performances to the international ballet community. Every Competition discovers rising stars who will later determine the future of the world ballet.

Such dancers as Francesca Zumbo, Patrice Bart, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Eva Evdokimova, Vyacheslav Gordeev and Alexander Godunov, Loipa Araújo, Vladimir Derevianko, Nina Ananiashvili, Andris Liepa, Vadim Pisarev, Julio Bocca, Vladimir Malakhov, Maria Alexandrova, Alina Kozhokaru, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, Natalia Osipova, Ivan Vasiliev and many others debuted at the Competition.

The highest award of the International Ballet competition and the Contest of Choreographers – the Grand Prix – was only awarded to four performers throughout the entire history of the Competition. They were Nadezhda Pavlova, Irek Mukhamedov, Andrey Batalov, and Denis Matvienko.

History. Choreographers

Since 2001 not only performers, but also choreographers have been invited to participate in the  Competition. Participants of the contest of choreographers present solo and ensemble performances of their own composition. The author's choreographic style and unique artistic vision may be of interest to the ambassadors of the world's best ballet stages. There are chances of collaborations with the most talented participants.

The Organizing Committee holds not only a contest, but also an extensive educational program, which makes the International Ballet competition and the Contest of Choreographers a territory for international communication and exchange of experience between teachers, choreographers, and performers from all over the world.

Retrospective

2017
1969
2013
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XIII