New York International Ballet Competition June 20-24 at the Rose Theater/NYC
Ilona Copen, Founder/Executive Director
Eleanor D'Antuono, Artistic Director
Edward Villella, President of the Jury
Competition Rounds: June 20-23 at 8 PM
Awards Ceremony/Gala Performance, Sunday June 24 at 7 PM
Rose Theater, Broadway and 60th Street
Tickets: $27.50; $17.50 students/seniors
Reservations: CenterCharge, 212/721-6500
NYIBC's next event, June 20-24 in its new home, the elegant Rose Theater in the Time-Warner Building. The individual gifts and styles of the young talents, aged 17-24, representing 17 countries around the world, will be celebrated as they compete for Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals, as well as the Igor Youskevitch Award (a one-year contract with American Ballet Theatre) and the Arpino Award (a one-year contract with the Joffrey Ballet), as they dance before a jury of international dance figures, chaired by Edward Villella, longtime principal dancer with New York City Ballet and now director of Miami City Ballet. The June 24th Awards Ceremony will feature a Gala Performance, announcement of the medalists, and a tribute to Fernando Bujones and his long association with NYIBC.
Founded twenty-four years ago by Ilona Copen and Igor Youskevitch, New York International Ballet Competition, New York's own international event, has taken its place as one of the world's major ballet competitions. Ms. Copen remains Executive Director, and since the death of Mr. Youskevitch, Eleanor D'Antuono, former principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, has been NYIBC's Artistic Director.
This year's young dancers, anticipating one of the most important and exciting events in their careers, will come to New York from:
Brazil Dominican Republic Philippines
Canada Finland Russia
China Japan U.S.A.
Chinese Taipei Korea Uzbekistan
Costa Rica Lithuania Venezuela
Cuba Paraguay
All dancers are scheduled to arrive by June 2nd, in time for Orientation the following day, and to settle in to their accommodations in the dorms of Fordham University at Lincoln Center. The following day marks the beginning of a 2-week preparation period, beginning with daily class. The dancers are then divided into three groups for learning the three Competition pas de deux. In the evenings they are treated to performances of dance companies or Broadway shows. Translators are provided for the dancers who do not speak English, although interestingly, director Copen notes that, unlike the first few years of NYIBC, almost all entrants are now fluent in English. The staff and assistants of NYIBC are committed to supervising and helping the young artists enjoy their experience in New York, as well as preparing for their artistic goals. Though they are participating in a Competition, the dancers are encouraged to focus on the educational aspect of NYIBC - the opportunity to work with renowned teachers and coaches, to learn new repertory, to observe the work and styles of other dancers from around the world, and, of course, to spend some time in New York City, which most are visiting for the first time.
At Orientation, the dancers are told which three pas de deux have been selected for the Competition, thus ensuring that they all start on equal footing. Teachers and coaches for 2007 are:
Fabrice Herrault, formerly with Royal Winnipeg Ballet Winthrop Corey, director of Mobile Ballet and former principal with National Ballet of Canada Deborah Wingert, former New York City Ballet dancer
Victoria Mazzarelli, former principal with BallettFrankfurt and currently a teacher at the Nutmeg Ballet and guest teacher for MOMIX. Ms. Mazzarelli holds a special place in the NYIBC family - she was an entrant in the first Competition, in 1984, and recipient of its first Gold Medal (and the only one awarded that first year). In a departure from tradition, NYIBC announced in advance that one of the three Competition pas de deux will be a work by Ms. Mazzarelli, which she will teach and coach.
Following the two-week preparation period, June 4-18, NYIBC moves into the Rose Theater for the public Competition, June 20-23, with the Gala Performance and much-anticipated Announcement of Awards on Sunday June 24th.
President of the Jury this year (always a representative of the USA) will be Edward Villella, Artistic Director, Miami Ballet.
He will be joined by:
Kathryn Bennetts, Australia
Director, Royal Ballet of Flanders
Claude Bessy, France
Former Director, Paris Opera Ballet School
Dinna Bjorn, Denmark
Director, Finnish National Ballet
Yoko Morishita, Japan
Associate Director, Matsuyama Ballet
Ashley Page, Great Britain
Artistic Director, Scottish Ballet
Krzysztof Pastor, Poland
Resident Choreographer, Dutch National Ballet
Makharbek Vaziev, Russia
Artistic Director, Kirov Ballet
Mauricio Wainrot, Argentina
Artistic Director, Ballet Contemporaneo
Since its first event in 1984, NYIBC has mentored 384 young artists. Many have gone on to careers with companies in the U.S. and abroad, and all, hopefully, had an educational and important life experience. Just a few of the past medalists are:
Jose Manuel Carreno (Cuba), Gold Medalist in 1987; Principal with American Ballet Theatre
Maximiliano Guerra (Argentina), Silver Medalist in 1987; International guest artist
Carlos Molina (Colombia), recipient in 1996 of the Igor Youskevitch Award, a one-year contract to
American Ballet Theatre; now a principal dancer with Boston Ballet
Gennadi Saveliev (Russia), Silver Medalist in 1996; Soloist with American Ballet Theatre
Sarah Lamb (USA), Silver Medalist in 2000; Principal Dancer with London's Royal Ballet
Kristoffer Sakurai (Denmark), Silver Medalist in 2003; Principal Dancer with Royal Danish Ballet