American Ballet Competition
The annual American Ballet Competition was held in Miami, June 8, 9, and 10 at the New World School of the Arts. Entrants came from throughout the USA, France, Malaysia, Panama, Columbia, Brazil and Mexico. ABC is judged in three categories: Division I for 10-12 year-olds; Division II for 13-15 year-olds and Division III for dancers 16 to 19 years-old.
The competition offered summer scholarships to American Ballet Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet Austin, BalletMet, Columbus, Colorado Ballet, Interlochen Arts Academy, Milwaukee Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, North Carolina School of the Arts, Virginia School of the Arts and The School of Washington Ballet, D.C.
Company traineeships were offered by Ballet Austin, BalletMet, Colorado Ballet Studio Company, Jeune Ballet du Quebec (a group of trainees that performs and tours as a major company), Milwaukee Ballet, Nashville Ballet II and Nevada Ballet Theatre. Trainees are generally offered full tuition, room and board and some are offered stipends as well as the opportunity to perform with the company in works that need extra dancers. Trainees have classes twice daily and rehearsals, sometimes with the company and generally in their own classes.
In Division I, Gariela Castellanos Ciam 12, from Bellarte Escuela de Dance in Bogota, won 1st place; 2nd place went to Mia Lamb, 12, from First State Ballet Theatre, Wilmington, DE; 3rd place went to Ana Lorena Boyd, 11, of Pointe Centro de Danzas in Panama. The judges for this division were: Wendy Masterson, Interlochen Arts Academy Faculty; Daniel Lewis, Dean, New World School of the Arts, and Yumelia Garcia, Principal dancer with Ballet Florida.
Division II awarded 1st place to Angela Cordoba, 15 from Bellarte Escuela de Danza in Bogata; 2nd place to Leah Burge, 15, of The Art of Classical Ballet, Pompano Beach, FL; and 3rd place went to Juliana Saenz 14, from The Art of Classical Ballet in Pompano Beach, FL. Judges for Division II and III were Adam Sage, Artistic Director, Virginia School of the Arts; Bruce Steivel, Artistic Director, Nevada Ballet Theatre; Michelle Martin, Associate Artistic director, Austin Ballet; Didier Chirpaz, Artistic Director Jeune Ballet du Quebec and Rolando Yanez, School Director of Milwaukee Ballet.
Division III awarded 1st place to Caroline Betancourt, 17, of Miami Conservatory of Ballet and New World School of the Arts in Miami; best male award to Brian Ruiz, 17, of Issaev School of Classical Ballet including an invitation to perform at the 12th Ballet Festival of Miami; 2nd place went to Kaitlyn Potts, 16, of Maryland Youth Ballet in Silver Spring, MD; and 3rd place went to Elizabeth Mateer, 16, from The Art of Classical ballet in Pompano Beach, FL. Betancourt and Ruiz, as well as Potts were invited to perform at the 12th International Ballet Festival in Miami.
Classes were taught by Gilbert Mayer, a graduate of the Paris Opéra Ballet and performer in the Paris Opéra as Étoile. In 1970, he joined the staff of the School and since 2003 has been in demand world-wide as a master teacher. ABC's artistic director and founder, Katherine Kersten, is in the process of producing a 3-day Teachers Conference in March-April, hosted by Daniel Lewis at the New World School of the Arts covering all the elements of ballet class from barre to center in the tradition of the Paris opera pedagogy and structure.
ABC has forged a golden bridge from South America to North America for young dancers seeking further study and a showcase opportunity. For further information, contact ABCompetition@aol.com