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In
1982, the United States Congress and former
President Ronald Reagan passed a Joint Resolution
designating Jackson as the official home of
the USA International Ballet Competition.
The second USA IBC was held that summer with
78 dancers representing 19 countries. The
reputation of the competition had spread since
1979, and many international leaders in the
dance field attended the event. Honored guests
at the 1982 competition included Eudora Welty,
author, and Ben Sommers, president of Capezio
Ballet Makers, Inc. The 1982 competition was
also featured in a 90-minute ABC/PBS film,
To Dance For Gold, which aired around
the world. The official poster of the 1982
competition was based on a photograph, taken
by Herb Migdoll, of the Joffrey Ballet’s
Luis Fuente.
There
were many notable competitors at the 1982
USA IBC. Janie Parker of the Houston Ballet
became the first American to win a gold
medal at Jackson. Also of note, Alexi Zubiria
of Venezuela won a silver medal after studying
ballet for only five years. Perhaps most
exciting for local audiences, however, was
the triumph of Jackson native Kathy Thibodeaux.
Thibodeaux took home the senior silver medal
at the 1982 competition. “When I think
back over past competitions, I remember
that as a very happy moment,” said
Sue Lobrano, “because, in a way, we
felt like she belonged to all of us.”
The
second competition also saw its first defection,
that of Chinese dancer Lin Jianwei. Competition
officials quickly discovered that the defection
had been prearranged, and that the dancer
had gone to New Orleans for asylum and to
arrange to stay in the United States. Chinese
dancers didn’t participate in the
competition again until 1990.
View
a list of 1982 medalists by clicking
here.
View
a list of 1982 jurors by clicking
here.
View
a list of 1982 IDS faculty by clicking
here.
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