Listen to what others are saying about us! The following quotes were compiled from media, competitors, and other USA IBC fans.
"Hundreds of dancers have entered; thousands of spectators and ballet lovers will watch." - New York Times
"The competition is so exacting they don't even give a gold unless someone earns it." - Georgia Times-Union
If you're a dancer, it can make your career." - Sarasota Observer
"Considered one of the most important ballet contests in North America." - L.A. Times
"One of the country's most prestigious ballet competitions, attracting thousands of ticket-buying classical ballet fans along with a worldwide contingent of competitiors, coaches, media and industry professionals." - Commercial Appeal
“Given the enormous number of supremely talented individuals who are associated with the Jackson IBC, both on and off stage, it’s no small wonder that it has been called a diamond, the jewel in the crown of competitions.” - Town and Country
“Since 1979, [the USA IBC] has brought ballet coaches, company directors and choreographers from five continents here to view dancers they might not have a chance to see anywhere else . . . And for many dancers, it is their best opportunity to be seen, to assess their standing in the world of dance, perhaps to win a little prize money and, most important, to find a job.” - New York Times
“It wasn’t until then [the USA IBC] that I realized what it took to be a dancer.” - Amanda Schull, star of Center Stage
“Jackson . . . the most fiercely contested of them all”
- New York Times
“The two-week event is the only official sanctioned international ballet competition in the United States and one of the top ballet contests in the world.” - Boston Globe
“A visitor can be immersed in the beauty and life of dance for two glorious weeks.” - Dance Teacher Now
“For unknown dancers looking for a leg up, a performance in Jackson is a mega-audition. No one does it quite like they do in Mississippi.” - Live!
“Competition at the highest level” - Dance Teacher Now
“A springboard for a dancer’s career” - MSNBC
“The USA IBC was an event of major importance in my artistic life, and I am very grateful to all responsible for this competition.”
- Nina Ananiashvili, American Ballet Theatre and Bolshoi Ballet
“This is now the world’s premier competition.”
- Bruce Marks, Artistic Director of the Boston Ballet (as quoted in the New York Times)
“Every four years, the capital of Mississippi is host to the most spectacular event in the world of ballet.” - Dancer
“New York is wonderful, but Jackson is America.”
- Bruce Marks, Artistic Director of the Boston Ballet
“Once every four years, Jackson, Mississippi, comes to life as a world dance capital.” - Dance Teacher Now
“The USA IBC in Jackson, Mississippi, is, without a doubt, one of the best-organized ballet competitions in the entire world.” - Dancing Times
“The USA IBC is a kind of American Brigadoon.”
- Dance Teacher Now
“The caliber of talent assembled this year (’98) was the highest ever seen in the ballet world. There is nothing comparable to measure it against.” - Dancer
“One of the most prestigious competitions in the world.”
- Dance Spirit
“It was that mixture of unabashed graciousness and sophisticated theater that distinguished this competition.”
- New York Times
“Prestigious” - New York Post
“The competition, held every four years in Jackson, brings 100 of the world’s greatest amateur and professional ballet dancers to participate in an Olympics-style event.”
- Philadelphia Enquirer
“World class world of dance competitions” - MSNBC
“One of the world’s most prestigious dance events”
- Miami Herald
“The city has been the center of the ballet world for two weeks every four years.” - CNN
“The competition is an event where the whole community is involved.” - Dancing Times
“Jackson is quite the little city that thought it could . . . and did, with all stops pulled.”
- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“It’s the Olympics of ballet.”- Miami Herald
“When the circumstances are so good, no wonder that so many dancers want to participate in this competition.”
- Dancing Times
“The true jewel in the competition crown is its jury of international dance authorities.”
- Ballet News (no longer in publication)
“We intended to make the Jackson experience the most positive for the young artist. A winning experience is one wherein you grow, and in that sense everyone will take home a prize.”
- Bruce Marks, Artistic Director of the Boston Ballet
“It is such a privilege to play a special role in the United States’ premier competition and festival. The USA IBC is known for adhering to exceptionally high standards of professionalism, fairness, and performance. I hope by lending my support, the competition’s commitment to cultivating the talents and artistry of many young dances is advanced.”
- Edward Villella, Artistic Director of the Miami City Ballet
“There is an unguarded sincerity about the people we meet in Jackson that just doesn’t exist everywhere. It’s remarkably natural and genuine. It’s the people of Jackson that make the city, and the people of Jackson offer that something extra that sets the USA IBC apart from the rest.” - Dancer
“One of the world’s most prestigious dance events, the USA International Ballet Competition will keep you on your toes – and the edge of your seat.” - Entree |
