July 29, 2005

With less than a year until the opening ceremony, the USA International Ballet Competition (USA IBC) announces that competitor applications are now available, giving amateur and professional dancers the opportunity to participate in one of the world’s most prestigious dance events. The eighth USA IBC is scheduled for June 17 – July 2, 2006.

“As the entry process is set in motion, dancers from around the globe strengthen their performance skills to train for the experience of a lifetime,” said Sue Lobrano, USA IBC executive director. “Held every four years in Jackson, Mississippi, the USA IBC is the premier dance event in the United States. We are already anticipating the excitement that accompanies such a history-making event where the new talents of dance are discovered and careers launched.”

The USA IBC is providing applications by request to inquiring competitors via mail, and application information and forms are also available for download at www.usaibc.com.

Deadline for entries is February 3, 2006. The entry requirements for 2006 are similar to those of the 2002 competition. Dancers will have the option of performing either two solo variations or one pas de deux during all rounds of the USA IBC.

Dancers may compete in two divisions: Junior, ages 15 to 18, and Senior, ages 19 to 26.

Many U.S. and international company directors attend at the USA IBC to scout for dancers for their companies. As an incentive for 2006 competitors, a limited number of one-year dance company contracts will be offered to finalists and medal winners. To date, one-year contracts at Miami City Ballet, Boston Ballet II and Ballet San Jose of Silicon Valley are available at the discretion of company officials.

By virtue of a Joint Resolution of Congress in 1982, the USA IBC is the official ballet competition of the United States. The event is presented in the tradition of its sister competition in Varna, Bulgaria, where the concept of the international ballet competition began in 1964.

The USA IBC is known for attracting the finest young dancers from around the world. During the two-week “olympic-style” event, competitors vie for medals, cash awards, scholarships and a chance to sign with a well-known dance company. Perhaps due to the attractive prizes and international exposure that competitors receive, 98 dancers competed in the 2002 USA IBC, representing as many as 23 countries.

A festival of dance surrounds the USA IBC. The International Dance School, which runs concurrently with the competition, includes a teachers’ workshop offering ballet and jazz. Dance-related exhibits, a Pilates workshop, performances by Regional Dance America companies and a 2-day residency with Garth Fagan Dance are among the ancillary events planned for the upcoming competition.

“Since the first competition was held in Jackson more than twenty years ago, the USA IBC has maintained a commitment to continually improve the quality of the event,” Lobrano said. “The USA IBC is known internationally for adhering to exceptionally high standards of professionalism, fairness and performance.”

Tickets for the 2006 USA IBC are available in both ticket packages and individual performance tickets. All-inclusive ticket packages go on sale to International Ballet Association members October 3, 2005, and January 2, 2006, to the public. Individual performance tickets go on sale April 3, 2006.

For more information, visit the USA IBC’s web site at www.usaibc.com or call 601.355.9853.