USA International Ballet Competition
Support the USA IBC with your purchase of a $25.00 raffle ticket by Thursday, Nov. 16, and you could win a Ticket Package for the 2018 competition. The package includes one ticket to the Opening Ceremony, all Round 1, 2 and 3 performances, and the Awards Gala, a value of more than $400.
Drawing will be held at the 2017 Friends of the USA IBC Membership Party Thursday evening, Nov. 16. You do not have to be present to win.
The Opening Ceremony for the 2018 USA IBC will honor the late Robert Joffrey and feature a performance by dancers of the Joffrey Ballet. The USA IBC, the official international ballet competition in the United States by Joint Resolution of Congress, will be held June 10-23 at Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson.
Joffrey, co-founder of the Joffrey Ballet, worked with the USA IBC founder, Thalia Mara, to launch the Jackson competition in 1979. He chaired the first three juries.
John Meehan, former American Ballet Theatre principal dancer, will chair the 2018 jury. “For dancers, the USA IBC is the most intense learning experience,” said Meehan, who served on 2010 and 2014 juries. “They learn about their confidence, their courage and themselves as performers.” Other jurors will be Yuri Fateev, Russia; Hae Shik Kim, Korea; Andre Lewis, Canada; Xiomara Reyes, Cuba; Trinidad Vives, Spain; Stanton Welch, Australia; Ashley Wheater, United Kingdom; and Feng Ying, China. Other jurors will be announced in coming weeks.
The 2018 USA IBC will welcome applicants ages 14 to 28, in keeping with other international ballet competitions. Approximately 100 dancers will be invited to compete from more than 300 applicants. Cash prizes for medalists will total $100,000.
Observing the bicentennial of Marius Petipa’s birth, choreographer Alexei Ratmansky of American Ballet Theatre will lecture on Petipa variations as part of a new USA IBC Arts, Lecture and Film Series.
Unveiled at the kickoff news conference for the 11th USA IBC, the 2018 commemorative poster features a painting by Jackson artist Kit Fields. “The beauty of the dancers, their energy and the excitement that is in the air at the USA IBC—these are the things I tried to capture,” she said. The poster, artist and art exhibit during the competition are sponsored by BankPlus
David Keary, Ballet Mississippi artistic director and former New York City Ballet dancer, will direct the USA IBC Dance School, held concurrently with the competition. Faculty members will include Charles Askegard, Petrusjka Broholm, Carlos dos Santos, Jr., Zhanna Dubrovskya, Fabrice Herrault, Maria Konrad, Svetlana Osiyeva, Marcus Alford and Rhodie Jorgenson. All classes will be held in the state-of-the-art dance studios of Belhaven University.
JACKSON, Miss., June 22, 2018 – Following two weeks of intense, world-class competition, 18 dancers from eight nations were selected as 2018 USA International Ballet Competition medalists and award recipients.
Senior Division Medalists are:
Men’s Senior Gold Medalist – Sicong Wu, China
Women’s Senior Gold Medalist – Yunting Qiu, China
Men’s Senior Silver Medalist – Sangmin Lee, Republic of Korea
Women’s Senior Silver Medalist – Soobin Lee, Republic of Korea
Women’s Senior Silver Medalist – Katherine Barkman, USA
Men’s Senior Bronze Medalist – David Schrenk, USA
Women’s Senior Bronze Medalist – Chisako Oga, USA
Best Senior Couple – Soobin Lee & Sangmin Lee, Republic of Korea
Junior Division Medalists are:
Men’s Junior Gold Medalist – No gold awarded
Women’s Junior Gold Medalist – Elisabeth Beyer, USA
Men’s Junior Silver Medalist – Hyuma Kiyosawa, Japan
Women’s Junior Silver Medalist – Julia Rust, USA
Women’s Junior Silver Medalist – Carolyne Galvao, Brazil
Men’s Junior Bronze Medalist – Harold Mendez, USA
Men’s Junior Bronze Medalist – Joseph Markey, USA
Women’s Junior Bronze Medalist – Tia Wenkman, USA
Women’s Junior Bronze Medalist – Rheya Shano, USA
Special Awards included:
Robert Joffrey Award of Merit – Mya Kresnyak, Canada
Jury Award of Encouragement – Veronica Atienza, Philippines
Jury Award of Encouragement – Nicole Klaudine Barroso, Philippines
Jury Award of Encouragement – Razmik Marukyan, Armenia
Choreography Award – Zhang Disha for “Sad Birds,” performed by Sicong Wu & Yunting Qiu
Choreography Award – Fei Bo for “Permanent Yesterday,” performed by Sicong Wu & Yunting Qiu
For videos of classical performances from 2018 and previous USA IBCs, download order form here.
The USA IBC is a two-week, “Olympic”-style competition where tomorrow’s stars vie for gold, silver and bronze medals; cash awards; company contracts; and scholarships. The event is designated as the official international ballet competition in the United States by a Joint Resolution of Congress. Presented under the auspices of the International Dance Committee, International Theatre Institute of UNESCO, the USA IBC is held every four years in Jackson, Mississippi. For more information about USA IBC, visit www.usaibc.com or www.facebook.com/usaibc.