Tag Archives: ballet competition

2018 USA IBC Opening Ceremony to Honor Robert Joffrey, Feature Joffrey Ballet Dancers

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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.

Artist Kit Fields and 2018 USA IBC poster

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

2018 USA IBC Dance School

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.

 

Medalists Announced for USA IBC XI

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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.

Announcing 2014 USA IBC Award Winners

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Jackson, Miss., June 27, 2014 – Two weeks of intense, world-class competition culminated today with the announcement of 28 dancers selected as 2014 USA International Ballet Competition award winners.

Edward Villella, 2014 USA IBC International Jury Chairman, noted that the competition is a global celebration of dance and the “finest of the finest.”  Winners are listed below by division or award.

2014 USA International Ballet Competition Medalists

Men’s Senior Gold Medalist –Jeong Hansol, Republic of Korea

Women’s Senior Gold Medalist –Shiori  Kase, Japan

Men’s Senior Silver Medalist –Byul Yun, Republic of Korea

Women’s Senior Silver Medalist –Tamako Miyazaki, Japan; Irina Sapozhnikova, Russia;

Men’s Senior Bronze Medalist –Aaron Smyth, Australia; Ivan Duarte, Brazil

Women’s Senior Bronze Medalist –Ga-Yeon Jung, Republic of Korea

Junior Division:

Men’s Junior Gold Medalist –Taiyu He, Peoples Republic of China

Women’s Junior Gold Medalist –Gisele Bethea, USA

Men’s Junior Silver Medalist –Jinsol Eum, Republic of Korea

Women’s Junior Silver Medalist –Mackenzie Richter, USA

Men’s Junior Bronze Medalist –Gustavo Carvalho, Brazil

Women’s Junior Bronze Medalist –Yasmin Lomondo, Brazil; Paulina Guraieb Abella, Mexico

Special awards were bestowed to:

Best Junior Couple –Yasmin Lomondo and Gustavo Carvalho, Brazil

Best Senior Couple –Ga-Yeon Jung and Ji Seok Ha, Republic of Korea

Choreography Award –Nicholas Blanc for Aaron Smyth “Rendez-Vous”

Jury Award of Encouragement Male-Yue Shi, Peoples Republic of China

Jury Award of Encouragement Female-Romina Contreras, Chile

Robert Joffrey Award of Merit –Daniel Alejandro McCormick-Quintero, Mexico

Contract and scholarship offers were extended as follows:

The Joffrey Ballet, under the artistic direction of Ashley Wheater, offered:

  • Dae Han Na and Jeong Hansol, Republic of Korea, positions with the company for the 2015-2016 season
  • Taiyu He and Yue Shi, Peoples Republic of China; Matthew Griffin, USA; and Gustavo Carvalho, Brazil; full scholarships to the 2015 Summer Program with continuation into the Studio Company
  • Blake Kessler, USA, a full scholarship to the 2015 Summer Program with continuation into the Trainee Program.

In addition to the Joffrey Ballet award, Griffin was offered a Trainee position with Ballet Memphis for the 2014-2015 season, a one-season contract with Columbia City Ballet and a full tuition scholarship to the 2015 Colorado Ballet Summer Intensive.

Ballet West  offered Anisa Sinteral-Scott, USA, a position with Ballet West II for the 2014-2015 season.

Houston Ballet offered Mackenzie Richter, USA, a position with its Second Company,  Houston Ballet II,  for the 2014-2015 season.

Katherine Barkman, USA, was offered a scholarship for the 2014-2015 school year by The School of the Hamburg Ballet,  a one-season contract with Columbia City Ballet and the opportunity to compete in the 2015 Tanzolymp Competition in Berlin.

Texas Ballet Theater offered Paula Alves, Brazil, a Trainee contract for the 2014-2015 season.

The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre offered Gisele Bethea a full scholarship and stipend for Fall 2014 and a Studio Company position in Spring 2015.

The South Mississippi Ballet Theatre offered Olga Marchenkova and Ilya Artamonov the opportunity to perform leading roles in its 2014-2015 season’s production of The Sleeping Beauty.

“Our international jury did a great job selecting winners for 2014,” said Sue Lobrano, USA IBC executive director.  “With every USA IBC, we see an intense level of skill and artistry among dancers and this competition was no exception.”

Preparing for and competing in the USA IBC is highly valuable to young people seeking to make their mark in the dance world, Villella told the finalists at the beginning of the news conference in which winners were announced. “If you do not walk away with a medal you still walk away with the experience.”

 

Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s Dynamic Energy to Open 2014 USA International Ballet Competition

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The USA International Ballet Competition  audience will witness an astounding mix of methods, styles and cultures when Complexions Contemporary Ballet takes the stage June 14 to open the 2014 festival in Jackson, Mississippi. The USA IBC, June 14 – 29, is designated as the official international ballet competition in the United States by a Joint Resolution of the Congress.

“We always want to introduce a spectacular ‘wow factor’ opening night, and Complexions, as an inventive and incredibly dynamic group of dancers, will certainly fit the bill,” said Sue Lobrano, USA IBC executive director. “Their power and fluidity are explosive, creating an entirely new vision of human movement.”

Complexions Contemporary Ballet will perform Innervisions (2013), a work that will combine artistry and rhythmic dance moves with bold physicality, all set to the R & B music of Stevie Wonder.

“It will be extremely exciting for the USA IBC audience to experience how Complexions transcends the limitations of a single dance style, period, venue or culture,” Lobrano commented. “We anticipate a brilliant performance that will pay joyful homage to Stevie Wonder’s well-known rhythms and lyricism.”

Founded in 1994 and based in New York, Complexions has received numerous awards and has appeared throughout the United States, at major European dance festivals and in shows around the globe. Its founders and artistic directors, Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, are known for creating an open, continually evolving form of dance that reflects the movement of the world and all its constituent cultures as an interrelated whole. Rhoden, whose choreography has been the lynchpin in the development of the Complexions repertory, choreographed Innervisions.

Tickets to the USA IBC’s opening ceremony, including the competitors’ Parade of Nations and Complexions Contemporary Ballet performance, range from $35 to $60 and may be purchased at www.usaibc.com. Tickets for other individual performances during the three rounds of competition are priced from $7 to $70 and may also be purchased via the website.

The USA IBC is a two-week, “olympic-style” competition where tomorrow’s stars vie for 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 the 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, Miss., in the tradition of sister competitions in Varna, Bulgaria, and Moscow, Russia.
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2014 USA IBC Ticket Packages On Sale; Single Performance Tickets Available April 7.

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Jackson, Miss. (January 20, 2014) -Ticket packages for the 2014 USA International Ballet Competition (USA IBC), scheduled for June 14 – 29, at Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson, Mississippi, are now on sale to the public. The USA IBC is designated as the official international ballet competition in the United States by a Joint Resolution of Congress.

Packages include tickets for three rounds of competition, the June 14 Opening Ceremony and the June 28 Awards Gala – 16 performances. Complexions Contemporary Ballet will appear as the guest company for the Opening Ceremony, and the 2014 medalists will perform at the Awards Gala. Package prices are $265 for lower balcony and rear orchestra seating, $341 for loge and orchestra seating, and $405 for dress circle seating. Ticket packages are discounted 15 percent off the price of individual tickets that will be available for purchase April 7, 2014.

“USA IBC tickets are always in high demand,” said Sue Lobrano, USA IBC executive director. “Purchasing a ticket package is a great value and an excellent way to secure the best seats for the most popular nights of the event – Opening Night, Round Three and the Awards Gala.”

The USA IBC offers spectacular dance performances from the classical ballet repertoire and the new 2014 contemporary repertoire from which semi-finalists will be required to perform one contemporary solo or pas de deux. Choreographers, Trey McIntyre and Matthew Neenan, have generously contributed several of their works to the upcoming competition.

“Taking the requisite contemporary repertoire into consideration, it will be very exciting to hear about how many audience members develop a preference for their favorite dancers and cheer them on as they advance to the next round,” said Lobrano. “Receiving this kind of support from fans who attend every performance is just one of the many factors that make the USA IBC experience one of a kind.”

Ticket packages may be purchased online or by contacting the USA IBC Box Office, 601-973-9249, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (CST) Monday-Friday. The Box Office is inside the Mississippi Arts Center, 201 E. Pascagoula St., in downtown Jackson. Tickets for individual performances will be released for sale April 7, 2014.

The USA IBC is a two-week, “olympic-style” competition where tomorrow’s stars vie for medals, cash awards, company contracts and scholarships. The event is designated as the official international ballet competition in the United States by a 1982 Joint Resolution of the 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 in the tradition of sister competitions in Varna, Bulgaria, and Moscow, Russia.

 

 

USA International Ballet Competition invites competitors for 2014

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The competition that has catapulted the careers of young dancers from Jose Carreño to Daniil Simkin, Nina Ananiashvili to Misa Kuranaga, Sarah Lamb to Marcelino Sambé—and so many more—is calling for competitors for 2014.

The USA International Ballet Competition invites dancers who aspire to follow in the footsteps of these and other renowned artists to complete Competitor Application-Part 1 online by November 8, 2013. Apply online here.

Part II of the application process requires applicants to submit a performance video/DVD using a selection from the 2014 USA IBC Round I Classical Repertoire when filming their video application.  The deadline for submitting the Competitor Application Part II is February 7, 2014.

“The excitement is contagious when we start to hear from dancers and coaches from around the world,” said Sue Lobrano, USA IBC executive director since 1986. “The USA IBC is known internationally for adhering to exceptionally high standards of professionalism, fairness and performance. It’s vital for us to continuously improve the quality of the event and the competition experience as we seek to attract the world’s most talented dancers.”

Celebrating 35 years in 2014, USA IBC will introduce a new Round II Contemporary Repertoire from which semi-finalists will be required to perform one contemporary solo or pas de deux.

“The USA IBC is interested in contemporary choreography that reflects the highest quality of dance created by contemporary or modern dance masters. Choreographers,  Trey McIntyre and Matthew Neenan, have generously contributed several of their works to the 2014 competition,” said Lobrano.

Competitors will be responsible for learning the piece of their choice prior to arriving at the USA IBC.  Neenan and a member of Trey McIntyre Project will be in Jackson to consult with competitors performing selections of their work in Round II.

“The jury and audience will be able to see how well each dancer grasps the requisite contemporary choreography, while dancers enjoy the opportunity to perform pieces by two highly acclaimed choreographers.”

Unique to the USA IBC is the festival of dance that surrounds the event. The USA IBC Dance School and Teacher Training Program run concurrently with the competition. Individually, these activities offer student and adult participants an opportunity to learn from some of the most respected professionals in dance. Other featured ancillary events for 2014 encompass dance-related exhibits and performances. Watch for details to be announced in fall and coming months.

Many U.S. and international dance company directors also attend the USA IBC to scout for new talent.

“Dancers competing in the USA IBC are keenly aware that contracts can be awarded and careers launched for non-medalists as well as those who take home a gold, silver or bronze. The opportunity to be seen on the USA IBC stage is a prize in itself,” Lobrano concluded.

Prospective applicants with questions may contact Hannah Renegar, artistic administrator, at 601-973-9247 or hannah@usaibc.com.

Tickets for the 2014 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 7, 2013, and to the public January 6, 2014. Individual performance tickets go on sale April 7, 2014.

 

Happy Birthday, Thalia!

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Thalia Mara (1911-2003)
We celebrate with gratitude and love for the lady who inspired us. Thalia Mara made us believe that together, we could make it happen. So many words have been used to describe Thalia: strong, visionary, hardheaded and diligent are but a few. Because she was all of these things, she accomplished more than most people dream of doing.

Thalia was born in Chicago to Russian parents and began her dance career at an early age, dancing professional on stages around the world. As an acclaimed dance educator, she created the School of Ballet Repertory in New York city, the first of its kind in the U. S. to offer elementary and secondary academics as well as the performing arts.

Author of eleven published books, Thalia will long be remembered for her role as a teacher. Many students found their love of dance through her, and many went on to careers in ballet companies around the world.

She left her home in New York City in 1975 to live in a Mississippi she barely knew. She arrived with the hope to further the arts in the South, educating not only students, but building audiences. She created the first ballet company in Mississippi that actually paid dancers. Among them are David Keary, Ballet Mississippi executive and artistic director, and Kathy Thibodeaux, founder and artistic director of Ballet Magnificat!.

We owe her much. And today, June 28, we wish her a happy birthday and say “thank you” still.