Latest news with #PrixdeLausanne
Otago Daily Times
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Top young dancers to grace stage
Wānaka dancer Isabel Martin (15) will feature in the ballet this weekend at the Lake Wānaka Centre. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Some of Aotearoa's best young dancers will be taking to the stage in Wānaka this weekend for a special, one-off tour of the inaugural Ripple showcase. Eleven dancers from the New Zealand Youth Ballet Company will perform a mix of classical ballet, neo-classical and contemporary dance, designed to highlight the dancers' technical skill with innovative choreography in collaboration with local dance school Centralpoint Dance Studios. The line-up includes Hamish Giddens, Tamison Soppet and Wānaka's Isabel Martin (pictured), who have all had successes at an international level. Hamish recently secured first place in the senior men's classical division at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) semifinals in Sydney and won the Asia-Pacific preselection of the Prix de Lausanne. At the YAGP Finals in New York, he received scholarships to several prestigious schools, and has just been accepted into London's Royal Ballet School. Tamison was the 2024 Sydney regional junior Grand Prix winner and junior overall winner at the prestigious YAGP finals in New York. Isabel, 15, began studying full-time towards a NZQA Level 4 certificate in dance in Christchurch at the start of 2025, under the tutelage of NZYBC founder and Convergence Dance Studios owner Olivia Russell. The two Ripple performances will be held tomorrow night and Sunday afternoon at the Lake Wānaka Centre. They will also include three pieces by dancers from Centralpoint Dance Studios. About 23 local dancers will perform excerpts from Centralpoint's end-of-year show, The Nutcracker Remixed and a part of Foundations, performed at this year's Festival of Colour. Ms Russell said Ripple was planned as a one-off experience. "While there are currently no tour plans, we look forward to exploring future opportunities to showcase our talented dancers. "Wānaka holds a special place in my heart; my father was a pilot who loved the arts and believed deeply in people's dreams," Russell said. "I like to think I share those qualities in his memory." Ripple
Al Etihad
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Etihad
Dance the night away at All-Star Ballet Gala
22 Apr 2025 09:00 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)Ballet fans, pirouette your way to the All-Star Ballet Gala, being staged at the Red Theater, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, on Tuesday, April 22, at 7.30pmThe dazzling production featuring some of the world's most celebrated dancers, is being presented by the Abu Dhabi Festival. Representing prestigious ballet companies from around the world, including the Royal Ballet, Bayerisches Staatsballett, and Stuttgart Ballet, these accomplished artists will captivate audiences with their artistry and technical mastery. The programme covers a stunning mix of iconic classical repertoire and contemporary masterpieces, including: Spring Waters; Diamonds (from Jewels); Cinderella Act Two pas de deux; Nachtmerrie (Nightmare); Giselle Act Two pas de deux; Onegin Act One Mirror pas de deux; Swan Lake Black Swan pas de deux; The Man I Love from Who Cares?; and Don Quixote Act Three, Grand pas de deux. Highlights include performances by Jinhao Zhang and Madison Young of Bayerisches Staatsballett (both Prix de Lausanne winners), Stuttgart Ballet's Principal Dancers Martí Paixà and Elisa Badenes (Youth America Grand Prix), and, from the Royal Ballet, Principal Dancer Ryoichi Hirano (Prix de Lausanne) and First Soloist Melissa Hamilton (Youth America Grand Prix).
Korea Herald
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Korean teen ballerino describes Prix de Lausanne as 'transformative experience'
16-year-old Park Youn-jae becomes first Korean male ballet dancer to win prestigious award Ballet dancer Park Youn-jae described winning the prestigious Prix de Lausanne as a precious experience that brought him 'closer to ballet.' "Ballet is something you can spend years doing and still struggle to feel connected to," Park said at a press conference held at Arts Center Seoul Doam in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. "Every now and then, a rare opportunity comes along to bridge that gap, and for me, Lausanne was that moment." The 16-year-old Seoul Arts High School student became the first Korean dancer in 18 years to win the prestigious competition, which is open to dancers aged 15-18. Etoile Park Sae-eun of Paris Opera Ballet won the prize in 2007. He is also the first Korean male dancer ever to claim the top prize, the best young talent award. For one thing, the six-day event made Park rethink his insecurities about his physique. "I grew up hearing that my legs were too thick, that they made me look heavy," he said. "But in Lausanne, (people told me) my legs were beautiful. It made me realize once again that what truly matters in dance isn't the body type, but how you express yourself and move the audience." "At the end of the day, ballet is an art performed by people, not robots," he added. "It's about individuality, courage and believing in yourself. That's what really matters." In the finals, Park performed the classical variation 'Flames of Paris' and the contemporary piece 'Rain,' pieces which he believed best showcased his strengths -- flexibility, musicality and turns. Despite the high stakes of the competition, Park said he wasn't particularly nervous. "My only focus was to express myself to the audience without regrets. Instead of thinking, 'I must perform well,' I approached it with the mindset of 'I want to enjoy this moment.' If you're too fixated on doing well, you end up too tense to convey emotions properly." While multiple international ballet schools extended invitations, Park has yet to decide on his next step. Founded in 1973, the Prix de Lausanne is a prestigious international competition for young dancers. In 1985, Kang Sue-jin, now the artistic director of the Korea National Ballet, became the first Korean to earn a scholarship at the competition. Korean winners include Choi Yu-hui in 2002, Kim Yu-jin in 2005 and Park Sae-eun in 2007.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Top ballet awards are childhood dream, says dancer
The only UK entrant at the coveted Prix de Lausanne ballet competition has seen a childhood dream realised after scooping three awards. Jakob, 17, from Malvern, Worcestershire, is a scholarship student at Tring Park School for Performing Arts, in Hertfordshire. The talented dancer was one of 85 selected from more than 1,000 global entrants at the awards in Switzerland, and came away with the Contemporary Dance Award, Web Audience Favourite - and the Aud Jebsen Scholarship. Jakob said seeing the exceptional standard represented from around the world "lit a fire underneath me, making me push harder". The Prix de Lausanne - now in its 53rd year - is a prestigious international event for 15 to 18-year-olds, often propelling exceptional young dancers into careers with renowned ballet companies. Jakob was one of only 20 dancers to reach the finals of the prestigious competition at the Beaulieu Theatre in Lausanne, Switzerland. He was also the first UK finalist since 2013, the competition confirmed. "His success at this internationally renowned competition highlights his dedication, skill, and potential in the world of dance," his school said. The event was live-streamed, enabling viewers all over the world to follow every stage of selection and the finals as well as the results of a public vote. "Travelling to Lausanne to compete in the Prix de Lausanne has been my dream since I was a young child," Jakob said. "I have watched it for years, so it's surreal to be given a spot to perform. "The reality of these past 10 days have been both daunting and exhilarating at the same time. "Witnessing the standard technically and artistically of the other dancers, lit a fire underneath me making me push harder." He added: "I am deeply humbled by the support from everyone, especially those who voted for me in the public vote, and for allowing me to experience a once-in-a-lifetime moment to gain such immense knowledge from the most talented young dancers in the world." Jakob said the win had opened doors to him and he should be "able to pick a job that suits me the best". He said his goal was to "travel the world and to learn as much as I can and meet lots of interesting people." Simon Larter-Evans, principal at Tring Park School, said Jakob's success was "a defining moment for such a talented and deserving young dancer". "The Prix is the most prestigious dance competition in the world, and catapults young dancers into extraordinary careers," he said. "Jakob was the only UK dancer in the competition, selected from over 1,000 dancers worldwide, which in itself is an incredible achievement." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Dancers share ballet company life as tour begins 'I wish this course was about when I was in care' Amputee dancer appeals for 'en pointe' foot The Prix de Lausanne Tring Park School for the Performing Arts
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ballet superstar Carlos Acosta: ‘Dance was salvation. My life depended on it'
'Gone are the times when you used to just create for your own indulgence,' says Carlos Acosta. Now, when it comes to running a major ballet company, and keeping it afloat, 'You have to learn from your audience.' Acosta has always been a crowd-pleaser, ever since he took the top prize at the famous Prix de Lausanne competition in 1990, the auditorium erupting in cheers at the then 16-year-old Cuban's Don Quixote solo. He went on to fire up adoring audiences around the world, settling at London's Royal Ballet for 17 years, but making global guest appearances as one of the few genuine ballet superstars. He's talking to me from a very unstarry grey office in Birmingham. But even the unflattering rectangle of a video call can't dampen his crinkle-eyed smile, and down-to-earth magnetism. He's been running Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) for exactly five years, and just renewed his contract, so despite all his other projects (the Acosta Danza company in Havana and Acosta Dance Centre in Woolwich, south London, among them) he's committed to the precarious business of helping ballet thrive in the Midlands. More precarious since Birmingham City Council announced it was slashing its arts budget entirely, hence the concern with a healthy box office as well as artistic integrity. But that needn't always mean playing it safe. Acosta has made it his business to make bold artistic choices, commissioning surprising new works and choreographers, and making headlines with the collision of heavy metal and pointe shoes that was Black Sabbath: The Ballet, which tours to the US this summer and has just announced another UK tour in 2026. He pushes his dancers to be crowdpleasers, too. 'From day one I said: 'This has to be a company of virtuosos,'' he says, looking for the kind of fireworks that make classical ballet a mainstream entertainment in his home country. 'I want personalities, 'Look at me!' – that's how I like it. I want dancers that are exceptional, and I think we are getting there.' He's right that there is great talent in the company, although I'm sad they've lost the beautiful Eric Pinto Cata to Paris Opera Ballet. The company has just headed out on tour, dancing Cinderella. It's not the most groundbreaking of their rep, but as Acosta says, 'It's one of the most popular ballets. The version we have [by BRB's former artistic director David Bintley, from 2010] is different to any other Cinderella out there, very bold in scale, it's a really great show.' Bintley's Cinderella has inspired designs by John Macfarlane – a painterly backdrop of a starry sky and giant clockwork cogs – along with the usual comic ugly sisters, magical transformations and rogue glass slipper. In Birmingham, they'll be staging a 'relaxed' show, for audiences with different access needs, making good on the aim of ballet being for everyone. Among other adjustments, the first act of the show will be replaced with a spoken introduction to the story, before going straight into act two. That's what I want at the ballet sometimes, I say to Acosta, just to cut to the action. 'Instead of sitting there for three hours,' he laughs, with the love of someone who has dedicated their whole life to this art form. Ballet has given Acosta a life he could never have dreamed of, growing up in an impoverished family of 11 kids in Havana. His story's been told many times, pushed reluctantly to classes at Cuba's esteemed, state-funded National Ballet School by his truck driver dad, to keep him out of trouble. After a shaky start, Acosta knuckled down and then he soared. 'Some dancers see it as a job. Others view dance as a necessity. For me it was salvation,' says Acosta. 'My life depended on it. I was in a very bad place socially and the only way forward was to succeed at all costs. I understood that I had this talent and I began to really, really hammer it. It consumed every aspect of my life.' The company is taking Cinderella on tour to Japan this summer, a country where Acosta has many fans. 'They absolutely love classical ballet. It's like no other place,' he says. And the fans really show their love. 'I don't know how they find out the hotel address but when you arrive everyone's waiting for you with posters and DVDs to sign and running after you. It's quite remarkable. And they give you presents – I remember a really expensive watch,' he marvels. 'So in other words, we like Japan a lot,' he smiles. To be fair, BRB has been getting a pretty good reception at home recently (luxury watches notwithstanding) with record ticket sales for Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty and the Nutcracker. A second company of younger dancers, BRB2, is going from strength to strength. The main troupe performed on Glastonbury's Pyramid stage last year, which this newspaper said was reaching 'towards the best of what humanity can do and be'. But in the midst of all these highs, the company has been hit by a huge emotional blow: the death of CEO Caroline Miller in December, from cancer, just before her 53rd birthday. 'It's left a void,' Acosta says, telling me he keeps expecting Miller to walk in any moment, in her blue coat, bubbling with new ideas as she always was. 'To come to terms with the fact that's not going to happen again, it's tough.' It was Miller's very savvy idea to recruit Acosta, and they made a great team. She gave him the confidence he needed to direct a company of this scale, but beyond operational expertise, 'she would fight for the art at all costs,' he says. 'And sometimes she got a lot of heat for that.' Before going to BRB, Miller had led the industry body One Dance UK, and was well known across the dance world as an ebullient woman of unstoppable can-do spirit. 'She was an enthusiast, like I am,' Acosta says. 'I'm always dreaming the impossible, and she did as well. She would dream with me. She would never say, 'We can't do that.'' Instead she would find a way to make it happen. 'She was so positive. You would be dwelling on the negative and she'd come and say: 'Yes, but on the other hand …' and just lift you up.' When Miller's cancer returned, she could have stepped back, Acosta says. 'She could have done without the stress. But she wanted to carry on and fight for the company. Her passion was this company; she was so proud of the dancers. Somebody like her is very rare to find.' BRB will be dedicating a gala of dances by the choreographer Frederick Ashton to Miller, at Birmingham's Symphony Hall, later this month. Acosta and the company now have to find a way to move forward without Miller. The 2025-26 season has just been announced, and as well as the Black Sabbath tour, there'll be Acosta's own production of Don Quixote, full of sunny fun and Latin spirit, and a triple-bill of 20th-century classics. Acosta is in talks to present Kurt Jooss's classic The Green Table, from 1932, a powerful depiction of the futility of war but little seen these days. 'An entire generation of people don't know this important masterpiece exists,' he says. 'And it has this anti-war message that is very necessary at this point.' Acosta also has something exciting brewing for later in 2026, which should appeal to fans of the classics and those hankering for something new – but that's all under wraps for now. Whether they're dancing a new creation or injecting energy into a classic, 'ballet is a living art form', says Acosta. 'Whatever we do, we have to make a difference. Caroline understood that.' • Cinderella is at the Mayflower theatre, Southampton, 8 February; touring to 29 March. Ashton Classics is at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, 15 February. BRB's 2025/26 season is on sale soon.
