ROYAL BALLET'S O'HARE FOR CTIBC

An outstanding panel of judges will assess 50 entrants from South Africa and the world in the upcoming Cape Town International Ballet Competition next month.

The third Cape Town International Ballet Competition (CTIBC) has announced an impressive jury for the 2012 competition which takes place in Cape Town from February 27 to March 4. The panel includes Kevin O’Hare, director-designate of The Royal Ballet who takes up his appointment as director of the legendary British ballet company later this year.

Also serving on the jury for the first time will be Dr Ramona da Sáa, Director and Professor, National Ballet School of Cuba; Leticia Müller, former ballerina of Birmingham Royal Ballet, UK and PACT Ballet, SA; and Lynn Wallis, Artistic Director of the Royal Academy of Dance, London. Returning judges are Septime Webre, Artistic Director of The Washington Ballet, Washington DC; Hae Shik Kim, Professor Emeritus, Korea National University of Arts, Chairman of the Korea Ballet Festival and Chairman of the Korea World Dance Day; Mario Galizzi, Artistic Director, Ballet de la Plata, Argentina; and SA-born Charla Genn, Faculty Member, Julliard School, New York.

These major international ballet personalities will assess professional and non-professional dancers from South Africa and around the world who will soon be jetting into the Mother City to compete for gold, silver and bronze medals and substantial monetary prizes. For the first time in the history of the biennial CTIBC, male and female participants will be judged separately in both the classical and contemporary sections. There are 50 entrants this year, from SA and the Republic of South Korea, Argentina, Armenia, Russia, the USA, Brazil, Australia, China and Cuba, ranging from 15 to 28 years of age.

To further enhance the standard of the competition and the entrants, the CTIBC co-operates with the South Korea International Dance Competition, the Geneé International Ballet Competition, several top ballet institutions in Cuba and the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) among others.

In line with his association with the YAGP, Dirk Badenhorst, CEO of the CTIBC, has announced that a South African candidate of his choosing will be given the opportunity to compete in the YAGP in New York next April. The CTIBC will award the dancer a return air ticket to New York at the final Gala performance that will bring the competition to a close on March 4.

For the Junior Division dancers are 15 to 18 years of age and for the Senior Division 19 to 28 years of age. Competitors may appear either as soloists or couples (pas de deux). More than 40 dancers from South Africa and abroad have expressed an interest in participating in the CTIBC which is set once again to be a thrilling dance event, high on the City’s cultural calendar.

Elimination rounds take place on February 28 and 29 and March 1 at 19h00. Tickets R40. The Final is on March 2 at 20h00, with tickets R65 to R225. The winners will be announced at the Gala performance on March 3 at 20h00.

Due to the enormous popularity of the Gala at previous competitions, a second gala has been added on March 4 at 15h00 at which the CTIBC winners and distinguished international and SA ballet stars will perform and the SA candidate to compete in the Youth America Grand Prix will be announced. Tickets R90 to R300 with booking via Computicket, Artscape Dial-A-Seat on 021 421 7695 and 0861 915 8000 or visit www.ctibc.com

The Cape Town International Ballet Competition is supported by the City of Cape Town and the Chiappini Trust.