Another Prix

Another year, another Prix de Lausanne. This ballet competition is always so inspiring. Not to be a ballet dancer, as I know that I'm really not cut out for it, but to stand up straighter, not be as pigeon toed and to dance, just because I love it.






Semi-finals
This was the first time they kept the curtain open right up until the competition began.

Elena Karpuhina 18/9, Poland (Ecole National de Ballet, Danzig)




Dancers are H-core about injuries.







Sirui Liu, 16/4, China (Shanghai Dance School)








Dimity Azoury, 18/2, Australia (The Australian Ballet School, Victoria)




Do you see those arches?






Martin Daniel Vizcayo, 17/3, Spain (Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza, Madrid)









Finals
I always look forward to the open class on-stage (with Sergiu Stephanschi of the NBS!) before the competition begins.





Look at that arch!







And now, and tribute to amazing extensions and perfect timing...





Sorry skaters, you've got nothing on dancer's Charlotte's.




Buying Prix products






Introducing the Laureates of the Prix de Lausanne 2007:
6th Award: Delia Mathew, 16/10, Great Britain (The Royal Ballet School, London)







5th Award: Telmo Moreira, 15/7, Portugal (Ecole de danse du Conservatoire National, Lisbon)
This guy's just a baby! I can't wait to see where he goes!

4th Award: James Hay, 17/6, Great Britain (The Royal Ballet School, London)



The Royal Ballet School had a really good turn out this year.







3rd Award: Chaelee Kim, 16/2, South Korea (SunHwa Arts High School, Seoul)







2nd Award: Mai Kono, 17/5, Japan (Ballet Akademie, Munich; Hitomi Kikuchi Ballet Studio, Japan)




This young lady was amazing. Her Ramonda variation was breathtaking. Her balance was just ridiculous. She was definitely my favorite, but the eventual winner really stepped
up her game and I thought performed better in the contemporary variation, so being the overall package could have clinched it for her. Still this girl was...wow. She also won the People's Choice Award.







1st Award: Sae-eun Park, 17/1, South Korea (Seoul Arts High School; Korea National University of Arts, Seoul)

I never really considered South Korea to be at the forefront of ballet, but in the past three years there are always finalist from these two schools along with the school of the 3rd place dancer.

The awards ceremony:


The finalists...








and the final bow from the winners.




- Logo courtesy of www.prixdelausanne.org