Outstanding panel of Judges for the third Cape Town International Ballet Competition

The third Cape Town International Ballet Competition (CTIBC) has announced an impressive jury for the 2012 competition which takes place in Cape Town from 27 February to 4 March.  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 SA 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 SA 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 Sunday 4 March.

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 SA 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 Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 February and Thursday 1 March at 7pm, with tickets costing R40 per person.  The Final is on Friday 2 March at 8pm, with tickets from R65 to R225. At the Gala performance on Saturday 3 March at 8pm, the winners will be announced. Due to the enormous popularity of the Gala at previous competitions, a second gala has been added on Sunday 4 March at 3pm 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 cost from R90 to R300 with all booking via Computicket, Artscape Dial-A-Seat on 021-421 7695 and 0861 915 8000. www.ctibc.com.