The 7th South African International Ballet Competition (SAIBC), funded by the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), will once again take place at the Artscape Opera House, from 13 to 19 July 2020.
The SAIBC, the only international ballet competition in Africa, is on a par with the top ballet competitions in the world. Competitors are divided into three categories: Scholars aged 12 to 15, Juniors aged 16 to 20 and Seniors, aged 21 to 28, are all required to perform both classical and contemporary variations. At the discretion of the SAIBC management, younger competitors may be given permission to participate. Dancers compete for bronze, silver and gold medals and substantial monetary prizes.
Launched by entrepreneur Dirk Badenhorst in 2008, the biennial SAIBC has cemented itself as the continent’s most prestigious events in its genre, and over the past decade it has seen the participation of hundreds of talented dancers from almost every continent in the world. To date the SAIBC has welcomed entrants from Cuba, France, the USA, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Latvia, China, Argentina and Portugal.
Important career moves
Ballet competitions around the world are extremely popular with dancers seeking to be noticed by company directors, heads of schools and teachers on the jury panels. The events are thus taken very seriously and for the 2020 event in Cape Town, competitors from China and South Korea have already begun to prepare. This year, the application deadline is June 12.
The jury panel for the 7th South African International Ballet Competition consists of: Ted Brandsen from Dutch National Ballet in The Netherlands, Annarella Sanchez from the Annarella Sanchez Institute of Ballet & Dance in Portugal, South African Thoriso Magongwa from the National Theatre of Brno in the Czech Republic, Christian Spuck from The Zurich Ballet in Switzerland, Professor Geung Soo Kim, President of the Ballet Society of South Korea, Madame Feng Ing from the National Ballet of China in Beijing, and Martha Iris Fernandez Aguero from the National Ballet School in Cuba.
Elimination rounds take place from Tuesday 14 July to Thurs 16 July at 6pm. The Semi-Finals are on Friday 17 July at 7:30pm, the Finals are on Saturday 18 July at 7:30pm and the Gala that will star the 2020 winners and guest artists takes place on Sunday 19 July at 3pm.
Funding from The National Lotteries Commissions supports not only the SAIBC but also the SAIBC’s Training Teachers in the Townships programme, the SAIBC International Ballet Intensives, the International Ballet Gala and various Mzansi Ballet stage productions. The NLC enables the SAIBC to continue its decade long commitment to the development of ballet in all communities and to the role that dance plays in the arts and culture sector.
What: The 7th South African International Ballet Competition
Where and when: Artscape Opera House from 13 to 19 July 2020
Tickets: 021 421 7695 or Computicket
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