LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – The Prix de Lausanne dance competition is now underway, and as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations it is turning firmly to the future with new multimedia coverage and opening its doors more widely to the public to show that it has come of age.
The basics for 2012: 79 candidates, 19 different nationalities, selected from 226 applicants on the basis of the videos they submitted. They compete in Lausanne for a week for 20 places in the finals Saturday 4 February. Of this group, eight will be selected for year-long scholarships to one of the 65 Prix de Lausanne partner schools and dance companies, among them some of the top names in the world.
The competition was created in 1972 by Philippe and Elvire Braunschweig and it has developed, particularly in the past five years, into a major international competition in the dance world.
Japanese students are the largest group, with 15 dancers this year, followed by 6 each from South Korea and the US, and 3 from China. Their work sessions are followed closely by the Prix de Lausanne’s videoblog, available on YouTube.
Two young but internationally renowned choreographers who are known to Swiss audiences have prepared works for the competition: Cathy Marsten of Bern Ballet and Didy Veldman, who is working with Geneva’s Grand Theatre.
This year, for the first time, the finals will be commented live on the web in four languages by four prize winners, a lucky move for ballet lovers because seats for the finals have been sold out.
Events open to the public
Lecture demonstration: Tuesday 31 January 17:00-18:15, free of charge.
Selections: Tuesday 31 January, from 09:15 to 13:00 and 14.15 to 16.00, contemporary classes
Selections: Wednesday, 1 February, from 0 08:15 to 09:30, 11:30 to 12:45 and 13:45 to 15:00,
classical classes
Selections: Thursday, 2 February from 08:45 to 20.00, coaching of classical variations
Selections: Friday, 2 February, classical and contemporary variations in front of jury (15-16-year-olds,
09.45 to 12.00, 17-18-year-olds, 13:15 to 16.30)
Finals: Saturday, 4 February, 15:00 to 18:30 (20 finalists: classical and contemporary variations in front of jury), “Interlude Performances” by the London Royal Ballet School and the Danish Royal Ballet School. sold out
Gala: Sunday, 5 February, at 17:00 pm
Three boleros, two dancers, part of the Festival de la Batie, at the Art and History Museum.
Location: Geneva
Link out: http://www.batie.ch
Date: 3 Sep 2011
An Irish Evening at the Arene de Geneve.
Location: Geneva
Link out: http://www.geneva-arena.ch/event_details.php?ei…
Date: 19 Apr 2011
(videos) Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Four men, three women, and an international mix, both of schools and dancers who took top prizes at the Prix de Lausanne dance competition, marked the closing of one of the top events in the world of dance education.
The week-long finals for the Prix de Lausanne drew to a close in Lausanne with a gala performance Sunday night 6 February. The competition began with 280 contestants, of which 74 made it through the selection process and came to Lausanne.
The winners announced Sunday, with the sponsors of their awards following their names, are:
(120) Ms Mayara Magri, Brazil / Petite Danse School of Ballet, Rio de Janeiro, Fondation Leenaards
(415) Mr Sung Woo Han, S Korea / Korea National University of Arts, Seoul, Beau-Rivage Palace
(408) Mr Zhang Zhiyao, China / Beijing Dance Academy, Adveq
(305) Ms Patricia Zhou, Canada / Kirov Academy of Ballet, Washington DC, Julius Bär
(204) Mr Shizuru Kato, Japan / AcriHorimoto Ballet Academy, Saitama, Oak Foundation
(426) Mr Derrin Watters, USA / Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy, Fondation Coromandel
(112) Ms Yuko Horisawa, Japon / Reiko Yamamoto Ballet School, Ota, Fondations Pittet et Juchum
Contemporary dance prizewinner
(426) Mr Derrin Watters, USA / Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy, Fondation Nestlé pour l’Art
Best Swiss candidate prizewinner
(407) Mr Benoît Favre, Switzerland / Tanz Akademie Zurich, Fondation Leenaards
Audience favourite
(120) MS Mayara Magri
Brazilian Mayara Magri’s videoblog, filmed during the finals week, and video of a week at the competition
Title: Dance festival
Location: Annemasse, neighboring France
Link out: Click here
Description: At the Casino d’Annemasse in neighboring France, a week of concerts, dance and performance arts.
Start Date: 2010-05-26
End Date: 2010-06-05
Title: Performing arts on the other side of the border
Location: Geneva and Annecy, France
Link out: Click here
Description: The City of Annecy and of Geneva provide free transportation for those coming, or going to, France or Geneva, to watch theater or concerts. One last date left this season: 14 May.
Date: 2010-05-14
Title: Fanfare (food, drinks and party)
Location: St-Livres
Link out: Click here
Description: Friday 12 March in Lavigny – cocktail, dinner and music from 19h (tickets available)
Saturday 13 March in Lavigny – sold out
Sunday 14 March in St-Livres – brunch 10h-14h (tickets available)
For information: +41 21 809 5756
Start Date: 2010-03-12
End Date: 2010-03-13
Title: Dance festival
Location: Lausanne
Link out: Click here
Description: This festival offers young choreographers a professional framework for the creation and presentation of their work.
Start Date: 2010-02-27
End Date: 2010-03-20
Cristian Emanuel Amuchastegui, first place, 2010 Prix de Lausanne dance competition (photo: ©2010, Jean-Bernard Sieber)
Click on images to view larger
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Cristian Emanuel Amuchastegui, age 18, won the top prize at the 2010 Prix de Lausanne dance competition. He is from Argentina and has been studying at the Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy in Texas, USA.
Amuchastegui also won the coveted prize as the audience’s favourite, selected with a poll taken during the final performances.
His prize is a year at the dance school of his choice, from among a host of top companies that are partners of the Prix de Lausanne.
The other top winners
Dancers who place in the top six spots, including the best contemporary dance winner, all receive scholarships at top partner schools/dance companies:
Prix de Lausanne 2009
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – For the first time ever more young men than women will compete in the Prix de Lausanne dance competition 26-31 January. A record number of dance students, ages 15-18, tried out for the competition in October, most by video: 226 candidates (153 young women and 73 young men), representing 36 nationalities.
The cut leaves 81 young dancers, from 21 countries, who compete for scholarships and invitations to pursue studies in some of the world’s top classical dance programmes.
Title: Dance: Hero, a temporary title
Location: Annemasse, neighbouring France
Link out: Click here
Description: The Compagnie Gambit explores through dance the temporary category of heroes around us.
Free entrance to the dress rehearsal.
Date: 06 Nov 2009
St Prex clock tower, covered street, during St Prex Festival 2009
Stars Le Riche, Osta, spinning magic in St Prex
St Prex, Vaud, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The main street of the medieval village of St Prex was graced Tuesday night 25 August with star dancers from the Paris Opera Nicolas Le Riche and his wife Clairemarie Osta in Prokoviev’s “Romeo & Juliet” as part of the St Prex Festival.
For the second night running the storms that have dumped heavy rain on the region held off long enough for the performers to enchant the crowd. The festival is an open-air one, but an awning covers the main street, where the audience is seated.
Weather forecast: more rain Thursday, but weather is expected to turn sunny and warm again Friday
Dancer and choreographer Merce Cunningham died at his home in his sleep aged 90 Sunday 26 July, a statement from his Cunningham Dance Foundation announced. Known as America’s Nijinksy, Cunningham revolutionized “the visual and performing arts … for the beauty and wonder that lay in exploring new possibilities”, according to a statement by the foundation. He will be remembered not only for his dancingand choreography but also for having “invented radical working methods that exploded the mold and produced new ways of moving”, notes the Washington Post. The Economist noted in April 2009, to mark his 90th birthday, that “human movement has limitations. But within the limitations, the variety is endless.” To celebrate his birthday, the Brooklyn Academy of Music staged his work “Nearly Ninety”.
Title: St-Prex Festival of song, music and ballet
Location: St. Prex, Vaud
Link out: Click here
Description: The vaulted arches of the Romanesque church in the Medieval town will be welcoming some great names from the world of song, music and ballet.
Start Date: 21 Aug 2009
End Date: 29 Aug 2009
Title: Festival de la cite
Location: Lausanne, Vaud
Link out: Click here
Description: A multidisciplinary arts festival heald yearly in Lausanne.
Start Date: 03 Jul 2009
End Date: 11 Jul 2009
Title: Lausanne estivale 2009
Location: Lausanne, Vaud
Link out: Click here
Description: A series of performances throughout the summer and early fall. Theatre, music, dance and other open air activities. Look for the guide to find the one that best suits your interest.
Start Date: 16 Jun 2009
End Date: 24 Sep 2009
Title: Zurich festival
Location: Zurich
Link out: Click here
Description: A celebration of the arts: opera, music, dance and more.
Start Date: 19 Jun 2009
End Date: 12 Jul 2009
Title: Dancing through a waterfall
Location: Lausanne, Vaud
Link out: Click here
Description: An unusual mix of dance, gymastics and acrobatics “Waterwall” is being performed at the Theatre de Beaulieu.
On stage there is an imposing metal structure that looks like an open builder’s yard. Men in work overalls making last minute adjustments as the audience enters the space. Slowly water begins to trickle through the metal structure until eventually it becomes a gushing waterfall, like an aquatic curtain that takes over the entire stage. Hypnotic, throbbing music accompanies the ten dancers as they begin to challenge the power of the water and the law of gravity.
Start Date: 30 Apr 2009
End Date: 22 May 2009
Title: Public dancing fest
Location: Lake Geneva region
Link out: Click here
Description: Yes we can! That is the motto behind this two-day festival. Choregraphers will be teaching simple dance routines to all those wanting to -simply- dance. Dancing will take place in theatres, community centers, public spaces and barely frequented places.
Start Date: 25 Apr 2009
End Date: 26 Apr 2009
Title: Dance: Ooorpheus
Location: Geneva
Link out: Click here
Description: Jozsef Trefeli gets inspiration for his newest choreography from the Greek mythology: Morpheus.
Start Date: 21 Apr 2009
End Date: 17 May 2009
Prix de Lausanne 2009
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Dance students ages 15 to 18 are being invited by the Leenaards Foundation and the Prix de Lausanne to compete for a scholarship that will cover an academic year of professional study at one of the major European dance schools which are partners of the Prix de Lausanne.
Title: Dance: An evening of dance schools, Geneva
Location: Geneva
Link out: Click here
Description: An evening of dance schools from Geneva performing at the Alhambre.
Date: 21 Feb 2009
Title: Chapiteau: music, skating, theatre
Location: Bellerive, Lausanne
Link out: Click here
Description: Satire on skates, improv in French, blues and juggling lessons for children: a mix of performing arts
Start Date: 04 Feb 2009
End Date: 08 Feb 2009
Title: Best of Parsons Dance
Location: Lausanne, Beaulieu theatre
Link out: Click here
Description: Overview of David Parsons work: NY-based company Parsons Dance has a 10 full-time dancers and maintains a repertory of more than 70 works choreographed by David Parsons
Date: 10 Feb 2009
Title: Dance, music and drums from India
Location: Lausanne, Vaud
Link out: Click here
Description: Ragunath Manet, a male performer of the Bharata Natyam and the music from south India.
http://www.raghunathmanet.com/
Date: 16 Jan 2009
Title: Oriental music and dance, Geneva
Location: Carouge, Geneva
Link out: Click here
Description: Mélisdjane Sezer, presents “Oriental fantasies”, is the name of this group that mixes dance, music and story-telling.
Date: 12 Dec 2008
Title: Contemporary dance in Geneva
Location: Geneva
Link out: Click here
Start Date: 10 Dec 2008
End Date: 21 Dec 2008
Title: Accro-ballet-hip-hop
Location: Thonon, France
Link out: Click here
Description: A dance troupe that mixes acrobatics, ballet, modern dance and hip-hop.
Start Date: 04 Dec 2008
End Date: 05 Dec 2008
