Prix de Lausanne

The Prix de Lausanne is an international dance competition held annually in Lausanne, Switzerland. The competition is for young dancers seeking to pursue a professional career in classical ballet, and many former prize winners of the competition are now leading stars with major ballet companies around the world. The competition is managed by a non-profit foundation organised by the Fondation en faveur de l'Art chorégraphique and is maintained by various sponsors, patrons and donors.

History
Théâtre de Beaulieu, where the final selection is usually held

Prix de Lausanne was founded in 1973 by the Swiss industrialist Philippe Braunschweig and his wife Elvire. Philippe, although not a dancer, became interested in dance as a young man. His Russian dancer wife developed his interest further.

The Braunschweigs created the competition after noticing the lack of financial support to young dance students, particularly those from small regional schools, wishing to attend professional level programs.

He started by approaching Rosella Hightower and Maurice Béjart who drew up the rules for the competition.

Philippe Braunschweig and Maurice Béjart in 1988

What started as small event has grown into an internationally acclaimed institution that draws candidates from all over the world. Over the past few years the competition has seen a big boom in Asian candidates. Because of the great demand by Japanese students to study abroad, an office was also set up in Japan.[1]

The Braunschweigs announced their resignation at the end of the Prix in 1996. In March 1997, as the competition came to its 25th anniversary, the philanthropists handed over the Prix's direction to an executive committee composed of the Swiss Secretary of State, Franz Blankart and an artistic committee headed by Jan Nuyts, who worked with the Prix for many years. Mr Charles Gebhard is in charge of finances and Ms Patricia Leroy heads the actual organization. The Braunschweigs remain available as consultants and have managed to maintain the original mission of the competition.

Entry

Entry is reserved for young student-dancers, aged 15 through 18, who have not yet been in professional employment and open to candidates of all nationalities.

Currently, participants are required to submit a 15–20 min digital file recording showing them performing a combination of barre and centre-work exercises in a studio environment and pay a registration fee in CHF; Those candidates selected to participate in the competition pay an additional participation fee in CHF.[2]

Around 80 candidates from 30 or so countries compete each year, in the hope of being selected for the final, reserved for the best 20 among them. The final of the competition is broadcast live on television.

As from 2007 the Prix de Lausanne is part of an exchange program with the prestigious Youth America Grand Prix, which allows dancers from each competition to benefit from the scholarship opportunities available at both. Thanks to a mutual agreement, finalists who have not received a scholarship at one of the competitions will be eligible to participate in the other without having to pass the selective rounds.

By combining their scholarship-giving capacities, these two of the most important dance competitions in the world help create a wider network of opportunity for young dancers worldwide.

Location

The Prix is held annually over a one-week period in January, usually at the Théâtre de Beaulieu in Lausanne. The dimensions of the stage of the Théâtre de Beaulieu are: 12 meters (39 ft) wide × 14 m (46 ft) deep, previously with a 3.6% rake however the rake was removed after the 2022 renovation.[3][4]

Occasionally the organization has arranged for the finals to be held in other locations: New York City in 1985, Tokyo in 1989, Moscow in 1995, and online in 2021[5] in order to accommodate the participants.

During the competition, the theatre has its foyers and conference halls converted into dance studios and observation areas. The backstage area houses offices, an infirmary, and a shop that sells dance clothes, books, and videos.[6]

The Competition

The aim of the Prix de Lausanne is to facilitate the young competition prize-winners to embark upon a professional career by providing them with an opportunity to spend a year improving their skills at one of the Prix's partnering schools or to benefit from a year's apprentice scholarship with one of the international professional dance companies partnering the Prix.[7]

Only one scholarship is available from each partner organization so decisions as to which winner is offered a place are based on their ranking. Although on occasion, they agree to accept more than one laureate.

The jury

The jury is composed of nine people. Each member of the jury must either have a link with one of the Prix's partner ballet schools or companies or be an ex-winner. The panel is chosen as to fulfill a wide geographical representation and mix of youth and experience. The members of the jury were:

2007
  • President of the jury: Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux - Artistic Director of the North Carolina Dance Theatre, USA
Ramona de Saa – Director of the Cuban National Ballet School, La Habana, Cuba
Aki Saito – Principal of the Royal Ballet of Flanders, Prix de Lausanne prizewinner (1991)
Cathy Sharp – Director of the Cathy Sharp Dance Ensemble, Basel, Switzerland
Irina Sitnikova – Professor at the Vaganova Academy, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Monica Zamora – Former Principal of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, England, Prix de Lausanne prizewinner (1989)
Wim Broeckx – Director of the Royal Conservatory, The Hague, Netherlands, Prix de Lausanne finalist (1980)
2009
Amanda Bennett – Director of the Ballettschule Theater, Basel, Switzerland
Marianne Krusse – Educational Director and teacher at the School of The Hamburg Ballet, Germany
Francia Russell – Founding Artistic Director of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, USA, Freelance Balanchine teacher and stager
Miyako Yoshida – Guest Principal of the Royal Ballet, London and K-Ballet Company, Japan, Prix de Lausanne prizewinner (1983)
David McAllister – Artistic Director of the Australian Ballet, Australia
Patrick Armand – Associate Director of San Francisco Ballet School and Director of San Francisco Ballet School's Trainee Program, Prix de Lausanne prizewinner (1980)
Ted Brandsen – Artistic Director and resident choreographer, Dutch National Ballet, Amsterdam
Bruce Sansom – Director of the Central School of Ballet, London, England
2014
Kathryn Bennetts – Artistic Director of the Royal Ballet of Flanders, Antwerp, Belgium
Alessandra Ferri – Former Principal of the American Ballet Theatre, Director of Dance Programming at the Spoleto Festival, Italy, Prix de Lausanne prize winner (1980)
Gigi Hyatt – Pedagogical Principal and Deputy Director, of the School of the Hamburg Ballet, Germany
Marilyn Rowe – Director of the Australian Ballet School, Melbourne, Australia
Julio Bocca – Former Principal of the American Ballet Theatre, Director of The Sodre National Ballet, Montevideo, Uruguay
Pedro Carneiro – Director of The National Conservatory Dance School, Lisbon, Portugal
Xu Gang – General Repetitor and Ballet Master at the National Ballet of China, Beijing
Christopher Powney – Artistic Director of the Royal Ballet School, London, England
2016
Jan Broeckx – Director of The Ballet Academy, Munich, Germany, Prix de Lausanne prizewinner (1979)
Lucinda Dunn – former Principal of the Australian Ballet, Artistic director of Tanya Pearson Classical Coaching Academy, Prix de Lausanne prizewinner (1989)
Viviana Durante – Former Principal of the Royal Ballet, Prix de Lausanne prizewinner (1984)
Marcelo Gomes – Principal of the American Ballet Theatre, Prix de Lausanne prizewinner (1996)
Élisabeth Platel - Former Principal of the Paris Opera Ballet, Director of the Paris Opera Ballet School, France

Evaluation

The jury evaluates candidates throughout the competition considering their level of:

  • Artistry
  • Physical suitability
  • Courage and individuality
  • An imaginative and sensitive response to the music
  • A clear grasp in communicating differing movement dynamics
  • Technical facility, control, and coordination.[8]

Stages

After the video selection, participants go through the second phase of selection rounds, which consists of the competition in Lausanne. During the week in Lausanne, candidates are judged both during a dance class and individually on stage. The Prix de Lausanne also organises preselections in Argentina and in Dresden. The four winners from each preselections are invited to participate to the competition in Lausanne. The Prix de Lausanne covers both travel and accommodation expenses.

Twenty candidates reach the finals and between 6 and 8 receive a scholarship. The Prix de Lausanne organises the winners' transfer to one of its partner schools or companies and monitors their development during the grant year (settling in, health, education, career prospects, etc.). Candidates who are not selected for the finals can participate in the Networking Forum, which gives them an opportunity to be seen by schools and company directors from around the world. Following an audition class, interviews are organised with directors of Prix de Lausanne partner schools and companies wishing to recruit one or more candidates. Interviews with finalists who do not receive a prize are also arranged after the award ceremony.

The most recent Prix de Lausanne took place from January 29th to February 5th, 2023.

Prizes
  • Prix de Lausanne Scholarship - a scholarship of one year's free tuition and the sum of CHF 16,000 in ten monthly installments for living expenses during the prize winner's year of studies.
  • Prix de Lausanne Apprentice Scholarship - consists of a one-year apprentice scholarship for awardees over 17 and the sum of CHF 16,000 in ten monthly installments for living expenses.
  • Contemporary Dance Prize - consists of contemporary dance course at one of the partnering institutions and covers both travel and living expenses.
  • Best Swiss Candidate Prize - consists of a cash price of CHF 2,500 awarded to the best finalist residing in Switzerland and having trained in Switzerland for at least 3 years before the competition.

All finalists are offered free summer courses (travel and accommodation costs not covered) and receive a diploma and a medal. Finalists not winning a prize receive a consolation cash prize of CHF 1,000.[8]

Winners
Prix de Lausanne 2009 poster

Since 1973

See also

References
  1. "25 years of the Prix de Lausanne.(1997 dance competition)".
  2. "Candidates Info". Prix de Lausanne. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  3. jacquier, Marielle (2014-01-26). "Prix de Lausanne Daily Dance Dialogue I : How to perform better on a rake". Prix de Lausanne. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  4. Prix de Lausanne 2023 – Day 6 (Finals), 978 seconds, retrieved 2023-04-03
  5. Communication, Assistant (2020-11-20). "Prix de Lausanne 2021 - Video Edition". Prix de Lausanne. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  6. "Inside the Prix de Lausanne: where you don't have to win".
  7. "prixdelausanne.php". www.artfilm.ch.
  8. "Home". Prix de Lausanne.
  9. "Nancy-Ann Raffa".
  10. {https://www.prixdelausanne.org/winners/delphine-de-luca-collerie-de-borely/
  11. "Edward Stierle". Prix de Lausanne.
  12. "Yilei Cai".
  13. "2013 Jury | ADC IBC - Youth International Ballet Competition".
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