Results from the 2018 Genée International Ballet Competition
Australian Male Dancer takes out Gold!
Joshua Green, from Australia & Monet Hewitt, from New Zealand awarded coveted gold medals
Silver medals awarded to Caitlin Garlick, from Australia & Basil James, from the UK
Bronze medals awarded to Enoka Sato, from Japan & Jordan Yeuk Hay Chan, from Hong Kong
The prestigious Genée International Ballet Competition of 2018 wound up in Hong Kong on August 12 after a week of intensive coaching from world-renowned teachers and choreographers. The Final saw the coveted gold medals awarded to Joshua Green, aged 17 from Australia, trained by Karen Ireland & Monet Hewitt, aged 16 from New Zealand, trained by Joye Lowe. Silver medals were awarded to Caitlin Garlick, trained by Karen Ireland & Basil James, trained by Anthony Dowson and Jennifer Hale. Enoka Sato, trained by Annette Roselli & Jordan Yeuk Hay Chan, trained by Yui Man Cheung, were awarded the bronze medal.
Joshua Green started dancing in 2016 under the watchful eye of Karen Ireland at Karen Ireland Dance Centre. In April 2018, he travelled to New York and was selected as a top 20 dancer at the Youth America Grand Prix finals. He also received a scholarship to The John Cranko Schule. After completing the Genée, Joshua stays in Hong Kong as one of the selected finalists of the Asian Grand Prix. The Choreographic Award for best Dancer’s Own variation was also awarded to Joshua Green.
Monet Hewitt from Auckland, New Zealand, began dancing when he was 8 years old at Philippa Campbell School of Ballet under the tutelage of Joye Lowe, Jane Turner and Geordan Wilcox.
Jordan Yeuk Hay Chan was presented with the Margot Fonteyn Audience Choice Award.
The 2018 Genée attracted 51 of the world’s finest young dancers from 13 nationalities, aged between 15 and 19 years old. The competition saw finalists perform three solos including never-before seen pieces by esteemed choreographer Carlo AC Pacis, who was commissioned by RAD to create two variations (one for male candidates and one for female candidates) for the competition. The young dancers were judged by Septime Webre, Artistic Director for Hong Kong Ballet, Janek Schergen, Artistic Director at Singapore Dance Theatre, Lisa Pavane, Director of The Australian Ballet School, Joanne Michel, Ballet Mistress for The Australian Ballet School and Chi Cao, former Principal with Birmingham Royal Ballet.
The competition was also attended by the Ambassador for Genée 2018, Ye FeiFei (current principal dancer at Hong Kong Ballet), who also performed as part of the Hong Kong Ballet guest performance at the Final. Ye FeiFei was awarded a silver medal at Genée 2006, when the competition was last held in Hong Kong.
Now in its 87th year, the Genée International Ballet Competition is named after RAD’s first President Dame Adeline Genée and is renowned for launching the professional careers of young dancers.
The 2019 Genée International Ballet Competition will be held in Toronto, Canada.
