Prix de Lausanne
International Ballet Competition
The 50th edition of the international dance competition started last January 30 at the Beaulieu Theatre in Lausanne. This year, 83 young dancers of 16 different nationalities are taking part in the competition. The Finals, which will allow 11 dancers to win scholarships or apprenticeships, will take place on Saturday, 4 February 2023. As part of its 50th anniversary, Prix de Lausanne will extend its event for a whole day of celebrations, on Sunday 5 February 2023.
83 candidates (44 girls and 39 boys) arrived yesterday at the Beaulieu Theatre to compete in the Prix de Lausanne 2023. All week long, they will be under the careful supervision of an artistic team composed of renowned international dance teachers and coaches to work on their classical and contemporary variation. On Friday, they will present them to the Jury presided by Jean-Christophe Maillot to try and be selected for the Finals.
For the 9th consecutive year, the competition will be livestreamed on ARTE Concert and the Prix de Lausanne website, with nearly 7 hours of live coverage per day. As to the Selections and the Finals, they will be broadcast in their entirety.
This year again, the public will be able to support a young dancer of their choice by making a donation via our online crowdfunding campaign and by voting for their favourite finalist. The vote will be open after the Selections, directly on the Prix de Lausanne website or via SMS. The money raised will be shared between the winner of the Audience Favourite Award (public on site in Lausanne) and the winner of the Web Audience Favourite Award (online audience) to help them get into the school of partner company of their choice.
Kathryn Bradney, Artistic and Executive Director: “I’m incredibly thrilled to welcome 83 young talents for this anniversary edition that promises to be unique. Surrounded by this year’s exceptional Jury, renowned teachers and coaches, as well as true dance stars who will walk the same stage as them this week, the candidates will undoubtedly go back home starry eyed. It is an honour to welcome back two figures of the competition, the talented choreographer and winner of the competition in 1977, Jean-Christophe Maillot, to chair the 2023 Jury, as well as Carlos Acosta, who will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the end of the Finals. I wish our public, our candidates, our artists and the entire artistic team a wonderful anniversary edition!” (Kathryn Bradney, Artistic and Executive Director)
Interlude
The Finals’ Interlude, on 4 February, will open with Antonio Casalinho and Margarita Fernandes dancing a Diana & Actaeon pas de deux. Their performance will be followed by the two winning choreographies of the Young Creation Award 2023, designed and created by young students from our partner schools. Then, Antonio Casalinho will come back to perform Richard Wherlock’s contemporary solo Grinding the Teeth. The Interlude will end with the world-premiere of BOLD, a unique choreography created in one week by Goyo Montero for 24 dancers from our partner schools and the Lifetime Achievement Award 2023 to Carlos Acosta.
Sunday, 5 February: anniversary celebrations!
The Prix de Lausanne adds an extra-day to its competition week to celebrate its half-century anniversary. On Sunday, 5 February, the public will be able to attend a few festive events: at 2.30pm, the docu-film “Le Prix” will be screened in the Theatrr. The film, directed by Alain and Nuria Wirth, was made on the occasion of the competition’s 50th anniversary. A discussion session with the directors will follow. At 4.30pm, the long-awaited Gala of the Stars will start, featuring solos or pas-de-deux from exceptional artists. Most of them are former Prix de Lausanne’s candidates or Prize Winners who will step on the Beaulieu Theatre’s stage again after having built international careers.
