Academy students received top prize two years in a row
During the 2019 edition of the Prix de Lausanne that run from February 3-10, 2019 at the Theatre de Beaulieu, 16-year old American Mackenzie Brown, student of the Princess Grace Academy, won the First Prize, Gold Medal, Public Prize and Contemporary interpretation Prize, recognizing the infinite talent and precious potential of this young dancer. The enthusiastic large audience cheered for the talented dancers plus hundreds of thousands balletomanes online.
It is the second consecutive time that a student from the Princess Grace Academy received the gold medal in the prestigious Prix de Lausanne competition, last year it was Shale Wagman. It is getting to be predictable for students of the Princess Grace Academy to be recognized.
Under the responsibility of the Ballets of Monte-Carlo, lead by Jean-Christophe Maillot, the exceptional success of these young dancers confirms the educational excellence of the Princess Grace Academy and rewards the work of Luca Masala, its artistic director and the whole pedagogic team.
Bravo to the talented students, fantastic teachers and caring staff for such a team effort that merit top results! (Photo insert: Luca Masala with Mackenzie Brown winner of Prix de Lausanne 2019)
Prestigious Prix de Lausanne 2019
Year after year the Prix de Lausanne seduces young and promising dancers from all over the world, with 74 out of the 81 initially selected candidates, finally participating in this year’s 47th edition of the arduous competition, with only 21 candidates chosen during the Selections for a place to compete in the Finals.
During the week, jury members composed of internationally renowned professionals, observed the candidates performing their classical and contemporary variations, selecting the 8 Prize Winners among the most promising talents. The 8 finalists were awarded a scholarship that provides them with the unique opportunity to enter one of the prestigious partner schools and companies of the Prix de Lausanne.
An exceptional Jury
This year, the prestigious Jury was presided by Carlos Acosta, ballet star and Gold medal of the Prix de Lausanne 1990, joined by jury members: Ivan Gil-Ortega (Vice-President), Julio Bocca, Gillian Murphy, Madeleine Onne, Garry Trinder, Eric Vu-An, Samuel Wuersten and Miyako Yoshida.
The 8 Prix de Lausanne 2019 Prize Winners are:
FONDATION CARIS – JEUNE ESPOIR
126 – BROWN Mackenzie – United States
OAK FOUNDATION
416 – FIGUEREDO Gabriel – Brazil
EMILE CHOURIET
313 – SASAKI Sumina – Japan
BEAU-RIVAGE PALACE
408 – WAKIZUKA Yu – Japan
FONDATION ALBERT AMON
412 – WU Shuailun – China
BOURSE JEUNE ESPOIR
203 – DA SILVA João Vitor – Brazil
FONDATION COROMANDEL
418 – JOAQUIM Alexandre – Portugal
HARLEQUIN FLOORS
316 – SUMIYAMA Mio – Japan
(Photo:The 8 Prize Winners of the Prix de Lausanne 2019. Mackenzie Brown down 4th from left with Carlos Acosta President of the Jury@Gregory Batardon)
Other Prizes:
MINERVA KUNSTSTIFTUNG
Contemporary Dance Prize: 126 – BROWN Mackenzie – United States
NUREYEV FOUNDATION
Best Young Talent Prize: 117 – SHUGART Julia – United States
ANONYMOUS DONOR
Best Swiss Candidate Prize: 313 – SASAKI Sumina – Japan
Audience Favorite Prize: 126 – BROWN Mackenzie – United States
Web Audience Favorite Prize: 125 – CHOI Jihyun – South Korea
Promoting and supporting talented dancers
Created in 1973, the Prix de Lausanne is an annual international competition for young dancers aged 14.6 to 19. Its mission is to discover, promote and support the finest talents; and enable the best among them to enter and receive scholarships in the greatest schools and internationally renowned professional companies.
More than 70 of the world’s most prestigious dance schools and companies, such as the Royal Ballet in London, the Hamburg Ballet School (John Neumeier), the Ballet Nacional Sodre in Montevideo, the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, the Hong Kong Ballet, the San Francisco Ballet School and the Australian Ballet, are associated with the Prix de Lausanne and support its activities.
One of a kind, the Prix de Lausanne represents – for more than 46 years – an exceptional experience for a yearly selected group of youthful talents to nurture their skills and step towards a professional career. This illustrious competition is open to dance professionals who can observe and establish contacts with the candidates, thereby transforming Lausanne into the world’s capital for young dancers during the week of the competition.
Today’s Quote
“I think most dancers would agree that the art of ballet chooses the dancer, not the other way around.” Kevin Mckenzie
Monaco Reporter 