― 2 июля 2014 г.
Ballet Competition in Istanbul
The International Ballet Competition and Festival of Istanbul which has been held once every two years by the Directorate General of the State Opera and Ballet since 2008, was organized for the fourth time this year with the support of TURKSOY between June 21st-26th, 2014.
Due to its success since its first organization, the International Ballet Competition of Istanbul which is held by the Directorate General of the State Opera and Ballet as the only institutional structure of Turkey under which the art of ballet is being professionally performed according to academic standards in order to promote art in Turkey and contribute to open up new perspectives in the art of ballet on an international level, was unanimously approved as a member of the "International Federation of Ballet Competitions" based in Russia on June 17th, 2009.
Thanks to this competition, young professional ballet dancers have the opportunity to assess their performance while also benefitting from the valuable feedback of an experienced jury gathering world famous ballet dancers who played a key role in the development of ballet education.
The festival was hosted by the CRR Concert Hall, the Zorlu Center PSM and the newly inaugurated Leyla Gencer Opera and Culture Centre.
After its opening on June 21st, 2014 with the performance of "Earl Dracula" in the Zorlu Center PSM by the State Opera and Ballet, the competition went on in the CRR Concert Hall where the semi-final and final round took place. The competition ended on June 26th, 2014 with a Gala Event featuring a ceremony during which the awards were handed over to their winners.
The opening speeches of the ceremony were delivered by the Director General of the State Opera and Ballet Mr. Rengim Gokmen and TURKSOY Secretary General Dusen Kaseinov.
Following the opening speeches the finalists of the competition were handed over their awards by the Chairman of the Jury Irek Mukhamedov.
Upon evaluation of the jury, the Istanbul Grand Prix Award was handed over to Konstantin Geronik from Bielorussia and Ludmila Kitrova by TURKSOY Secretary General Dusen Kaseinov.
History of the Istanbul Ballet Competition
As a key artistic event, this competition was organized for the first time in Turkey by Nilay Yesiltepe Gungor, its Art Director and her team between September 8th-13th, 2008 in the CRR Concert Hall. The event featured wonderful performances of ballet dancers such as the prima ballerinas and ballet dancers of the Cuban National Ballet Viengsay Valdes Herrera and Romel Frometa as well as leading dancers of the National Ballet of Bordeaux Vanessa Feuillate and Roman Mikhalev who took the scene in front of a jury of 11 members at this major Gala Evening where famous critics and editors of the international ballet media were also present.
The jury of the 2nd International Ballet Competition of Istanbul which took place between July 5th-10th, 2014 was presided by the great choreographer Yury Grigorovich. Members of the jury were the world famous leading dancers Irek Mukhamedov, Julia Bocca, Vladimir Malakov, Fabiene Cerruti and Margarita Parilla. The Gala Event featured wonderful performances by the Nacho Duato Ensemble which came to Turkey for the first time on this occasion as well as leading dancers of the National Ballet of Cuba, the Ballet Ensemble of Stuttgart and the Kirov Ballet Alina Cojocaru, Johan Kobborg, Viengsay Valdes Herrera, Elier Bourzac, Sue Jin Kang, Olesya Novikova and Leonid Sarafanov who enchanted the audience with their artistic talent.
The Third International Ballet Competition of Istanbul took place between June 26th-30th, 2012. During five days masterclasses were also given by Vladimir Malakhov who was a leading dancer at the Bolshoi Ballet, the State Ballet of Vienna and the State National Ballet of Canada and is currently the Art Director of the National Ballet of Berlin.
Jury members of the Third International Ballet Competition of Istanbul were world famous personalities of the ballet scene such as Charles Jude (France) the Art Director and Choreographer of the Ballet of Bordeaux, the former Director General of the State Opera and Ballet of the Republic of Turkey Meric Sumen Kanan, the Art Director and leading dancer of the National Ballet of Berlin Vladimir Malakov (Germany), the Choreographer of the State Opera and Ballet of the Republic of Turkey Merih Cimenciler (Turkey), the President of the National Academy of Ballet of Italy Margherita Parilla, the President of the Seoul Jae Keun Park (Corea), the former leading dancer of the National Ballet of Paris, teacher and choreographer Olivier Patey and the Art Director of the Washington Ballet Septime Webre (USA).
PRIZE WINNERS OF THE 2014 ISTANBUL BALLET COMPETITION
FIRST PRIZE
KONSTANTIN GERONIK, (BIELORUSSIA), LIUDMILA KHITROVA, (BIELORUSSIA)
GOLD MEDAL (ADULTS)
TAKATOSHI MACHIYAMA, (JAPAN), EUN HYE KAAN, (SOUTH COREA)
SILVER MEDAL (ADULTS)
ILHAN DURGUT, (TURKEY), DEANNA PEARSON, (USA)
BRONZE MEDAL (ADULTS)
JOO HOO LEE, (SOUTH COREA), BUSRA AY, (TURKEY)
JULIAN MACKAY, (USA), OLESIA SHAYTANOVA, (UKRAINE)
SILVER MEDAL (CHILDREN)
MUKHTAR JUMANIYAZOV, (KAZAKHSTAN), YANA SHTANHEI, (UKRAINE)
BRONZE MEDAL (CHILDREN)
DIOGO DE OLIVEIRA, (PORTUGAL), DINA LEVIN, (AUSTRIA)