From August 4^th to 11^th, the 4^th Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition (IBCC), hosted by NCPA and co-sponsored by Beijing Xiaoxing Ballet Art Development Foundation, will be held at NCPA. On May 7^th, representatives of the sponsor and the organizing committee, including vice president of NCPA ZHAO Tiechun, ZHAO Ruheng, vice president of the organizing committee, and judges of the preliminary contest, jointly attended the launching ceremony.

At the ceremony, ZHAO Tiechun announced that the 4^th Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition officially started and ZHAO Ruheng introduced the competition and judges on the spot. She said: “The Competition always pursues cultivating talents and enhancing art communication.”

Representatives and judges of the preliminary contest jointly attended the ceremony

By convention, this contest is to be divided into two parts: classical ballet and choreography. The jury of the preliminary contest is composed of six well-known Chinese artists. Among them, three ballet judges are, LIN Meifang, Deputy Director of the Teaching Committee of Shanghai Dance School, WANG Caijun, Party Secretary of The National Ballet of China, and ZHAO Yifei, Executive Principal of The Ballet School Affiliated to Lioaning Ballet. Three choreography judges are, GAO Chengming, Chinese first-level choreographer, director and a council member of China Dancers Association, LI Ying, Artistic Director of Suzhou Ballet Theatre, and WANG Yabin, Chinese first-level performer, a member of the Youth Dance Troupe of Beijing Dance Academy and Artistic Director of Yabin Dance Studio. After the press conference, judges will watch and evaluate competitors’ performances on the videos mailed by over 200 competitors from 18 countries and regions, including the United States, Russia, France, Germany, Cuba, South Africa and others. It is estimated that 65 competitors would qualify for the ballet semifinal and 30 competitors for the choreography semifinal. The shortlist of finalists will be published on the official website of the competition, www.china-ibcc.org, before May 31^st , 2017.

ZHAO Ruheng was introducing the information of the competition

The age requirement of competitors for classical ballet are from 14 to 22. Compared with last year, the age range was extended to provide a broad opportunity and platform for young ballet dancers. The age requirement of competitors for choreography are from 18 to 40, and the competitors have to be professional performers or choreographers. Since 2011, apart from the competitor selection, IBCC has had world-class art masters invited by NCPA each year to form juries for the semifinal and final competition. This year, Julio Bocca, director of the National Ballet of Uruguay, and Sergei Filin, former Artistic Director of the Bolshoi Ballet, will serve as the chairman of the ballet jury and the choreography jury respectively. Other judges include Uli ana Lopatkina, performer of the Mariinsky Ballet, SHEU Fang-Yi, free dance artist, etc.

Mr. ZHAO Tiechun and Ms. ZHAO Ruheng presented the Certificate of Honour to the judges

IBCC also has a series of related activities, including master classes, workshops, dancing seminars and educational lectures, aiming to provide opportunities for more audiences to learn about the ballet. Apart from the Competition held at NCPA, YAGP (Asian area) is also to be launched in Shenzhen, as a part of the 4^th Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition.

Group photo of judges of the preliminary contest

Moreover, On August 12^th and 13^th, two performances will be shown at the NCPA, bringing together world’s top ballet stars from Russia, Germany, Canada, the United States and other countries.