Boston Ballet School Named Official Partner School of the Prix de Lausanne

Boston Ballet School (BBS) has been recognized as an official Partner School of the prestigious Prix de Lausanne. The Prix de Lausanne is one of the oldest and most reputable ballet competitions with a mission of placing young dancers in the best schools and providing scholarships for their training. The Prix de Lausanne's community of Partner Schools and Companies includes some of the most respected institutions in the world including San Francisco Ballet School, School of American Ballet, and The Royal Ballet School, among others.

"It has long been our goal to join this international organization and Boston Ballet School has made lots of progress to reach this goal. I am very happy we are in consortium with the top ballet schools in the world," said Mikko Nissinen, Boston Ballet Artistic Director. "Youth is our future and broadening the experiences of today's dance students is an invaluable tool."

As a Partner School, BBS will join the vast network of schools and companies that enable prize winners to benefit from a year's training or a year's apprenticeship with the organization of the candidate's choice. When a competition winner selects BBS, their tuition for a year's training will be fully sponsored by the Prix de Lausanne. This will enable BBS to directly recruit top international dance talent. It will also increase the School's international visibility and gain access to networking opportunities with industry peers.

"Becoming a partner school provides another avenue to recruit top talent. Two of this year's incoming Pre-Professional Program students were introduced to us through their participation in the Prix de Lausanne," said Boston Ballet School Director Margaret Tracey. "We are extremely honored to partner with this esteemed competition and to provide opportunities to young dance talent around the world."

"It is a great pleasure to officially welcome Boston Ballet School to the family of Prix de Lausanne Partner Schools and Companies," said former Artistic Director of Prix de Lausanne Amanda Bennett. "The level of training as well as the level of care given to the students is reflected in the happy, talented and motivated students and teachers. Boston Ballet has developed into an extraordinary company."

The Prix de Lausanne, an annual international competition, is open to young dancers of all nationalities ages 15 to 18 who are not yet professionals. Its mission is to reveal the potential of exceptionally talented young dancers from around the world by having them perform before a jury of world-renowned dance personalities and to open the doors to the world's finest dance institutions by providing scholarships to the most prestigious international schools and companies. The Prix de Lausanne rewards potential rather than results. The competition week serves as a top-level annual meeting point for the international dance world. Today the Prix de Lausanne has become not only a worldwide famous competition but also a meeting place for personalities of the dance world.

Boston Ballet School provides unparalleled dance education for students (toddler to adults) through its Children's, Classical Ballet, and Adult Dance Programs, and trains the next generation of professional ballet dancers. With an internationally-renowned faculty led by Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen and School Director Margaret Tracey, Boston Ballet School attracts elite students from around the globe, and prepares them for a professional career with Boston Ballet and in the ballet industry. The school operates three state-of-the-art facilities; at Boston Ballet's headquarters in the South End of Boston, in the Salem/Marblehead area of the North Shore, and in the Metro West town of Newton. Established in 1953 by E. Virginia Williams as a small regional dance school, Boston Ballet School is now an international leader in the field and reaches more than 5,000 students annually.

About Boston Ballet

Since 1963, Boston Ballet's internationally acclaimed performances of classical, neo-classical, and contemporary ballets, combined with a dedication to world class dance education and community initiative programs, have made the institution a leader in its field, with a 52-year history of promoting excellence and access to dance.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen and Executive Director Max Hodges, the Company maintains a diverse repertoire, ranging from full-length ballets to new works by some of today's finest choreographers. Boston Ballet's Second Company, Boston Ballet II, is comprised of dancers who gain experience by performing with the Company and independently, presenting special programs to audiences throughout the Northeast.

Boston Ballet School, the official school of Boston Ballet, has a long-standing dedication to providing exceptional dance education and ballet training to students across three studios in Boston, Newton, and the North Shore. Led by Director Margaret Tracey, the School reaches more than 5,000 students (toddler to adult) each year through its four core programs: Children's Program, Classical Ballet Program, Adult Dance Program, and Pre-Professional Program.

Boston Ballet's Department of Education and Community Initiatives (ECI) provides programming, events, and activities that connect the community to dance. ECI reaches more than 6,000 individuals in Boston, North Shore, and the surrounding communities each year through Citydance, ECI on Location, Adaptive Dance, and other community programs.

For more information, please visit www.bostonballet.org.

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