Fourth Cape Town International Ballet Competition Set for February

CEO of the Cape Town International Ballet Competition (CTIBC), Dirk Badenhorst, has announced that the fourth CTIBC takes place from 17 to 23 February 2014 at the Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town.

Africa's only international ballet competition, the CTIBC was launched in 2008 with subsequent competitions in 2010 and 2012 attracting dancers from South Africa and around the world to compete for gold, silver and bronze medals as well as substantial monetary prizes.

In unveiling details of the 2014 CTIBC, Dirk Badenhorst announced the addition of a third age group for competitors. The new category, Scholar, will be open to dancers aged 12 to 15 years. Other categories are Junior, for dancers aged 16 to 20 years, and Senior, for dancers aged 21 to 28 years.

In line with the earlier Cape Town International Ballet Competitions, a distinguished panel of judges from around the world is being assembled for CTIBC 2014. Judges so far confirmed are Marcia Haydee, former ballerina and artistic director of the famed Stuttgart Ballet, creator of leading roles in ballets by legendary choreographer John Cranko, and now director of the Ballet de Santiago, Chile; Dawn Weller, former ballerina of PACT Ballet, artistic director of PACT Ballet/The State Theatre Ballet from 1983 to 2000, and now director of Australia's Graduate College of Dance; Hae Shik Kim, Founding Dean of the Korean National University of Arts School of Dance, former ballerina and artistic director of the Korean National Ballet, now artistic director of the Seoul International Dance Competition; Xin Lili, former ballerina, now choreographer and artistic director of the Shanghai Ballet and Ramona de Saá, former dancer, now Director of the National Ballet School of Cuba and Associate Professor of Cuba's Higher Institute of Art and Methodology of the National Centre for Schools of Art. The names of the further judges will be announced following Dirk Badenhorst's visit to China in July where he will be a Judge at the Beijing International Ballet Competition.

The closing date for entries for the fourth Cape Town International Ballet Competition is Monday 13 January 2014. For the application form, rules and regulations and other information, visit www.ctibc.com. Queries may also be addressed to Dirk Badenhorst, Chief Executive of the CTIBC, on +27 (0)83 324 0949 or at badenhorst.db@gmail.com. For all media enquiries please contact Allison Foat at DIVA PR on allison@divapr.co.za or 0214627384.