African International Ballet Competition to be Held at Artscape Opera House This Month

The fifth South African International Ballet Competition (SAIBC) will take place from 23 to 28 February 2016 at the Artscape Opera House in Cape Town.

Africa's only international ballet competition, the SAIBC was launched in 2008 by Dirk Badenhorst with subsequent competitions in 2010, 2012 and 2014 attracting dancers from South Africa and around the world to compete for gold, silver and bronze medals as well as substantial monetary prizes. The categories in which dancers compete, in both ballet and contemporary dance, are Scholars, (12 to 15 years), Junior (16 to 20 years) and Seniors (21 to 28 years). The total prize money amounts to R400,000 and thus far the competition has attracted dancers from Johannesburg and various cities this country, as well as South Korea, Latvia, America, Mexico, Cuba and Europe, and is the largest group of competitors yet.

The SAIBC is held in high esteem both locally and internationally and has established itself as a very important ballet competition that has become a highly anticipated biennial event on the global ballet competition circuit. The SAIBC also presents an opportunity to showcase Cape Town and South Africa to visitors from this country and abroad. SAIBC CEO, Dirk Badenhorst, comments:

The event puts a spotlight on South Africa and draws visitors to the city and other parts of the country.

The City of Cape Town is the major sponsor. Councillor Garreth Bloor, Mayoral Committee Member for Tourism, Events and Economic Development, says:

The City of Cape Town is proud to support the South African International Ballet Competition. While ballet is a highly technical form of dance it is also an art combining grace and movement. As such it has the power to draw audiences in and provide not just entertainment, but a window into the world of theatre, music and dance. Ballet is often the foundation for many other dance genres and the City of Cape Town is proud to support the art.

A distinguished panel of judges from SA and around the world has been assembled, including Julio Bocca, former principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, international guest artist and currently artistic director of the Ballet Nacional SODRE in Uruguay; Mi-Song Cho, director of the Korea Youth Ballet Stars; Caroline Iura, ballet mistress of the Dutch National Ballet and Junior Ballet; Valentina Kozlova, former star of the Bolshoi Ballet and New York City Ballet, now director of the New York-based Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition; Brigitte Lefèvre, director emeritus of the Paris Opera Ballet; Oliver Matz, former principal dancer of the Ballet of the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin and acclaimed international guest artist, now the Director of Dance Studies and faculty member of the Zurich Dance Academy; and Elizabeth Triegaardt, former principal dancer with CAPAB Ballet, later head of the University of Cape Town School of Dance, Emeritus Professor at UCT and at present Honorary Executive Director of Cape Town City Ballet.

Tickets are now available for the elimination rounds that take place from Tuesday 23 to Thursday 25 February at 6pm at R65 each, for the Semi-Finals on Friday 26 February at 7pm from R65 to R225 each, for the Finals on Saturday 27 February at 7pm, when the winners will be announced, at R65 to R225 each, and for the Gala that showcases the winners and guest artists on Sunday 28 February at 3pm, at R90 to R300 per person, all via Computicket or 0861 915 8000 or Artscape Dial-A-Seat on 021-421 7695.

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