Prix de Lausanne Ballet Competition 2021

[Karl-G]

There are three really major international ballet competitions in the world each year; the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland is one of them. Here, young dancers on the brink of a professional career perform, and winners receive awards and offers of positions at the great ballet companies of the world.

 

The Prix de Lausanne was held two weeks ago, and for the first time, boys took four of the top six awards. You can watch the entire week of performances on YouTube, or you can watch just the final day and see the best performances. Top award gold medal went to Portuguese dancer Antonio Casalinho, who will certainly become one of the best dancers in the world in the next couple of years. He is 17 years old and amazing. Looking further, I found a number of YouTube videos of other performances and interviews he has done. He has also won first prize at the Youth America Grand Prix and other competitions. He speaks excellent English, with a slight and charming accent. Another of the medal winners was a boy trained at the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, FL. A boy from Egypt won the popular People's Award, based on votes from viewers from all over the world. It is the first time an Egyptian has ever participated. He was very good, with great charisma. His father is Egyptian and his mother is French; he trains in Italy and elsewhere in Europe.