Varna International Ballet Competition
Biennial ballet competition held in Varna, Bulgaria
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The Varna International Ballet Competition is a biennial ballet competition held in Varna, Bulgaria.[1] The competition was founded in 1964 and subsequently held in 1965 and 1966, and then every two years starting in 1968.[1] Many dancers have gained their first international recognition at the competition.[2]
The contest that saw many of its medalist rise to prominence is dubbed in media as "olympics of dance".[3][4]
Winners
- 1964 : Vladimir Vasiliev,[5] Grand Prix of Varna; Alla Sizova, Ekaterina Maximova, Vera Kirova, Sergei Vikulov, and Nikita Dolgushin (all gold medal)
- 1965 : Natalia Makarova (gold medal), Loipa Araújo (gold medal)
- 1966 : Aurora Bosch (gold medal), Martine van Hamel (distinction, junior division), Mikhail Baryshnikov (first place, junior division)[6]
- 1968 : Marta García (first place, junior division), Rita Poelvoorde (silver medal)
- 1970 : Eva Evdokimova (gold medal), Rosario Suárez (first place, junior division)
- 1972 : Lyubov Gershunova[7]
- 1974 : Fernando Bujones (gold medal), Yoko Morishita (gold medal), Tatyana Kapustina (bronze medal)[8]
- 1976 : Patrick Dupond (Special Prize of the Youth Organization of Varna, junior division)
- 1978 : Élisabeth Platel (silver medal) // René de Cárdenas (best duo, junior division)
- 1980 : Evelyn Hart (gold medal) and David Peregrine (bronze medal) // Karin Averty (Special Prize of the Youth Organization of Varna, junior division)
- 1983 : Sylvie Guillem[9] (Special Prize of the Youth Organization of Varna, junior division)
- 1984 : Manuel Legris
- 1988 : Virginie Kempf (gold medal)
- 1990 : Agnès Letestu (gold medal)[10]
- 1992 : Aurélie Dupont, José Carlos Martinez, (gold medals), Zenaida Yanowsky (silver medal), Yury Yanowsky//Bernard Courtot de Bouteillier, Molly Smolen//Delphine Baey (bronze medals)), Molly Smolen (Prix de Nina Ricci)
- 1994 : Clairemarie Osta (silver medal), Laetitia Pujol (silver medal)
- 1996 : Rasta Thomas (first place, junior)
- 1998 : Zhu Yan (gold Medal) // Chi Cao (gold medal)
- 2000 : Lali Kandelaki, Xiao Feng Fan, Shen Yi Sun (gold medal, seniors)[11]
- 2002 : Hélène Bouchet (silver Medal)
- 2004 : Daniil Simkin (gold medal, junior), Yum Yunesava (first place junior), Arman Grigoryan (gold medal, senior), Mathilde Froustey (gold medal, senior)
- 2006 : Aubert Vanderlinden, Ivan Vasiliev (special prize, junior division)
- 2012 : Brooklyn Mack (gold medal)[2] // Denis Cherevichko (gold medal)
- 2014 : Soo Bin Lee (special distinction), Sara Renda (bronze medal), Ralitsa Ilieva (bronze medal)
- 2016 : Amanda Gomes (gold medal) // Paul Marque (gold medal)
- 2018 : António Casalinho (first place, juniors), Siyi Li (first place, girls), Yuan Zhe Zi Huan (gold medal，women), Katherine Barkman (silver medal), Sinuo Chang (gold medal, men)[12]