Kozlova Ballet Competition Gala Set for March at the Kaye Playhouse

Valentina Kozlova has announced the Gala Performance of the 2026 Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition (VKIBC), followed by the announcement of winners at VKIBC's 15th edition. 150+ dancers from around the world will have danced both classical and contemporary works for the juries of international dance luminaries, chaired by Nina Ananiashvili, director of the State Ballet of Georgia, Tbilisi. (juries listed below).  The most gifted and outstanding entrants will perform in the Gala.  The Awards Ceremony that follows the performance will name the Gold, Silver, and Bronze medalists, and the talented dancers who have been offered company contracts, scholarships to dance academies around the world, and more prizes.

Dancers in 2026 number 150+ and hail from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, South Korea, and the U.S.A.  They will have appeared in the Rounds March 17, 18 & 19, held at New York Live Arts, 219 West 19th Street, which is also open to the public.

An additional event will take place Friday, March 20, with Valentina Kozlova coaching the senior dancers.  Dance writers are also cordially invited to attend that event, which will take place at New York Live Arts beginning at 3 PM.

Open to dancers from ages 11 to 26, VKIBC is divided into categories of Youth (11-12 years); Student (13-14 years); Junior (15-17 years); Seniors (18-26).  Entrants in the contemporary categories bring their own original dances; entrants in the classical category choose their dances from the list submitted to them by VKIBC.