Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition Announces Medalists

The Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition concluded its eighth edition with announcement of the awardees, a moving and heartfelt tribute to Rudolf Nureyev on this 80th anniversary of his birth, and a stunning gala performance by selected medalists, March 30 at Symphony Space, NYC.

More than 100 classical and contemporary dancers from 20 countries around the world danced for medals, scholarships and company contracts. Judge Charles Jude, former etoile of the Paris Opera Ballet and a trustee of the Nureyev Foundation, provided a fascinating, rarely-seen 25 minute film of Nureyev, tracing his career from student days in his native Ufa.

Valentina Kozlova paid homage to the great artist with her remembrances of knowing and dancing with him, and his profound effect on the dance world. After the individual performances, the evening ended with a danced tribute by many of the awardees, who then placed a flower under a portrait of Nureyev.

Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition
2018 Medals, Awards and Prizes
GRAND PRIX FOR OVERALL PERFORMANCE
Claire Teysseire, France

SERGE LIFAR FOUNDATION $12,000 GRANT FOR EXCELLENCE IN
INTERPRETATION
Claire Teysseire, France

MEDALS
CLASSICAL COMPETITION
Youth Division (Ages 11-12)

Female
Gold Medal: Minji Son, South Korea
Gold Medal: Ella Kolpakova, USA
Silver Medal: Jaeun Goo, South Korea
Bronze Medal: Sadie Weintraub, Ireland
Bronze Medal: Seoyoung Bang, South Korea

Male
Bronze Medal for youngest Male participant:
Sacha Vaeremans, Belgium

Student Division (Ages 13-14)
Gold Medal: Ana Bellini, Brazil
Silver Medal: Eugine Ahn, South Korea
Bronze Medal: Maria Eduarda Pinto, Brazil
Bronze Medal: Luiza Falc?o, Brazil

Junior Division (Ages 15 to 17)
Gold Medal: Nikita Boris, USA
Silver Medal: Mari Bell, Canada
Silver Medal: Rheya Shano, USA
Senior 1 Division (Ages 18 to 21)

Female
Gold Medal: Eunice Suba, USA
Silver Medal: Yuyu Ichikawa, Belgium
Bronze Medal: Jioh Gwak, South Korea

Male
Gold Medal: Clément Guillaume, France
Silver Medal: Zi Wang, China
Bronze Medal: Suhwan Kim, South Korea
Bronze Medal: Seong Jun An, South Korea
Senior 2 Division (Ages 22 to 26)

Male
Bronze Medal: Davi Chagas, Brazil

CONTEMPORARY / NEOCLASSICAL COMPETITION
SOLOS
Female Solo Division 1
Gold Medal: Ella Kolpakova, USA
Bronze Medal: Zaira Yanet Quezada Meza, Mexico
Bronze Medal: Lilly Fridlyand, USA
Female Solo Division 2
Bronze Medal: Maria Eduarda Pinto, Brazil
Bronze Medal: Valentina Vucanik, Croatia
Female Solo Division 3
Silver Medal: Minji Kim, South Korea
Female Solo Division 4
Gold Medal: Yewon Choi, South Korea
Silver Medal: Sun Jae Lee, South Korea
Bronze Medal: Chaehee Kim, South Korea
Male Solo Division 4
Gold Medal: Chang Min Lee, South Korea
Gold Medal: Soo Beom Jang, South Korea
Silver Medal: Hyukjun Jeong, South Korea
Bronze Medal: Yan Lopes Rosa Eloi, Brazil

DUETS
Silver Medal: Sorores, Brazil
Silver Medal: Realis Tempus, Brazil

ENSEMBLES
Gold Medal: Aires d'España, Brazil
Gold Medal: Nos Falta, Brazil

CHOREOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Bronze Medal: Marie-Laurence Lionnard, Belgium

AWARDS
Best Interpretation of the Female Classical Compulsory "La Cigarette"
Claire Teysseire, France
Best Interpretation of the Male Classical Compulsory "Mazurka"
Zi Wang, China
Best Interpretation of the Female Contemporary Compulsory "Unleashed"
Nene Ogiwara, Japan
Best Interpretation of the Male Contemporary Compulsory "An Awesome Wave"
Clément Guillaume, France
Special Recognition Awards
Classical Youth Division
Ana Clara Ramos Correa Barboza, Brazil
Lilly Fridlyand, USA
Classical Junior Division
Gabriel Barbosa, Brazil
Contemporary Solo Division 4
Dayeon Jung, South Korea
Special Recognition from Ms. Kozlova
Jillian Schubert, USA

PRIZES
Per country, by alphabetical order
BELGIUM
Brussels International Ballet School:
Scholarships handed out by the Artistic Director
ENGLAND
English National Ballet School: 50% Summer Scholarship
Rheya Shano, USA
English National Ballet School: One Week Free Training
Alexia Norris, USA
FRANCE
Arcachon and Nice Summer Intensive, July 9th - 21st or July 24th - Aug 4th
Yuyu Ichikawa, Belgium
Arcachon and Nice Summer Intensive, July 9th - 21st or July 24th - Aug 4th
Clément Guillaume, France
Arcachon and Nice Summer Intensive, July 9th - 21st or July 24th - Aug 4th
Eunice Suba, USA
GEORGIA
State Ballet of Georgia Principal Contract
Claire Teysseire, France
State Ballet of Georgia Trainee Program
Celeste Ursino, Italy
State Ballet of Georgia Apprenticeship
Seong Jun An, South Korea
ITALY
Accademia Internazionale Coreutica, Florence: Intensive Summer Program
Yuyu Ichikawa, Belgium
Accademia Internazionale Coreutica, Florence: One Month Tuition Scholarship
Gabriel Barbosa, Brazil
ROMANIA
Teatrul De Ballet Sibiu: 11 month contract
Anais Di Filippo, Venezuela
La Sylphide Ballet School, Bucharest: July 2018 Scholarship
Isabela Buback, Brazil
La Sylphide Ballet School, Bucharest: July 2018 Scholarship
Luiza Falc?o, Brazil
La Sylphide Ballet School, Bucharest: July 2018 Scholarship
Sydney Henson, Hungary
La Sylphide Ballet School, Bucharest: July 2018 Scholarship
Eugine Ahn, South Korea
SOUTH KOREA
Korea National University of the Arts: Two week summer scholarship including
tuition and privates
Luiza Falc?o, Brazil
Korea National University of the Arts: Two week summer scholarship including
tuition and privates
Maria Eduarda Pinto, Brazil
SPAIN
Russian Masters Ballet Camp: Scholarship to summer Program July 2 - 22
Davi Chagas, Brazil
Russian Masters Ballet Camp: Scholarship to summer Program July 2 - 22
Gabriel Barbosa, Brazil
USA
Boston Ballet 2 Company Contract
Nikita Boris, USA
Cincinnati Ballet Second Company Contract
Eunice Suba, USA
Cincinnati Ballet Trainee Program
Rheya Shano, USA
Cincinnati Ballet Full Summer Scholarship 2019
Alexia Norris, USA
Cincinnati Ballet One week Scholarship
Ana Bellini, Brazil
Cleveland Ballet's Future Company Apprenticeship Contract
Mari Bell, Canada
Tampa's Next Generation Ballet Summer Intensive 2018 50% Tuition
Gabriel Barbosa, Brazil
Tampa's Next Generation Ballet Summer Intensive 2018 50% Tuition
Luma Nunes, Brazil
Tampa's Next Generation Ballet Summer Intensive 2018 50% Tuition
Lara Cornachini Sousa, Brazil
Tampa's Next Generation Ballet Summer Intensive 2018 50% Tuition
Rory Myers, USA
Tampa's Next Generation Ballet Summer Intensive 2018 50% Tuition
Quincy Sykes, USA
NYC: Valentina Kozlova Dance Conservatory August 2018 Intensive
Alycia Lefebrve, Belgium
NYC: Valentina Kozlova Dance Conservatory August 2018 Intensive
Elodie Lefebrve, Belgium
NYC: Valentina Kozlova Dance Conservatory August 2018 Intensive
Ana Karen Guzman Gutierrez, Mexico
NYC: Valentina Kozlova Dance Conservatory August 2018 Intensive
Diana Arely Hernandez Gonzalez, Mexico
NYC: Valentina Kozlova Dance Conservatory August 2018 Intensive
Valeria Zaleta Hernandez, Mexico
NYC: Valentina Kozlova Dance Conservatory August 2018 Intensive
Zaira Yanet Qezada Meza, Mexico

2018 JUDGES ANDRIS LIEPA (Russia), Chairman of the Judges, former principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet, guest with New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Royal Danish Ballet, and more. Co-founder of the Maris Liepa Charity Fund PATRICIA AULESTIA DE ALBA (Mexico), former principal dancer, founder/director of Ballet Nacional Ecuatoriano NINA ANANIASHVILI (Georgia), internationally renowned ballerina, artistic director of State Ballet of Georgia IVAN CAVALLARI (Italy), Artistic Director, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens MI SOOK JEON (South Korea), international dance educator and choreographer CHARLES JUDE (France), former etoile of Paris Opera Ballet, former director, Ballet de l'Opera de Bordeaux, trustee for Nureyev and Serge Lifar Foundations SUN HEE KIM (South Korea), Dean, Korea National University of Arts School of Dance CAROLINE LLORCA (Germany), Ballet Professor, University of Performing Arts, Munich Victoria Morgan (USA), Artistic Director and CEO, Cincinnati Ballet MIKKO NISSINEN (Finland), Artistic Director, Boston Ballet TURSYNBEK NURKALIYEV (Kazakhstan), Ballet Director, State Theatre of Opera and Ballet, Astana RADENKO PAVLOVICH (USA), Artistic Director, Columbia Classical Ballet ANDERSON SANTANA (Belgium), Brazilian founder/artistic director of Brussels International Ballet School OLGA GUARDIA DE SMOAK (Panama), President, New Orleans International Ballet Conference SERGEI SOLOVIEV (Russia), Teacher, Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse NIKOLAI TSISKARIDZE (Russia), Rector of Vaganova Ballet Academy, St. Petersburg CARLOS VALCARCEL (UK), Director of Dance Designate of English National Ballet
VKIBC is officially supported by the Lifar and Nureyev Foundations.