Indiana Ballet Conservatory Students to Participate in Elite USA International Ballet Competition

Students Alexandra Manuel, Quinn Starner and alumnus Julia Rust of the Indiana Ballet Conservatory, have been invited to compete in "the world Olympics of ballet" during the USA International Ballet Competition (USAIBC) that runs from June 10 - 23, 2018 in Jackson, Mississippi. 119 competitors from 19 nations were chosen on March 14th for the official international ballet competition of the United States.

Alexandra Manuel, 14 years old, has been training with the IBC Faculty since she was 8 years old. A student of IBC's Pre-Professional Day Program, she most recently competed as a soloist in the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) Finals in NYC for the past four years, won the coveted Youth Grand Prix award in 2018, as well as 1st Place Classical and Contemporary in 2017, and the Hope Award in 2016. She also won Silver medals in both classical and contemporary at the ADC|IBC 2017. Alexandra has performed many leading roles in IBC productions throughout the years, including the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in 2017 alongside Boston Ballet principal dancer Lasha Khozashvili. She has also accepted a position at the Royal Ballet School, where she will be continuing her studies this fall.

Julia Rust, age 17, was a student of the Indiana Ballet Conservatory and IBC Founding Artistic Director Alyona Yakovleva-Randall from the ages of 8 to 16 years old. During this time, Julia won many top honors at international ballet competitions including the 2016 Fernando Bujoñes Memorial Excellence Award and Scholarship at the ADC International Ballet Competition, the prestigious Grand Prix Award at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) Semi-Finals as well as placing in the Top 12 Senior Women at the YAGP International NYC Finals in 2017. She also had the pleasure of performing as a guest dancer in the 20th Anniversary of the International Ballet Festival of Miami. Julia accepted a scholarship to the Washington School of Ballet where she currently is completing her training.

Quinn Starner is a 16 year old student at The Indiana Ballet Conservatory, where she has trained for the last 2 years. Quinn has been training in dance since she was 2 1/2 years old. In 2014, Quinn had the honor of being chosen for the role of Clara in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular with The Rockettes. At IBC, Quinn has had the privilege of winning many awards including the Junior Grand Prix Award at the ADC|IBC International Ballet Competition in 2017 and Senior Women's 1st Place Contemporary & 3rd Place Classical in 2018; Legacy Award at Universal Ballet Competition in both 2017 and 2018; and 1st Place Contemporary & 2nd Place Classical at Youth America Grand Prix 2018. In 2016, Quinn participated in So You Think You Can Dance Junior in L.A. and was a top finalist. Through the years, Quinn has had featured roles in many productions, including the leading role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in IBC's 2017 Nutcracker.

"I am so pleased to see three of our students chosen to be among the best dance competitors in the world. The faculty at IBC is proud of their hardwork and their exceptional accomplishments. We hope they will find this experience a further opporunity to learn and grow," says Alyona Yakelova-Randall, Founding Artistic Director Indiana Ballet Conservatory.

About Indiana Ballet Conservatory
The Indiana Ballet Conservatory, founded in 2010 by Artistic Director Alyona Yakovleva-Randall, is a pre-professional ballet school committed to providing the best classical ballet training to its students and launching the next generation of dancers onto the world stage. IBC students continually place in top positions in national and international competitions and pursue professional careers in dance around the world.For more information visit http://www.indianaballetconservatory.org

ABOUT USA IBC
The USA International Ballet Competition mission is to provide an opportunity for dancers to test themselves against recognized international standards of dance excellence and showcase their technical skill and artistic talent; to provide a forum for communication and intercultural exchange; and to educate, enlighten and develop future artists and audience support for the art of dance.
http://indianaballetconservatory.org/

USA IBC is a two-week "olympic-style" competition for top young dancers and a major stepping stone toward a professional career. Competitors from all over the world vie for gold, silver and bronze medals; cash prizes; and company contracts. The audience is filled with company directors interested in hiring dancers, and for this reason, many dancers leave with jobs-possibly the grandest prize of all.
https://www.usaibc.com/about-us/