Results of the V International Award DANCE OPEN 2014

On the night of April 29, on the International Dance Day, the 13th DANCE OPEN International Ballet Festival in St. Petersburg ended. The winners of the same name were:

Mrs. Virtuosity Kristina Kretova (Bolshoi Theater of Russia)

Mr. Virtuosity Semyon Chudin (Bolshoi Theater of Russia)

Mrs. The Expressiveness of Misty Copland (Soloist of the American Ballet Theater)

Mr. Expressiveness Vladimir Shklyarov (Premiere of the Mariinsky Theater)

Best duet Joseph Gatti (touring premier) and Yana Salenko

(Prima - Ballet dancer of the Royal Ballet Covent Garden and Prima Ballerina

Berlin Ballet)

Audience Award shared by Remy Wortmeyer (Premier National

Ballet of the Netherlands) and Joel Karenyo (Premiere of the Norwegian National Ballet)

Grand Prix of DANCE OPEN Anna Tsygankova (Prima Ballerina of the National Ballet

Netherlands)

On April 28, a gala concert of world ballet stars took place on the stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater - the final event of the eventful program of the XIII International Dance Festival DANCE OPEN, which gave Petersburgers this year meetings with leading choreographers: Dwight Roden, Jay Man Ju, Thierry Malanden, Hans van Mannen and Two European (Malandain Ballet Biarritz and Dutch National Ballet) and the American ballet troupe (Complexions Contemporary Ballet), reflecting the different facets of modern ballet, and an eclectic gala - a bridge between the past and the present, became the most significant event it cultural posters of April.

Photo by Stas Levshin

The participants in the final Gala are world ballet stars who are at their peak. This year, DANCE OPEN introduced to St. Petersburg new names that are part of the world’s top ballet ratings. Among them are Misty Copland, Igone de Jong, Thiago Bordin, Daria Klimentova and many others. Among the foreign participants of the Festival are English soloists of the Royal Ballet Covent Garden: Matthew Golding, Melissa Hamilton, Eric Underwood, Yana Salenko. That is why this year Gala is also included in the calendar of the Cross Year of Russia and Great Britain. The evening program was presented not only by classics of the 20th century: while remaining faithful to a long tradition, the artistic director of the Festival, Vasily Medvedev, first reconstructed an excerpt from the ballet Bluebeard by Marius Petipa. The revival of the traditions of Russian ballet, the continuity of experience and the connection of generations are one of the important components of the mission of the Festival.

This year, more than 109 students from 11 countries took part in master classes conducted by outstanding masters - Vladimir Malakhov, Gennady Selyutsky, Julia Makhalina, Anton Korsakov and other brilliant teachers.

Photo by Vladimir Cherenkov

The results of the Festival were announced at the V International DANCE OPEN Ballet Award. According to the High Jury, which was headed by the famous choreographer Hans van Manen this year, the most virtuoso performers of the Festival were: Kristina Kretova, who received the figurine from the hands of the People’s Artist of Russia and the art director of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, jazz David Semenovich Goloshchekin; cinema and theater actress and founder of the Give Life charity foundation Dina Korzun awarded Semyon Chudin for virtuosity, Vladimir Shklyarov received a crystal leg for expressiveness from the hands of actress Alyona Babenko, and Anvar Libabov, actor of the Lyceum Theater, congratulated Misti Kopland. A replica of the sculpture of Boris Fredman-Clusel from the cast of Anna Pavlova’s foot - the author’s award of the DANCE OPEN Prize was also received by the most harmonious couple of the Festival - Joseph Gatti and Yana Salenko - they were congratulated by the duet of the founders of the Festival in the person of Ekaterina Galanova and Vasily Medvedev. The Grand Prix of DANCE OPEN was awarded to the prima ballerina of the Dutch National Ballet Anna Tsygankova, who was personally awarded by the Chairman of the High Jury Hans Van Manen. The ceremony’s guests were not surprised that the audience’s prize was immediately shared by two dancers - Remy Wortmeyer and Joel Kareño: and during the performance, the ballet fans escorted both with a standing ovation. Actress Alisa Grebenshchikova and the footballer, goalkeeper of the Russian national beach soccer team Danila Ippolitov, entered the stage for awarding artists in this category. Recall that the “Audience Award” is always the most intriguing nomination for the Prize, the winners of which are determined by secret voting of the audience during the Gala.

After the presentation of honorary awards, the organizers and participants of the Festival said goodbye to the next meeting in 2015 - now at the XIV international ballet festival DANCE OPEN.