Compete in Turkey
Istanbul may not be the first place you’d look for great ballet. But the Turkish city is an emerging arts capital, and one reason is the new International Istanbul Ballet Competition. The event brought in some heavyweight jury members in its first two editions, including Julio Bocca, Vladimir Malakhov, Irek Mukhamedov, Septime Webre and Yury Grigorovich. And this year, its offering an added bonus: Bolshoi ballet master Mikhail Lavrovsky will teach daily master classes open to any and all ballet students and professionals.
Founded: 2008
Held: Every other year
2012 Dates: June 25–30
DVD Application Deadline: April 13
Categories: Juniors, ages 15–19; seniors, ages 19–26
Fee: 50 euros
Awards: A first, second and third place are awarded in each category, plus a grand prix. Prizes come with up to 10,000 euros.
Website: istanbulballetcompetition.gov.tr