Prix de Lausanne 2011

Two PBT School students, Aviana Adams & Anwen David were chosen to participate in the Prix de Lausanne 2011.

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School students, Anwen David, 16, and Aviana Adams, 15, were selected to compete in The Prix de Lausanne 2011 in Lausanne, Switzerland. Aviana and Anwen have been training their entire lives with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School. In its 39th year, the Prix de Lausanne exists “to reveal the potential of exceptionally talented young dancers from around the globe by having them perform before a jury of world-renowned dance personalities [and] to open the doors to the world's finest schools and companies for them by providing scholarships to the most prestigious schools and companies.” 

The Prix de Lausanne is an international competition and educational workshop for young pre-professional dancers ages 15 to 18. This year, 205 candidates representing 31 different nationalities, auditioned by video to participate in the qualifying round that took place in October.

Of the 205 candidates, 82 dancers were selected to go through to the next stage of the competition, in Lausanne, February 1-6, 2011.

Anwen David and Aviana Adams are among only eight female students selected to compete from the United States. They were selected by the Prix’s Artistic Committee with support from a group of international dance experts, each of whom meets the criteria for membership of a Prix de Lausanne jury. PBT School is the only school in the United States to have multiple female students competing.

Aviana Adams: Avi started her dance training at the age of four and has trained exclusively with PBT School through the various levels and is currently in the High School Full-time program of the Pre-Professional Division. In addition to training with PBT School during the year, Avi has taken part in PBT School’s Intensive Summer Program over the years. Avi has had the opportunity to perform on stage with the PBT Company in various productions including Terrence S. Orr’s The Nutcracker.

 

 

 

 

Anwen David: Having begun her training at the age of five, Anwen is currently in the PBT High School Full-time program and has been a student of the PBT School for nine years (six years under the Directorship of Dennis Marshall and Marjorie Grundvig). Anwen also participated in PBT School’s Intensive Summer Program for three summers. At 16, she has already danced numerous times on stage at the Benedum Center for Performing Arts with the PBT Company, most recently in Artistic Director Terrence S. Orr’s, The Nutcracker in the Waltz of the Flowers and as a snowflake.

 

 

Aviana & Anwen's Photo Blog from Switzerland

Click here to read Aviana & Anwen's photo blog from Switzerland!

 

 

Watch the Competition Live:

Internet aficionados will be able to follow some candidates throughout the competition week, which will aim to provide a different and more intimate view of the candidates’ experience of the Prix de Lausanne: http://videoblog.prixdelausanne.org

* * * * * * * * * * *

PBT School student, Aviana Adams, Prix de Lausanne contestant, will tweet about her experience during the week of the Prix de Lausanne. Follow her through the week of the Prix here : http://twitter.com/aviana71

Jason Beechey, Prix de Lausanne Artistic Comittee member and rector of the Palucca Schule Dresden, will tweet about his experience during the week of the Prix de Lausanne. Follow him through the week of the Prix here : http://twitter.com/jasonbeechey

* * * * * * * * * * *

The Finals of the Prix de Lausanne 2011 will be broadcast live in high quality on the Prix's website on Sunday, February 6th starting at 9am Eastern Standard Time. http://www.prixdelausanne-live.com

 

Rehearsal Photos

Click here to view recent rehearsal photos of the girls

 

In the News

Click here to read Jane Vranish's article on her blog, Pittsburgh Cross Currents