Sunday, April 15, 2012

World Ballet Competition Reveals New Site, Layout for Blog

If you have found this posting, you are behind the times. The World Ballet Competition (WBC) has upgraded and revealed its new blog on the official WBC website, which means this is our final posting on wbcorlando.blogspot.com.

Check out the new WBC Blog here.


The World Ballet Competition decided to move its blog after revealing an upgraded website. Engaging and user-friendly, here are some of the new features the website includes...


Home Page Picture Slideshow - allowing visitors to clearly see all of the latest news and updates.

FanBoard
- part of its community building features to allow students, professional dancers, teachers, and choreographers to share tips, stories, and best practices on a variety of dance topics.

Easy to Access Menu...the new menu offers an easier way to find what you are looking for and allows quicker movement throughout the website.

In-Website Blog
- where readers can find exclusive interviews, exciting news, and behind the scenes information on the World Ballet Competition.

For more information on the World Ballet Competition or to check out the upgraded website, visit http://www.WorldBalletCompetition.com

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

WBC 2012 Judges Revealed - Part 1

Yesterday we challenged our readers to use our hints to guess the first judges announced for the World Ballet Competition 2012, which will be held this Summer from Tuesday, May 29 - Sunday, June 3. See if you were correct and discover all about the accomplishments of the first three members of the WBC 2012 Judging Panel below! Plus, be sure to tune in via our live internet broadcast at http://www.WBCorlando.com this Summer to watch the competition and our esteemed judges score competitors LIVE at the WBC!

Judge #1: Elisabetta Hertel


The hints were....

- Born in Torino, Italy
- Founded the International Ballet Academy in 2002
- Regulary invited as a guest teacher internationally including Japan, Germany, and the USA

Elisabetta Hertel's Official Biography: Elisabetta Hertel was born in Torino, Italy, she began training at the Scuola del Teatro Nuovo and Scuola di Danza Bella Hutter. In 1979 she joined the Académie de Danse Classique Princess Grace; receiving the Professional Dancer Diploma in 1984. After joining the Stuttgart Ballet in 1984 she toured extensively in numerous countries around the world. In 1999 she graduated, in London, as a Classical Ballet Teachers with Distinction. In 2000 she created the “Intensive Summer Course for Ballet Students, Teachers, and Professional Dancers”. Elisabetta founded and directed the International Ballet Academy in 2002, an organization for professional formation in the art of dance. She has attained the Diploma of “Instructor of First level” for the Gyrotonic Expansion System and currently teaches Professional Formation Course in classical ballet, pas de deux, and repertoire. Additionally, she is regularly invited to be a Guest Teacher in international courses in Italy and abroad (Singapore, Hong- Kong, Japan, Germany, U.S.A.) as well as in many Italian schools.



Judge #2: Adam Sklute

The hints were...

- Resides in the USA
- Artistic Director of a major ballet company
- One of the last two artists personally chosen by Robert Joffrey to join the Joffrey Ballet

Adam Sklute's Official Biography: A native of Berkeley, California, Adam was named Artistic Director of Ballet West in March of 2007. Prior to that time he was Associate Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet where he began as a dancer in the mid 1980’s. In three years, Sklute introduced Ballet West to such renowned contemporary choreographers as Ulysses Dove, Nicolo Fonte, Jiri Kylian, Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp and Stanton Welch. Under Sklute’s leadership Ballet West appeared at Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in the 2008 Ballet Across America Festival. He has served as a finalist judge for the Youth America Grand Prix, an adjudicator for American College Dance Festival Association, and listed as one of the 25 Movers and Shakers of the Utah Arts Scene in 2007. Adam is an adjunct professor of dance at the University of Utah and a guest teacher/coach for dance programs nationwide. After only two years of formal study he joined The Joffrey II Dancers where, two years later, he was asked to join The Joffrey Ballet; being one of the last two artists personally chosen by Robert Joffrey. Adam has also appeared in WTTW’s one-hour special of Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker and in Robert Altman’s feature film The Company, based on The Joffrey Ballet.


Judge #3: Jean Logrea

The hints were...

- Born in Romania and now a "New Yorker"
- A previous judge of the World Ballet Competition
- Performed in the 2009 All Stars of Dance (previously Gala of the Stars)

Jean Logrea's Official Biography: Logrea came to the United States from Austria, where for seven years he was a principal with the Graz Opera House ballet company. Trained at the Choreographic Institute in Cluj (Romania) in Classical Ballet, Character, and Folk Dance, he was a principal at the Opera House Cluj, as well as a teacher at the affiliated school for nine years. There he was entrusted with a class of especially talented students, all of whom are now dancing internationally with major companies. He toured extensively throughout Europe and the USSR in such major roles as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, the Jester in Swan Lake, the pas de deux from Le Corsaire, and the Rocker in The Miraculous Mandarin. Jean is the Co-Director of the Logrea Dance Academy in Ossining, NY and he is the Co-Artistic Director of Westchester Ballet Company.

Monday, April 9, 2012

WBC 2012 Judges - Secret Post #1

Tomorrow, three judges of the World Ballet Competition 2012 will be announced! Check out the hints below and see if you can guess who they will be!

Judge #1 Hints
- Born in Torino, Italy
- Founded the International Ballet Academy in 2002
- Regulary invited as a guest teacher internationally including Japan, Germany, and the USA

Judge #2 Hints
- Resides in the USA
- Artistic Director of a major ballet company
- One of the last two artists personally chosen by Robert Joffrey to join the Joffrey Ballet

Judge #3 Hints
- Born in Romania and now a "New Yorker"
- A previous judge of the World Ballet Competition
- Performed in the 2009 All Stars of Dance (previously Gala of the Stars)

Be sure to check back tomorrow for the official announcement of the first three judges! More secret postings coming soon on the entire WBC 2012 Judging Panel!

For more information on the World Ballet Competition, visit http://www.WBCorlando.com or call 407.849.4669.

Monday, April 2, 2012

WBC International Job Fair Allows Dancers to Skip Hefty Travel Costs

Photo By: Virginia Trudeau & Deedee Sherman

The World Ballet Competition is set to host its unique International Job Fair in Orlando, Florida, USA on Saturday, June 2, 2012. In the event, a very limited amount of dancers (average of 35) are accepted through video auditions to be able to participate.

Watching at the live audition in Orlando are directors and recruiters from companies worldwide - viewing the audition either in the theater or via the live internet broadcast. Dancers audition onstage in a ballet technique class with center on pointe for women and individual technique execution for men. Past participating dancers have landed offers from companies including Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Washington Ballet, Ballet West, Teatrul de Balet Sibiu, and Orlando Ballet.

The WBC International Job Fair has become highly popular since dancers are able to audition for many companies at once in Orlando; meaning they can skip the time-consuming process of coordinating auditions with ballet companies in several cities and say goodbye to hefty plane tickets. At the same time, company directors can choose from high-level talent and fill in last-minute spots for the upcoming season. "It's a win-win for everyone involved. It makes the search for new talent easier and likewise for dancers. Everyone has more to choose from with less time spent looking." says Founder & Executive Director, Vasile Petrutiu.

Dancers from around the world can apply to participate in the International Job Fair with a Video Audition Application - Deadline is Monday, April 23. Find more information and all the details on how to apply here: http://wbcorlando.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=118&Itemid=146

For more information on the World Ballet Competition visit, http://www.WBCorlando.com