The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is set to bring the Genée International Ballet Competition, one of the world’s most prestigious ballet competitions, back to Toronto for the first time since 2008. From August 20-29, the finest young dancers from around the globe working within the RAD syllabus will take part in an intensive week of coaching from world-renowned teachers and choreographers. This year’s commissioned choreographer, Montreal-based Gioconda Barbuto, will create two variations which will receive their world-premiere at the Final on Thursday, August 29, at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.
Monet Hewitt (Gold Medal 2018). Photo by Kieth Sin at Hiro Graphics.
The competition will also mark a special celebration of Karen Kain, artistic director of The National Ballet of Canada. The RAD is delighted to announce that Kain will be the first Canadian to be awarded its highest honour, the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award. The RAD has chosen to recognize Kain in celebration of her 50 years with The National Ballet of Canada, and her incredible contribution to the world of ballet, both as a renowned dancer and one of the most distinguished leaders in dance today. This is the first time this award will be bestowed outside of the UK. She will be honored on her home stage and home country, as the Genée returns to Canada in more than a decade.
“I am greatly honoured to receive the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award and humbled to join the list of accomplished past recipients who have made great contributions to the art form of ballet,” Kain said. “Thank you to the Royal Academy of Dance for this recognition. I look forward to welcoming the competitors of the 2019 Genée International Ballet Competition to the home stage of The National Ballet of Canada at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto. It will be a pleasure to be an adjudicator at this prestigious event and witness the many fine young dancers from across the world.”
Karen Kain. Photo by Karolina Kuras.
Hosted in a different country each year, the Genée is a unique competition that champions teaching and self-development. It is open to dancers aged 15-19 who have passed the RAD Intermediate and Advanced 2 examinations in Classical Ballet with distinction. Each year, over 50 dancers from around the world enter the competition to partake in five days of coaching to perfect three different solos: a 19th or 20th century variation, a piece choreographed specifically for the candidate, either by their teacher, a friend or themselves, and finally a world-premiere by that year’s commissioned choreographer. Candidates then compete for the prized gold medal in two days of Semi-Finals, and the Final.
“This year’s Genée International Ballet Competition will mark my first as Artistic Director of the Royal Academy of Dance, and I cannot wait to work with our talented students from across the globe,” said Gerard Charles, artistic director of the RAD. “The Genée is more than just a competitive platform; it is a chance for young dancers to receive new ideas, participate in the creation of a new work and to share a unique experience with their peers and new friends. I am sure it will be an exciting experience they will never forget. I am thrilled that we will also have the opportunity to celebrate one of Canada’s most inspirational figures in dance in the host city of Toronto, and would like to extend my congratulations to Karen Kain on receiving this esteemed award, on behalf of the Royal Academy of Dance.”
Joshua Green (Gold Medal 2018). Photo by Keith Sin at Hiro Graphics.
Kain will also sit on the judging panel for the Genée Final. She is joined by Dame Monica Mason, former director of The Royal Ballet; Mikko Nissinen, artistic director of Boston Ballet; and Magdalena Popa, principal artistic coach of The National Ballet of Canada (Semi-Finals only). Each year, the RAD’s Artistic Director commissions a choreographer with a strong link either to the Academy, the competition or the host country. This year’s commissioned choreographer is Gioconda Barbuto, an internationally esteemed Canadian dancer and choreographer, who will create two variations (one male, one female), which the candidates will learn during the coaching period to be premiered at the Final.
“I am honored to be invited to be this year’s Commissioned Choreographer for the Genée International Ballet Competition,” Barbuto said. “I am really looking forward to meeting the candidates and working with them to create two new pieces. Creative interactions such as this are so valuable for young dancers, and I am very excited to see how they will inspire my choreographic process.”
The week-long event will be held at Canada’s National Ballet School and Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.
To find out more, and to book tickets visit www.royalacademyofdance.org/genee2019.
Share this:
