Major worldwide competitions: where and when.

Worldwide competitions for ballet, modern dance, and choreography provide showcase opportunities, as well as cash prizes, and medals for winners in several categories. Jurors are distinguished pedagogues, artistic directors, or critics. Applicants may be as young as thirteen; if professional, not older than twenty-eight. Competitors should be well-schooled and ready for comparison with dancers from world-renowned academies. Registration requires proof of age, teacher or director recommendations, photos, and, frequently, videotaped performance.

Entrants must pay music, costumes, travel, and accommodation expenses, although finalists are sometimes given reimbursement for some costs. Male and female variations, several pas de deux, and original contemporary choreography in ballet, modern dance, and jazz forms are performed in a three- or seven-day period. Permission for use of photos and television transmission must be given to the organization. No injury insurance is provided. Although points and scores are given, contestants should not feel that the final judgment is indicative of gaining or losing a career; the score merely reflects the contestant's progress at the moment of the competition.

The following list of worldwide competitions is based upon information submitted as of March 1994 and is subject to change. Contact the competition organizers directly for information.

INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION OF BUDAPEST biannually (next in 1996), offers a cash grand prize (won in January 1994 by Johan Kobborg, Denmark); first prize male (Aydar Ahhmedov, Russia and Simon Ball, U.S.A.); second prize (Anna Dorosh, Russia and April Ball, U.S.A.); third prize male (Roman Rykin, Russia); and third prize female (Aki Nakata, Japan). Deadline in October. Contact: Roland Bokor, Hungarian State Opera, Andrassy ut 22, Budapest, H-1061 Hungary.

PRIX DE LAUSANNE, scholarships to major schools worldwide, yearly, (last held January 25-30,1994). Deadline November. Contact: Philippe Braunschweig, Palais de Beaulieu, Lausanne, Switzerland 1004.

USA INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION held every four years in Jackson, Mississippi (next in 1994, June 18-July 2), U.N.E.S.C.O. sponsored. Deadline for application was February 15. Contact: USA/IBC, P.O. Box 55791, Jachson, Mississippi 39296-5791.

VARNA INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION, U.N.E.S.C.O. sponsored, held yearly (next, July 15-30,1994) in classical and modern dance categories. Deadline was March 31, 1994. Contact: Emile Dimitrov, IBC/VARNA, 6B, Christo Botev blvd., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria.

HELSINKI INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION, held every fourth year, (next, June 1995). Deadline February. Contact Secretariat, HIBC, Finnish Centre of the ITI, Vuorikatu 6 A 8, 00100 Helsinki 10, Finland.

PARIS INTERNATIONAL DANCE COMPETITION (next in December 1996), U.N.E.S.C.O. sponsored, biannually, for classical and modern dance. Contact: Cyril Lafaurie, CIDP, 34, rue de Laborde, Paris 75008, France.

PARIS JAZZ CONCOURS INTERNATIONAL (May 21-23 1994). For amateurs, professionals, juniors, and couples. Deadline was April 30. Contact: Janette Pidoux, Groupe International Des 8, 17, rue Nelaton, Paris 75015, France.

JAZZ DANCE CHOREOGRAPHY COMPETITION, sponsored by Leo's Dancewear, Inc., biannually (next, August 17-24, 1994), during the Jazz Dance World Congress in Evanston, Illinois, for group works of four or more dancers. Cash and medal awards, as well as a performance in August during the congress. Deadline was March 15. Contact: Nan Giordano, JDWC, 614 Davis Street, Evanston, IL 60201.

NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION, U.N.E.S.C.O. sponsored, every three years, (next, June 1995). Contact: Iona Copen, NYIBC, 111 W. 57 St., New York, NY 10019.

MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION, U.N.E.S.C.O. sponsored, (last in September 1993) every fourth year. Contact: Secretariat, MOSCOW/IBC, 14/2 Gertsen Str., Moscow 103009, Russia.

ST. PETERSBURG INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION, in Russia, to be held August 15-22, 1994. Competitors must perform an interpretation using "Carmen Suite" by Rodion Shchedrin, classical variations, and an excerpt "from the repertoire of Plisetskaya." Deadline was March 31. Contact: Inga Kutianskaya, St. Petersburg International Ballet Competition, Office 96, Nevsky Pr., 86, St. Petersburg, Russia 191025.

JAPAN INTERNATIONAL BALLET & MODERN DANCE COMPETITION, held in Nagoya (last, January 14-25, 1993), biannually. Contact: Secretariat, JIBMD, c/o Tokai Television Broadcasting Co., 1-14-27, Higashi-Sakura, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi-ken, 461-01, Japan.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FOR CHOREOGRAPHERS OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE, biannually, (next, January 1996) in Groningen, The Netherlands. Deadline spring of 1995. Contact: Corinne de Kuyper, P.O.Box 7020, 9701 JA Groningen, The Netherlands.

TOKYO INTERNATIONAL CHOREOGRAPHY COMPETITION, (held in August), deadline December. Contact Secretariat, TICC, Min-On Concert Association, 1032-13 Kita-shinjuku, Shinjukuku, Tokyo 169, Japan.