New York International Ballet Competition.

The New York International Ballet Competition celebrates its twentieth anniversary with a grand reunion of all dancers from past competitions on the weekend of June 28-29, 2003. Past participants include distinguished artists such as Jose Manuel Carreno, Maximiliano Guerra, Mikhail Ilyin, Barbora Kohoutkova, Serge Lavoie, Victoria Mazzarelli, Carlos Molina, Gillian Murphy, and Gennadi Saveliev.

Ilona Copen, founder and executive director of the competition, decided twenty years ago that New York would be an ideal place for a ballet competition. "This is the dance capital of the world," said Copen. "Our format is based on a learning, growing artistic experience, and what better place than New York? The resources here are phenomenal." The competition takes place June 7-29 with the finals, open to the public, held at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center June 25-29.

Former Kirov and American Ballet Theatre ballerina Natalia Makarova is this year's president of the jury. As has been customary in the past, a panel of prestigious international judges has been assembled: Frank Andersen, artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet; Boris Eifman, artistic director, Eifman Ballet; Karen Kain, associate artistic director, The National Ballet of Canada; Brigitte Lefevre, artistic director, Paris Opera Ballet; Gustavo Mollajoli, artistic director, Ballet do Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro; Dame Merle Park, former director, The Royal Ballet School; Zhao Ruheng, artistic director, The National Ballet of China; and Rudi van Dantzig, former artistic director, Dutch National Ballet.

Former ballerina Cynthia Gregory, a past director of the competition, will be honored with a gold medal for her special achievements in dance. "She has been an extraordinary contributor to the dance world and the New York International Ballet Competition," said Copen.

The format of NYIBC differs from others in that competing couples arrive in Manhattan not knowing what they will be dancing, except for one prepared solo. Each couple learns the same pieces--two classical pas de deux and a modern duet, thus allowing everyone to begin "on an equal playing field." After two weeks of coaching in each work by noted repetiteurs, the competition is narrowed to the finalists. The winners are determined by the ability of the dancers to absorb styles, in addition to their technical and artistic strengths.

The New York International Ballet Competition was founded in 1983; the first competition was held in 1984, then approximately every three years thereafter. Eleanor D'Antuono is the artistic director of the competition, a position held by the late Igor Youskevitch until 1994. This year's festivities mark the seventh competition.

Former American Ballet Theatre dancer Joseph Capman is a contributor to DANCE MAGAZINE, The New York Times, and The Advocate.