The National Ballet Competition (NBC) will bring over 200 dancers to downtown Wilmington in March.
Student dancers ages 9 to 19, their teachers and families assemble at The Grand March 8-10 for the National Ballet Competition. The competition, now in its sixth year, attracts competitors from all over the country.
Students perform for an international panel of nine dance professionals, representing national schools and ballet companies including San Francisco Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and the Joffrey Ballet.
Taylor Ciampi is National Ballet Competition’s Managing Director, and a former competitor. She says competition not only strengthens the dancer’s skill set - it offers opportunities to extend the training.
"I received an invite to the Dutch National Ballet Academy, and that completely helped to move my career along. I moved to Amsterdam to study, and then from there I ended up in Toronto with my first professional job."
First State Ballet Director of Advancement Joan Beatson says young dancers benefit from competitions, as they reinforce not only the individual dancer’s skills, but also the recognition of a broader community.
"Every competitor gets feedback from each judge on areas of strength and areas to improve. They get the opportunity to be seen by dance professionals and to meet other dancers - young people who are doing the same thing they are and have the same dreams."
Since its inception, NBC has awarded over $650,000 in scholarships from some of the country’s elite summer ballet training programs.
The public can attend the National Ballet Competition. It runs March 8-10 at The Grand. More information is available at nationalballetcompetition.org.
Delaware Public Media' s arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
