Prix de Lausanne warms up

While most of us are putting our feet up over the Christmas holiday, some of the world’s most talented dancers and their teachers and supporters are engaged in one of the most intense experiences of their careers.

The prestigious Prix de Lausanne, the international competition for ballet students, takes place every year at the end of January, with young talent gathering from around the world to vie for the cherished prizes. Th 2024 event runs from January 28 to February 4.

This year 425 applied from 43 countries, from which 81 were selected from the video auditions. Seven Australians have made it to the finals – four girls and four boys.

They will have the privilege of presenting themselves to a panel of nine jury members, including this year’s president, former Royal Ballet ballerina, Darcey Bussell. The artistic director and president of the Prix is Kathryn Bradney, a former  principal dancer, teacher and ballet master for Maurice Béjart (Béjart Ballet Lausanne) from 1986 to 2005 who has been deeply involved with the Prix since 2006.

The event includes a Rising Stars performance, featuring an array of former Prix “laureates”, guest artists Julian Mackay and Madison Young (pictured), now principal artists with the Bayerisches Staatsballet in Munich, Germany, and choreographic projects including the two winning variations of the Young Creation Award.

Keep an eye on our website for updates on the results.