The Prix de Lausanne 2021 will be a video edition. The Fondation en faveur de l'Art Chorégraphique has announced the new format to accommodate Covid-related restrictions and allow it to uphold its commitment to providing opportunities for young talented dancers. This year, the Prix de Lausanne achieved a record participation of 399 applicants from 43 countries. The 49th edition of the Prix de Lausanne will be held from 31 January to 7 February 2021.
The event will require only the jury’s nine members to gather on site in Switzerland. Every selected candidate will be able to demonstrate their talent and compete for a scholarship or apprenticeship via video submission and not in person in Switzerland. Classical and contemporary variations, as well as a ballet class, will be evaluated and marked separately. As in previous years, 20 finalists will be selected and judged at the end of the week, before the winners’ announcement during the finals on Saturday, 6 February, 2021. The Prix de Lausanne’s partner schools and companies will follow the competition week and will be able watch the videos privately through the foundation’s networking forum and offer their support to all of the eighty-one candidates. The Prix de Lausanne team is also working on coordinating online classes taught by top calibre teachers and coaches for the candidates before the competition begins.
The Young Creation Award, a new competition in search of young choreographic talent and sponsored by the renowned choreographer Heinz Spoerli, will also be held via video. The Prix de Lausanne jury will be able to watch and judge the submitted finalists' choreographies and award the two best young choreographers after the judging on Wednesday, 3 February, 2021. The choreographies will be performed publicly at the Prix de Lausanne 2022.
Photos above are from a previous Prix de Lausanne.