2017 Kozlova Int’l Ballet Competition Winners
The Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition (VKIBC) hosted just under 200 dancers from countries around the world for the June 6-10 event at Symphony Space in New York City.
The display of international talent was rich as dancers in four categories, ages 11 to 26, performed for medals, scholarships to dance academies around the world, and company contracts with the Boston Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet and Columbia Classical Ballet.
On Saturday, June 10, all the judges and dancers convened on stage for the announcement of the winners, followed by a Gala Performance that was emceed by Margo Sappington. The spectacular evening opened with VKIBC Founder Valentina Kozlova presenting a medal to Arthur Mitchell, a renowned dance pioneer that founded the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Continuing her commitment to acknowledge artists who have made significant contributions to dance over the years, Kozlova gave a heartfelt speech in appreciation of Mitchell’s barrier-breaking accomplishments and his generosity as an artist. His award was accepted by Eddie Shellman, a longtime principal of his Dance Theatre of Harlem.
The Gala evening continued with performances by medalists, including those who were awarded Grand Prix for the first time in the VKIBC’s history. There was even a guest appearance by Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo.
See the full list of 2017 award winners below. Visit www.vkibc.org for more information on this annual ballet competition.
GRAND PRIX
Bakhtiyar Adamzham, Kazakhstan – Classical
Sungmin Kim, South Korea – Contemporary
CLASSICAL COMPETITION MEDAL WINNERS
Youth Division (Ages 11 – 12): Female
Gold Medal: Seehyun Kim, South Korea
Silver Medal: Katya Saburova, Russia
Bronze Medal: Lilly Fridlyand, USA
Bronze Medal: Chloe Colter, USA
Bronze Medal: Delaney Hart, USA
Youth Division (Ages 11 – 12): Male
Gold Medal: Kangwon Lee, South Korea
No Silver and Bronze Medals Awarded
Student Division (Ages 13 – 14)
Gold Medal: Alesia Astashonok, Belarus
Gold Medal: Catherine Parker, Switzerland
Silver Medal: Nattalia Tiemi Nakamura, Brazil
Bronze Medal: Jillian Schubert, USA
Bronze Medal: Natasha Snogren, USA
Junior Division (Ages 15 – 17): Female
Gold Medal: Rheya Shano, USA
Gold Medal: Yuyu Ichikawa, Belgium
Silver Medal: Mari Bell, Canada
Bronze Medal: Talia Egge, USA
Bronze Medal: Madison Holdsworth, USA
Junior Division (Ages 15 – 17): Male
No Gold and Silver Medals Awarded
Bronze Medal: João Paulo Jezler, Brazil
Bronze Medal: Marco Marongiu, Italy
Senior Division (Ages 18 – 26): Female
Gold Medal: Yu Jeong Choi, South Korea
Silver Medal: Eunhye Lee, South Korea
Bronze Medal: Francesca Loi, Italy
Senior Division (Ages 18 – 26): Male
Gold Medal: Jinsol Eum, South Korea
Gold Medal: Koyo Yanagishima, USA
Silver Medal: Justin Valentine, USA
Silver Medal: Jun Kyoung Kim, South Korea
Bronze Medal: Serik Nakyspekov, Kazakhstan
Bronze Medal: Marcos Silva, Brazil
Best Interpretation of the Classical Compulsory Female
Iliana Yotova, Bulgaria
Best Interpretation of the Classical Compulsory Male
Christian Pforr, USA
Best Interpretation of the Contemporary Compulsory Deep Mirror
Alice Lunedei, Italy
Camila Rodrigues, USA
Best Interpretation of the Contemporary Compulsory In the Wake
Marcos Silva, Brazil
CONTEMPORARY COMPETITION MEDAL WINNERS
Division I (Ages 12 and Under)
Gold Medal: Sadie Weintraub, Ireland
Silver Medal: Lilly Fridlyand, USA
Bronze Medal: Maria Loberto, Brazil
Bronze Medal: Katya Saburova, Russia
Division II (Ages 13 – 14)
Gold Medal: Noh Youn Kim, South Korea
Silver Medal: Jillian Schubert, USA
Bronze Medal: Giuliana Maria Tavarelli Nunes, Paraguay
Division III (Ages 15 – 17): Female
Gold Medal: Nikita Boris, USA
Silver Medal: Yul Ui Kim, South Korea
Bronze Medal: Alexia Duff, USA
Bronze Medal: Semi Lim, South Korea
Division III (Ages 15 – 17): Male
No Gold Medal Awarded
Silver Medal: Gabriel Barbosa, Brazil
Bronze Medal: Roberto Santos, Brazil
Bronze Medal: Khevyn Sigismondi, Belgium
Division IV (Ages 18 and Up): Female
Gold Medal: Jooeun Son, South Korea
Silver Medal: Kyungmee Hwang, South Korea
Silver Medal: Scarlet Oliveira, Brazil
Bronze Medal: Yasmine Matos, Brazil
Bronze Medal: Isabella Souza, Brazil
Division IV (Ages 18 and Up): Male
Gold Medal: DongHun Go, South Korea
Gold Medal: Haneul Jung, South Korea
Silver Medal: Seungmin Choi, South Korea
Silver Medal: Justin Valentine, USA
Bronze Medal: In Hyeok Jung, South Korea
Bronze Medal: Jey Santos, Brazil
Duets
Gold Medal: Yasmin Matos and Jey Santos, Brazil
Silver Medal: Nicole Soares and Marcos Silva, Brazil
Bronze Medal: Ana Luiza Santilli and Gabriel Barbosa, Brazil
Bronze Medal: Mima Freitas and Alexandre Lobo, Brazil
Groups
Gold Medal: Dedicatoria de um Retrato by Laura Moeckel, Brazil
Silver Medal: Implexus by Flavia Sà, Brazil
Bronze Medal: Sensibus by Ricardo Scheir, Brazil
CHOREOGRAPHY COMPETITION MEDAL WINNERS
Gold Medal: A Thin Line Between by Sunghoom Kim, South Korea
Gold Medal: Delusion by Jungoh Ha, South Korea
Silver Medal: Implexus by Flavia Sà, Brazil
Silver Medal: Hersperion by Ariel Rose, Brazil
Bronze Medal: Only… by Flavia Sà, Brazil
COMPANY CONTRACTS
Boston Ballet – USA:
Natasha Snogren, USA
Cincinnati Ballet – USA:
Marcos Silva, Brazil
Columbia Classical Ballet – Columbia:
Camila Rodrigues, Brazil
Mari Bell, Canada
Lily Saito, USA
SCHOLARSHIPS
Accademia Internazionale Coreutica – Italy:
Rheya Shano, USA
Iliana Yotova, Bulgaria
João Paulo Jezler, Brazil
Boston Ballet – USA:
Natasha Snogren, USA
Brussels International Ballet School – Belgium:
Francesca Loi, Italy
Iliana Yotova, Bulgaria
Catherine Parker, Switzerland
Marcos Silva, Brazil
João Paulo Jezler, Brazil
Koyo Yanagishima, USA
Clément Guillaume, France
Marco Marongiu, Italy
Cincinnati Ballet – USA:
Rheya Shano, USA
Cinevox Junior Company– Switzerland:
Marcos Silva, Brazil
Columbia Classical Ballet – Columbia:
Natasha Snogren, USA
Conservatoire National Superieur de musique et de danse de Paris – France:
Catherine Parker, Switzerland
Christian Pforr, USA
K-ARTS – South Korea :
Sydney Hensen, USA
Madison Holdsworth, USA
Le Atelier Loft – Switzerland:
Alesia Astashonok, USA
Pauline Gierling, Belgium
Munich National Conservatoire – Germany:
Alesia Astashonok, Belarus
Tulsa Ballet – USA:
Alice Lunedei, Italy Camila Rodrigues, USA
VKDCNY Full Year Scholarship – USA:
Jillian Schubert, USA
VKDCNY Sotogrande Summer Intensive – Spain:
Alesia Ashtashonok, USA
Alexia Duff, USA
Elodie Lefebvre, Belgium
Marcos Silva, Brazil
João Paulo Jezler, Brazil
INVITATIONS
Confederacion Interamericana y Mundial de Profesionales de Danza Gala Tijuana – Mexico:
Clément Guillaume, France
Corporea in the State of Mexico – Mexico:
Koyo Yanagishima, USA
Gala Rudolph Nureyev Moscow March 2017 – Russia:
Bakhtiyar Adamzham, Kazakhstan
Performance at the Ecuador Congress Gala – Ecuador:
Nikita Boris, USA
Justin Valentine, USA
Riga National Gala August 2017 – Latvia:
Bakhtiyar Adamzham, Kazakhstan
GIFTS
Alby Pretty Dancewear Leotards:
Lilly Fridlyand, USA
Talia Egge, USA
Francesca Loi, Italy
Camila Rodrigues, USA
Alby Pretty Cassandra Reentry of ABT T-Shirt:
Katya Saburova, Russia
Photo: Competitor performs at the VKIBC 2017 NYC Finals in her Classical routine. Photo by Katherine Bibilouri.