Valentina Kozlova’s Contemporary Competition

The First Edition of Valentina Kozlova’s International Contemporary Choreographers and Dancers Competition will take place Monday and Tuesday, April 28 and 29 at Symphony Space in New York City.

Competitors will present their dancing and/or choreography on Monday before a distinguished panel of dance figures from around the world. At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, the awards will be announced, followed by a performance of winners and special guests.

Awards for competing dancers include: a Summer Scholarship to the Ailey School; a Summer Scholarship to the Peridance Capezio Center; $500 towards a Summer Scholarship to the Juilliard Dance Division; a three-week technique intensive (in either winter or summer) to the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance; and scholarships to Kozlova Dance Conservatory New York.

Prizes for competing choreographers include: a Choreography Workshop at Ballet de Centro di Conocimiento in Posadas, Argentina; a Choreography Workshop at Peridance; and commissions of works for the VKIBC 2015 event, offered through the Kozlova Dance Conservatory New York.

Judges for the competition include: Andris Liepa, former principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet, and guest with ABT and NYCB; Patricia Aulestia, president of the Mexican Federation of Dance Professionals; Nina Buisson, internationally known choreographer; Tracy Inman, co-director of the Ailey School; Hae Shik Kim, founding dean of the Korean National U of Arts School of Dance; Virginie Mecene, director of the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance; Wendy Perron, choreographer and writer; Igal Perry, choreographer and director of Peridance School and Peridance Contemporary Dance Company; Risa Steinberg, associate artistic director of the Dance Department at The Juilliard School; Margo Sappington, internationally known choreographer; and Septime Webre, artistic director of the Washington Ballet.

This inaugural event offers contemporary choreographers and dancers the opportunity to expose their work to leading names in the dance field. To date, entrants are from Brazil, Canada, Israel, Korea, Romania and the U.S., all coming to New York to present their solos, duets or group works.  

Following three successful ballet competitions, Kozlova’s contemporary competition is highly anticipated. It kicks off this Monday, April 28 at 4 p.m. at Symphony Space, located at 95th Street and Broadway. For more information, visit www.vkibc.org. 

Photo courtesy of VKIBC.