Closing Ceremony of Global Dance Challenge (Photo GDC)

GlobalDanceChallenge2019postedonSep.06,2019at3:36pm

GlobalDanceChallenge,aplatformwheredancersfromallovertheworldcanuniteandhaveanextraordinaryexperience.GlobalDanceChallenge,wheredanceisthecommonlanguage.GlobalDanceChallenge,whereaspiringdancersarementoredbysomeoftheworld’smostdistinguishedDirectors,ChoreographersandTeachers.

ThispastAugust,inbeautifulVancouver,Canada,GlobalDanceChallengehostedover200competitorsfromallovertheworldand12internationallyrenownedjurymembers.ChanHonGoh,ArtisticDirectorofGDC,PrimaBallerina,andformerPrincipalBallerinaofNationalBalletofCanadaisthevisionarybehindGlobalDanceChallenge.MsGohbelievesincreatinganexperiencewhereaspiringdancerscanshowcasetheirtalents,aswellasreceivementorshipbydanceluminaries.Itwasaweekfullofsharinginvaluableknowledge,cultivatingartisticexcellenceandunlimitedinspiration.

AntonioCasalihno,GoldMedalinPaquitaVariation,PhotobyChenYilu

Margarida Noiva Goncalves, Gold Medal, in “Peasant Variation”, Photo by Chen Yilu

GlobalDanceChallengeofferedavarietyofmasterclassesover3daysaswellaseach

participantreceivedprofessionalcoachingontheircompetitionpiecebyoneofthehonorable

jurymembers.Participantswerealsogiventheopportunitytoshowcasetheirtechnical

strengthsandartisticabilitiesinthestudiowiththemandatorymarkedmasterclasses.Itwasanexciting3dayswheretheyoungdancerswerenurturedtoperformtotheirfullestcapacity.

OnAugust11th&12th,2019alltheaspiringdancershadachancetoperforminthesemifinals.

Dancersperformedsolos,duos,groupsandensemblesinclassicalballet,neo-classical,

internationaldance,jazzandcontemporary.FromtheSemiFinals,thetopdancerswere

selectedtoperformagainintheFinalsonAugust13th.Allcompetitorstrulydancedtotheir

fullestpotential.

AngelVizcainofromMexico,SilverMedalin“MariachiLoco”,PhotobyChenYilu

LyricFernandesin“Reflections”PhotobyChenYiluOnAugust14th,GlobalDanceChallengehadtheirGalaperformance.TheGalaperformancewasattheillustriousQueenElizabethTheatre.EverysinglecompetitorhadtheopportunitytoperformattheGala.AttheGala,theawardswereannouncedasweretheprizes.ThesecondhalfoftheGalawasfilledwithspeciallyselecteddancesbytheJurytoshowcaseoutstandingpieces.TheGlobalDanceChallengeGalafeaturedincredibleguestperformers.DancersfromtheGuangzhouBalletcaptivatedaudiencesastheydebutedtheirNorthAmericanPremierof“SwanLakePasdeDeux”aswellas“LeCorsairePasdeDeux”.PrincipaldancersfromthePacificNorthwestBalletperformedadazzlingrenditionofthe“Tarantella”.

HuangJueyaCategoryBin“Coppelia”Variation,PhotobyChenYilu

Tali Elman, Gold Medal in “Don Quixote” Variation, Photo by Chen Yilu

Thereweremanyincrediblytalentedyoungdancersandnumerousawards,scholarshipsand

prizeswerepresented.AntónioCasalinhofromPortugalwasawardedGoldforprofessional

balletsolo(categoryA2),Contemporarysolo(categoryD2)andfortheFlamesofParisPasde

DeuxwithMargaritaRouraFernandes.AntónioCasalinho&MargaritaRouraFernandes–from

Portugal,wereawardedthePrixdeL’OrforCategoryA.ThePrixd’ArgentforcategoryAwas

awardedtoMexico’sAngelVizcainowhoalsoreceivedthesilvermedalforhisBalletsolo

(categoryA2)andcontemporarysolo(categoryD2).Canada’sTaliElmanreceivedgoldforher

balletsolo(categoryA3),silverforhercontemporarysolo(categoryD3)andthePrixde

Bronzefor(categoryA).TheOutstandingChoreographyawardwentto2contemporarysolos.

OnewasawardedtoCanadianChoreographerKirstenWicklundfor“ADealwithChaos”and

PolishchoreographerBarbaraBartnik,for“Incumbency”.BeijingAobaInternationalArtsCentre

–fromChinareceivedOutstandingDanceOrganizationandNicholasMihlarfromCanada

receivedMostPotentialand2honorablementionsbytheJuryforhisballetsoloand

contemporarysolo.Healsowasawardednumerousscholarships.

Congratulationstoallthedancerswhocompetedinthe2019GlobalDanceChallenge!

Nextyear’sGlobalDanceChallengewillbeheldinAugust2020.Formoreinformationand

updates,pleasegotothewebsite:www.gdancechallenge.com

ByTanyaPhelps