4 replies to this topic

[Marga]

The list of competitors for the Helsinki International Competition to be held May 26- June 3, 2005 has been released today (click "read more" link under announcement, lower left, then the word "here" at "You will find the list of competitors here"):

List of competitors for Helsinki International Competition

BA poster Daniil Simkin is among the juniors who made it through to the competition.

[Pamela Moberg]

Thanks for reminding me, Marga.
Come to think of it, why not go? I am close enough.
DD and I discussed going to the European Broadcast Union (EBU) ballet competition which is held every other year. Swedish finals will be this coming
Saturday and Europe finals will be held in Poland. We dont know anyone in Warzaw, trouble with getting visas, expensive flying there etc. etc. So we decided
against it. But Helsinki is just a ferry trip away for us, perfect!
If we go I promise to send a detailed report - in the meantime I will report from
the Swedish competition on Saturday.
Most competitors come to nothing, but sometimes there is a true gem. I remember Zenaida Yanovsky, now with Royal Ballet. I first saw her in the EBU competition, she did an Esmeralda to die for, I still remember it and treasure my video.

[Marga]

Oh, do go! My daughter, who dances in Estonia, would love to be there but doesn't know if she'll have any time off then. For her, it's just a ferry crossing, as well. I wanted her to apply to compete, but she decided not to. The amount of variations and contemporary pieces one must prepare require a lot of time and hard work, not to mention coordinating your rehearsals with choreographers & ballet coaches and, often, getting permissions for the music being used. The participating dancer must make a serious commitment.

Three soloists from the Estonian National Ballet, all very gifted dancers, were accepted to compete. I recognized a number of other names as well, some from U.S. companies like Boston Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, others from previous competitions. One young man from Kazakhstan, who tied for Bronze at Varna last summer, will also be competing. There are a few dancers from Finland whom I would like to see....all in all, quite a roster!

I'd love a detailed report, please!    

P.S.
I think the tickets have been on sale for some time already. You know how popular these competitions are.....

[Daniil]

Well, I googled a bit and found this little text from http://www.danceinfo.fi/...

(sadly on finnish)

Quote

Mitalisteista mainittakoon vuoden 2004 Varnan juniorisarjan voittaja Saksan Daniil Simkin sekä seniorisarjan voittaja Armenian Arman Krigorian. Muita mitalisteja Varnasta ovat juniorisarjassa kilpaileva Kiinan Cao Shuci ja seniorisarjassa kilpailevat Kazakstanin Dastan Chinybayev sekä Ukrainan Yana Salenko.

USA:n edustajien joukossa ovat Jacksonin vuoden 2002 kilpailussa palkittu Melissa Hough ja New Yorkin vuoden 2003 pronssimitalisti Caitlin Valentine.

Well, to sum it up:
Arman Krigorian - Armenia, 1st Prize Senior Varna 2004
Cao Shuci - China, 3rd Prize Junior Varna
Dastan Chinybayev - Khazakhstan, 3rd Prize Senior Varna 2004
Yana Salenko - Ukraina, 3rd Prize Senior Varna 2004
Melissa Hough - USA Jackson 2002 ?
Caitlin Valentine
and of course me,
Daniil Simkin - Germany, 1st Preize Junior Varna 2004

Well, as you can think I am looking forward to it  

[Mel Johnson]

We're all wishing you the best, Daniil.