I've opened up this topic for potential discussion about this, the most prestigious of this year's IBC competitions. Jury includes Vladimir Vasiliev, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, and the perennial Chairman, Yuri Grigorovich.

http://www.russianballet.ru/competition/index.htm

Five Mariinsky Ballet dancers are among the competitors in the senior division:

Vladimir Schklyarov (certainly a huge favorite for gold), Ekaterina Ivannikova, Anastasia Nikitina, Alexei Timofeev and Maxim Zuizin

Also competing will be former Mariinsky dancer Artyom Yachmenikov, currently with the Dutch National Ballet, I believe.

Many, many Bolshoi dancers and Bolshoi Academy recent grads will compete in both the senior and junior divisions.

Would the City Center programs have transliterated Zuizin into what I remember as Zyuzyn or Zyuzin? (Maybe Zuyzin? I just remember "y"s) If so, I remember liking him very much, and I wish him the best of luck, although Schklyarov will be formidable competition, deservedly so.

Are there any American dancers participating?

I think Artyom Yachmennikov left the Dutch National Ballet last season and joined the Bolshoi ballet.

Bingham, the USA dancers are:

Seniors -

США (USA)
60. Тарасина Маси (transliterated "Tarasina Masi") - checking the web, she appears to be from an organization called "USA Ballet" in Bloomington, IL. Has a younger sister, Tatiana, who also does the competition circuit.


Juniors -

США
27. Кадов Эмили ("Emily Kadov" or "Kadow") - I remember this name from YAGP 2008...bronze medal, older division
28. Шиллер Ханна ("Hannah Schiller") - top 12 finalists, 2009 YAGP finals, older division

Also, there is one contestant from the Philippines - a junior:

ФИЛИППИНЫ
34. Канделария Жан Паоло ("Jean Paolo Candelaria")

Helene, re. Zuizin - He was extremely promising 3-4 years ago then has gotten a bit of a reputation for being somewhat "lazy." I saw him in trios and secondary pdd's recently -- such as Swan Lake A1 pas de trois -- and he is not quite what he was in '05/06 but still a very fine dancer. He needs a bit more fire and 'get-up-and-go.'

The parents of the two sisters are the artistic director, choreographer, and founders of USA Ballet, a touring company, as well as the principal dancers. Tarasina Masi also choreographs for the company.

USA Ballet

Tarasina Masi

Oh, I know Miss Kadow...she is the sister of Kate Kadow, currently with the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami. Last december Emily came over and danced Clara in the Company production of The Nutcracker, while her older sister danced the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Does anyone know if the Americans (Emily Kadow, Hannah Schiller) or Canadian Alys Shee made it to final round?

They have! The following link to names of the 21 Jrs who made it to Round III is in Russian but Shee, Kadow and Schiller are there:

http://www.russianballet.ru/competition/mlgr3tur.html

The list of senior finalists has yet to be posted in my source, Russian Ballet magazine. Among the seniors, most of the 'top suspects' made it through to Round II at least (Schklyarov, Ivannikova, Nikitina of Mariinsky, Zagrebin of Bolshoi, etc.). However, Artyom Yachmennikov (ex-Mariinsky & Dutch Ballet, now Bolshoi) did not, which is a bit of a shocker unless he decided at the last minute not to compete. Oh -- and Maxim Zyuzin of the Mariinsky did not make it through to Rnd II either.

Round II -- the finals -- takes place tomorrow, July 18. Winners will be announced on Friday, June 20, before the final gala.

One award has already been announced. The top award for best choreography went to a Mariinsky dancer/choreographer, Yuri Smekalov (formerly of the Eifman troupe). No details on the title of the work and name of competing performer...although I would assume that it's one of the Mariinsky's entries.

Maxim Zyuzin did not actually compete, according to various Russian posting boards, because the competition ruled that at almost 27 (the age limit is seemingly 27) he wouldn't be allowed to. He still danced as the non-competing partner of Anastasia Nikitina. Results of Round II are available again on some boards, but only the Junior ones are on the competition's website (in Russian). Will post the Senior ones if there is an official source...

It is also said that Yuri Smelakov won the choreography competition for "Parting", the duet he created for Evgenia Obraztsova and Vladimir Shklyarov and which he danced with Obraztsova during the competition.

Results are up and our American and Canadian junior ladies won prizes!

http://www.russianballet.ru/competition/mlgrrezult.html


Hannah Schiller (USA) and Alys Shee (Canada) share the Silver Medal, while Emily Kadow (USA) shares the bronze with Russia's Xenia Zhiganshina. The Women's Jr Gold was won by Russia's Anastasia Sovolyova (from Bolshoi's affiliated school), while another Russian, Angelina Vorontsova, won in the Duets category, juniors. [The angelic-faced Vorontsova is highly touted, having won gold medals in a number of Russian competitions in '08. Definitely one to watch. Currently with Moscow's Stanislavsky troupe, I believe.] Congrats to all of them.

Congrats, too, to the Mariinsky's young superstar, Vladimir Schklyarov, for having won the top Senior gold medal, in the Solos category! Other Mariinsky dancers earning prizes: Ekaterina Ivannikova (diploma for female duet) and Alexei Timofeev (diploma for male duet). Too bad that the highly-touted Anastasia Nikitina (a 'junior Somova type' who we saw in DC earlier this year) did not nab a prize; she must have over-extended herself.

Also - the Bolshoi's great up-and-coming male soloist and the protege of Nikolai Tsiskaridze -- Artyom Ovcharenko -- won a special partnering prize. Washingtonians may remember Ovcharenko as the leader of the Paquita Grand Pas in the 2008 Proteges II program. The 2nd male dancer in that Proteges II Paquita program at the Kennedy Center -- Dimitri Zagrebin of the Bolshoi -- won the Sr Men's Gold Medal in the Duet Category.

Maria Semenyachenko of Russia won the Sr Gold medal, Solo division, among the senior ladies.

Nice one, Natalia.

Natalia: I was wondering what "Diploma" means.

"Diploma" is like "Honorable Mention." These competitors not only made it to the Finals but received an Honorable Mention but not a medal.

Mashinka - Sorry but I just could not help myself...those hyper-extended gals...

I should have mentioned earlier that Andrei Pisarev (son of Vadim Pisarev) also won a Sr. Men's Solos 1st Prize, along with Schklyarov.
Andrei is the spittin' image of his dad -- short-and-muscular legs and constant smile to the audience.

Here is the full list of winners in Cyrillic letters, from the official competition site (posted in toto here because the web link is the same for every page of the site...impossible to post a link that directly takes you to this). I've translated the main headings:

Младшая группа, (Junior Group)

SOLO JR BOYS

Дипломы (Diplomas - Hon. Mention)

Лепера Еугенио Италия
Сорокин Андрей Россия
Бяков Дмитрий Россия

Бронза (BRONZE)

Соболевский Дмитрий Россия
Окава Койя Япония

Серебро (SILVER)

Марселино Самбе, Португалия
специальный приз «За артистизм» (Special Prize for Artistry to the Portuguese lad, Marcelino Sambe, in addition to a bronze)

SOLO JR GIRLS
Дипломы (девочки) (Diplomas)

Лименько Анастасия Беларусь
Оно Рейка Япония

Бронза (BRONZE)

Жиганшина Ксения Россия
Эмили Кадов США Emily Kadow of the USA

Серебро (SILVER)

Эллис Ши Канада Alys Shi of Canada
Хана Шиллер США Hannah Schiller of the USA

Золото (GOLD)

Соболева Анастасия Россия

Дуэты (Девочки) JR DUETS - GIRLS

Дипломы (Diploma)

Чой Жи Йонг Корея

Бронза (BRONZE)

Мишина Мария Россия
Бочкова Дарья Россия

Серебро (SILVER)

Хохлова Дарья Россия
Канеко Фуми Япония

Золото (GOLD)

Воронцова Анжелина Россия

Дуэты (мальчики) DUETS, JR MEN

Серебро SILVER

Ким Ки Мин Корея
Специальная премия «Лучшему партнеру» Артем Овчаренко Россия (SPECIAL PRIZE, Best Partnering)


Старшая группа SENIOR DIVISION

Соло женщины SOLO SR WOMEN

Семеняченко Мария 1 премия
Гольская Нина 2 премия
Бондарева Оксана 2 премия
Свинко Светлана 3 премия

Соло мужчины SOLO SR MEN

Шкляров Владимир 1 премия
Писарев Андрей 1 премия
Смольянинов Александр 2 премия
Тимаев Михаил 3 премия
Сарсембаев Эльдар 3 премия
Стоянов Александр Диплом
Мергалиев Яссауи Диплом

Дуэты женщины SR WOMEN DUETS

Гуан Вентинь 1 премия
Ким Ли-Хве 2 премия
Олейник Екатерина 3 премия
Иванникова Екатерина Диплом

Дуэты мужчины SR. MEN DUETS

Загребин Дмитрий 1 премия
Дон Хун-ли 2 премия
Синь Лянь 2 премия
Косуке Окумура 2 премия
Крючков Михаил 3 премия
Тимофеев Алексей Диплом

There are clips of the competition on Youtube, if anyone is interested, but I'm not sure a link is allowed...

Angelina Vorontsova (Gold, Bolshoi Academy graduate) looks particularly lovely, and I wonder why the Bolshoi didn't hire her, if she is indeed with the Stanislavsky. Hopefully we will hear of her again at some point.

Thanks Natalia for your report! This is great news: Congratulations to ALL the winners! Special XOXOs from me to you Volodya Schklyarov ! It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy! Well done!

One of the YouTube Russian-TV newscasts on the competition mentions that she is with (or is headed to) the Stanislavsky. However, her non-competing partner in the contest was Tsiskaridze's protege, Artyom Ovcharenko, who is most definitely with the Bolshoi. Perhaps Vorontsova will get a belated offer from the Bolshoi Theater to join, a-la-Mukhamedov, who was invited to join the Bolshoi only after he had won the gold medal at this competition?

Links are definitely allowed, as long as the title isn't "Pirated version of XYZ"

From the Moscow Times (English-lang. local paper), here's a nice article recapping this year's Moscow IBC:

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/1010/42/378999.htm

Among the more interesting quotes:

The top prize in the men's solo category went to Russia's Vladimir Shklyarov, a soloist at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, and Ukraine's Andrey Pisarev. Both performed the fourth act variation from "Don Quixote" as one of their two solos, and both showed an impressive combination of artistry, technique and virtuosity, although the edge should have gone to Shklyarov, who was the more polished of the two.

a bit more on Angelina...

Angelina Vorontsova is originally from Voronezh but completed her schooling in Moscow. Coached by former ballerina of the Voronezh Ballet, Tatyana Frolova. Prior to moving to Moscow, Angelina won the 2008 Perm Arabesque competition. She is definitely headed for the Bolshoi Ballet - not the Stanislavsky as originally reported.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpoz0djx23A

Edited to add: My apologies! Vorontsova's coach, Tatyana Frolova, is still the prima ballerina of the State Ballet Theater of Voronezh. In fact...she and the entire Voronezh troupe are due to make their first tour of the USA next spring (under the name 'State Ballet Theater of Russia'). Be on the look-out for them:

http://www.hegmusic.com/The-State-Ballet-T...-Russia/artists

p.s. The Perm Ballet ("Tchaikovsky Ballet" touring name) is also slated to tour the USA next spring, with their Sleeping Beauty. Both companies are highly recommended.