Fifty professional and non-professional dancers are set to compete in the 3rd Cape Town International Ballet Competition (CTIBC), the most since the competition’s inception in 2008.

From the 25th February, dancers will be jetting in to the Mother City from various global destinations including the Republic of South Korea, Argentina, Armenia, Russia, the USA, Brazil, Australia, China and Cuba. The competitor group includes a strong South African contingent, with 22 dancers of varying ages entering from Gauteng, Kwazulu Natal and the Western Cape. The event takes place over one week from 27 February to 4 March 2012 at the Artscape Opera House.

The Cape Town International Ballet Competition is the Premier event of its kind on the African Continent, often hailed as the Ballet Olympics. The standard of the competition is enhanced by the CTIBC’s associations with similar top events such as the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), the South Korea International Dance Competition, the Geneé International Ballet Competition and several outstanding ballet institutions in Cuba.

For the first time in the history of the biennial CTIBC, male and female participants will be judged separately in both the classical and contemporary sections. For the Junior Division dancers are 15 to 18 years of age and for the Senior Division 19 to 28 years of age and competitors may appear either as soloists or couples. Dancers perform thrilling solos and Pas de Deux from well known ballets such as Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and more. These outstanding dancers demonstrate superb technique, skill and artistry in a bid for the coveted Gold, Silver and Bronze medals and lucrative cash prizes in both Junior and Senior sections, that total R300,000.

Elimination rounds take place on Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 February and Thursday 1 March at 7pm, with tickets costing R40 per person. The Final is on Friday 2 March at 8pm, with tickets from R65 to R225. At the Gala performance on Saturday 3 March at 8pm, the winners will be announced. 

Due to the popularity of the Gala at previous competitions, a second gala has been added on Sunday 4 March at 3pm at which the CTIBC Winners and distinguished international and SA ballet stars will perform and the South African candidate to compete in the Youth America Grand Prix will be announced.  Tickets for both Galas cost from R190 to R300. The entire event is at the Artscape Opera House in Cape Town.