Two young Australian dancers have been selected to compete at the prestigious Prix de Lausanne. Sophie Moffatt (The Conlan College) and Calvin Richardson (Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School) are the only two Australian students to have auditioned successfully for the 2012 Prix.
Being chosen to compete is, in itself, a huge honour - the competition is fierce as it is open to ballet students aged 15-18 of all nationalities. Initial selection is made by video and a jury selects around 80 candidates from around the world who are invited to participate in the competition week in Lausanne end of January.
During the competition week, Sophie and Calvin will take classes and coaching lessons with prominent international artists for four days. On the fifth day, they will present a classical and a contemporary variation to a general public audience and jury. At the end of the day, the jury will select 20 dancers for the finals, which take place the following day. The first eight finalists win a one-year scholarship with one of the schools or company partners of the Prix.
Dance Australia wishes Sophie and Calvin the best of the luck in Lausanne!
Calvin Richardson, student of VCASS