NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION

NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION WILL CELEBRATE THE LIFE AND WORK OF ILONA COPEN, and HONOR JEAN-PIERRE BONNEFOUX and PATRICIA MCBRIDE.

New York International Ballet Competition (NYIBC) celebrates the life and work of Ilona Copen, late Founder and Executive Director Emerita. A special feature of the evening will be the presentation, at the Dinner Dance, of the first Ilona Copen Award to Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride, in honor of their contributions to the lives and artistry of young dancers, and to the world of dance in general.

The star-studded gala will feature artists from major dance companies, including several NYIBC alumni: José Manuel Carreño (1987, currently principal with American Ballet Theatre), Victoria Jaiani and Temur Suluashvili (2003, the married couple are members of the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago) and Junio Teixeira (2005, New Jersey Ballet). Roxane D'Orleans Juste (Limón Dance Company), an NYIBC coach of Limón dances, will also be a guest artist. Other performers include Alessandra Ball and Abdul Manzano (North Carolina Dance Theatre), Ana Luiza Luizi (NJ Ballet), Flavia Garcia and DaVon Doane (Dance Theatre of Harlem), and Matthew Rushing (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater).

ILONA COPEN

During her lifetime, Ilona Copen worked tirelessly to unite dancers throughout the world and to encourage and educate young dancers. She was deeply committed to inspiring and changing their lives. A wise and experienced leader, she combined professional excellence with warmth and generosity. It was always her hope that NYIBC participants would return home better dancers and better people as a result of their experience. In addition to her full-time position as Executive Director of NYIBC, Ms. Copen was a founding Board member of World Dance Alliance.

As President of the International Theatre Institute's International Dance Committee, Ms. Copen created an extraordinary annual celebration of International Dance Day at UNESCO. She also served as an invaluable Board member and advisor to numerous dance companies and artists. Giving back was at the core of everything she did.

Ms. Copen radiated the vitality of a dancer. She always reminded us, with boundless energy and zeal, that dance is a natural and essential form of expression to be practiced and enjoyed by everyone.

ILONA COPEN AWARD

The new award will be an annual, honorary award, celebrating the significant contribution to the ballet field by an individual, company or institution who or which provides young ballet dancers with: the finest educational, mentoring and cultural experiences; inspiration and encouragement to advance their careers to their fullest potential; raising their artistry; and stimulating their growth as individuals.

The Award honors a recipient who or which works to further ballet as an art form by: discovering, nurturing and developing dance talent; promoting international understanding and goodwill through collaborative efforts across different artistic disciplines; upholding the traditions and history of this classical art form; and securing its future through fostering the advancement of ballet.

The recipients of the Ilona Copen Award are elected through a nomination process by the Artistic Board of NYIBC.

EVENING FEATURES ARTISTS FROM AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM
JOFFREY BALLET
LIMÓN DANCE COMPANY
NEW JERSEY BALLET
NORTH CAROLINA DANCE THEATRE

Tuesday March 22, 7:30 PM
Skirball Center, 566 LaGuardia Place, at Washington Square South, NYC
For tickets to performance only: http://skirballcenter.nyu.edu

For Gala Performance and Dinner/Dance
Tickets start at $500
Call NYIBC at 212-956-1520 or online at http://nyibcgala.charityhappenings.org/
6 PM: Pre-performance cocktail reception
7:30 PM: Performance
9 PM: Dinner Dance and Ilona Copen Award Presentation

NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION | Danza Ballet