In 2010 the organizers are going to establish the Saint-Petersburg International Ballet Award – a kind of Oscar for professional ballet dancers.

For the first time in the history of the Festival the award will be given for the best personal achievements of the dancers – a perfect combination of outstanding technique and artistry regardless of style, and genre of performed choreographies. The organizing committee invites world’s authorities on choreography who establish high level of professionalism for ballet dancers all over the world.

The Awarding Ceremony will take place on April 2, 2010 at the Marble Hall of the Ethnographic Museum after the Gala Performance at the Grand Concert Hall Oktyabrsky is over.

Appeal of Natalia Makarova,
chairman of the jury of the "DANCE OPEN" ballet award.

All ballet events related to my home town are interesting and significant to me. No matter how many competitions, gala performances, festivals are held; Saint-Petersburg dance celebrations and gatherings have their own attractiveness. They are undoubtedly blessed by the city, where everything is full of ballet legends and great traditions peacefully live. I am happy that I had my education here by the masters of Russian School and danced at the famous Mariinsky (Kirov) stage. Therefore, I accepted the invitation to the DANCE OPEN Festival where the program included the tribute performances to Galina Ulanova, Tatiana Vecheslova, Konstantin Sergeev, Vakhtang Сhabukiani with such excitement. This is so beautiful that in Petersburg people revere their memory and widely celebrate 100 years anniversaries of this galaxy of ballet geniuses!
The role of the Jury Chairperson of the First International Award DANCE OPEN is very flattering to me. It is quite tempting to have a look on the best Russian and international performers. Modern ballet dancers create miracles on stage. Their technique turns out to be infinite, virtuosity to be audacious, physical abilities to be boundless. This cannot but enrapture because such achievements are the result of hard work, persistence, and self-denial. But technique even if truly fantastic, does not mean anything if it has no emotional contagiousness, no spirituality. We all remember that a symbol of true spirituality in the ballet world was a Great Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, and it is not a coincidence that a wonderful DANCE OPEN award is connected with her image.
I am waiting with anticipation to meet and work together with internationally renowned jury members who represent famous ballet companies and are leading choreographers in the world. They will have to leave their ballet Olympus for some time and work together in the jury team. Choosing best dancers among extra-class performs is a complicated task. But in case if we professionals will make a mistake, a special
People's Choice Award will undoubtedly correct our decisions, because every dance is first of all turned to the audience who is its main judge. Those performers who address everything directly to people's heart will be definitely noticed.
I am certain that created in such an interesting way, and having an intriguing rich program, the Saint-Petersburg Festival DANCE OPEN will become immensely weighty event in the today's cultural life. I hope that the International DANCE OPEN Award that will be given for the first time, will become as prestigious and desirable for the world ballet society as already renown ballet and theatre awards.