A 17-year-old Japanese girl was among the eight winners of the prestigious Prix de Lausanne ballet competition in Switzerland on Saturday, the organizers said. Madoka Sugai from Kanagawa Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, won the prize with the top score among the eight, and was also given the contemporary dance prize.
Each winner is awarded a one-year scholarship to an internationally renowned dance school and a budget of 16,000 Swiss francs (1.33 million yen). "I can't believe it," Sugai, a second-year student at a Japanese high school, said after the award ceremony. "I will call my parents, who are expecting to hear from me at home, and express my gratitude to them (for supporting me)." Renowned Japanese ballerina Miyako Yoshida, former winner of the prize and one of the jurors this year, said about Sugai, "Her performance was the most stable among the finalists. I am very much looking forward to seeing her future growth." "I would like to be a ballerina like Ms. Yoshida," Sugai said. Yoshida joined the Royal Ballet at London's Royal Opera House in 1995 where her repertoire included many lead roles. The 40th competition had 226 applicants from 30 countries including 19 Japanese. Five Japanese, including Sugai, were among the 21 finalists.
Published on Sunday, 05 February 2012








