The Irkutsk ensemble Solnyshko returned from a prestigious international festival competition in Berlin with the Grand Prix and a gold medal. They will next be invited to contests and gala concerts in Italy, Germany, China and South Korea.
The dancers brought the Grand Prix and the festival-competition’s gold medal to Irkutsk. Winning it was extremely difficult. 900 contestants from 40 countries around the world competed for the right to be the best. All the performances (there were 600 of them) were judged by a very strict jury, which consisted almost entirely of stars of the world ballet.“This is one of the most prestigious dance competitions in the world,” noted the artistic director of the Solnyshko ensemble, Olga Kuglyant. “It is traditionally organized under the patronage of the Governing Mayor of Berlin and the Berlin State Ballet, with the organizational and informational support of the Rossotrudnichestvo office in Germany. Very strong ensembles perform at the festival, and master classes are held by professional teachers, so we learn a lot here.”
In 2011, the Solnyshko ensemble took part in this festival, and then the young Irkutsk dancers won gold and silver medals.
“We are proud that this ensemble is municipal,” noted Olga Aksamentova, head of the Department of Culture of the Irkutsk City Administration. “Solnyshko can rightly be called the calling card of Irkutsk.”
The ensemble has many performances ahead. Solnyshko has been invited to take part in an international dance competition in Italy, in a gala concert of ballet stars in Germany. They are also expected in China and the South Korean city of Gangneung. According to Olga Kuglyant, her dancers plan to take part this year in the Russian competition “Dance and Sing.”
Based on materials from the press service of the Irkutsk City Administration