An International Competition of Ballet Dancers “Mia Čorak Slavenska”

On the 2nd and 3rd of July, Zagreb will be host to the first international competition of ballet dancers “Mia Čorak Slavenska”. Apart from contestants from ten countries, numerous ballet pedagogues, masters, as well as theatre and ballet school directors are also expected to arrive in Zagreb during the competition.

Initially conceived as a domestic biennial ballet contest, this event, the “Mia Čorak Slavenska” competition, was established in 2006. This year it has outgrown its Croatian boundaries, and it has become the first international ballet competition in Zagreb, which will be held on the 2nd and 3rd of July at the Croatian National Theatre.

The competition was first established four years ago by the Croatian Association of Professional Ballet Artists, and the Croatian Musical Youth.

The interest it sparked among ballet artists in the region confirmed the need for such an event.

Therefore, organizers have decided to organize the contest on an international level as of this year, which means the 1st International Competition of Ballet Dancers, “Mia Čorak Slavenska”, at the Croatian National Theatre, will feature 33 contestants from ten countries; Australia, Russia, Serbia, Macedonia, Israel, Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Romania and Japan.

Apart from the contestants, numerous ballet pedagogues, masters, and directors of theatres and ballet schools are also expected to attend, which is a further step towards the affirmation of Croatian ballet on the global scene.

The ballet tradition in Croatia dates back some 134 years and in terms of quality and organization it is among the best in Europe. Moreover, this international contest offers young and promising ballet artists an opportunity to compare their knowledge and skills with other ballet schools in the wider region.

After the competition ends there will be a gala performance and an award presentation ceremony.