Varna International Ballet Competition
The Varna International Ballet Competition is a biennial ballet competition held in Varna, Bulgaria. The competition was founded in 1964 and subsequently held in 1965 and 1966, and then every two years starting in 1968. Many dancers have gained their first international recognition at the competition.
The contest that saw many of its medalist rise to prominence is dubbed in media as "olympics of dance".
Winners
- 1964 : Vladimir Vasiliev, Grand Prix of Varna; Alla Sizova, Ekaterina Maximova, Vera Kirova, Sergei Vikulov, and Nikita Dolgushin
- 1965 : Natalia Makarova, Loipa Araújo
- 1966 : Aurora Bosch, Martine van Hamel, Mikhail Baryshnikov
- 1968 : Marta García, Rita Poelvoorde
- 1970 : Eva Evdokimova, Rosario Suárez
- 1972 : Lyubov Gershunova
- 1974 : Fernando Bujones, Yoko Morishita, Tatyana Kapustina
- 1976 : Patrick Dupond
- 1978 : Élisabeth Platel // René de Cárdenas
- 1980 : Evelyn Hart and David Peregrine // Karin Averty
- 1983 : Sylvie Guillem
- 1984 : Manuel Legris
- 1988 : Virginie Kempf
- 1990 : Agnès Letestu
- 1992 : Aurélie Dupont, José Carlos Martinez,, Zenaida Yanowsky, Yury Yanowsky//Bernard Courtot de Bouteillier, Molly Smolen//Delphine Baey ), Molly Smolen
- 1994 : Clairemarie Osta, Laetitia Pujol
- 1996 : Rasta Thomas
- 1998 : Zhu Yan // Chi Cao
- 2000 : Lali Kandelaki, Xiao Feng Fan, Shen Yi Sun
- 2002 : Hélène Bouchet
- 2004 : Daniil Simkin, Yum Yunesava, Arman Grigoryan, Mathilde Froustey
- 2006 : Aubert Vanderlinden, Ivan Vasiliev
- 2012 : Brooklyn Mack // Denis Cherevichko
- 2014 : Soo Bin Lee, Sara Renda, Ralitsa Ilieva
- 2016 : Amanda Gomes // Paul Marque
- 2018 : António Casalinho, Siyi Li, Yuan Zhe Zi Huan, Katherine Barkman, Sinuo Chang