This year three Houston Ballet II dancers have been selected to compete at the prestigious Prix de Lausanne, an international dance competition for dancers ages 15-18 who are not yet professionals. Ms. Liana Carpio, Mr. Harper Watters, and Mr. Masahiro Haneji will represent the Houston Ballet Academy. This is what Ms. Carpio had to say about her preparation for the competition thus far:
These past few months have been such an exciting time for me at Houston Ballet! After I found out I was accepted for Lausanne, rehearsals started immediately. I have been preparing with many of my ballet instructors on a daily basis to perfect my performance. Having different instructors critique my movements is truly beneficial to the final outcome. Sabrina Lenzi, Andrew Murphy, and Claudio Munoz have generously dedicated their time to help me become a better dancer.
They have taught me how to perfect moves while enhancing the artistic expression of the dance itself. It has been a wonderful journey to see my performance grow and improve each and every day. Thanks to Sabrina’s, Andrew’s, and Claudio’s corrections, I feel confident in my moves and know that I have put my all into this performance. I love my dance, and from these rehearsals I have truly learned to connect to each move in the piece. Being accepted to compete at Lausanne has been such an honor, and I know that I want to put forth my best effort in order to truly take advantage of this amazing opportunity.
The 2011 Prix de Lausanne will be held February 1-6 in Lausanne, Switzerland. You can read more about the Prix on their website. We will continue to post blogs updating our fans about the dancers’ progress throughout the competition.
Liana Carpio. Photo by Amitava Sarkar.
