There’s a lot of prestigious prizes awarded to the best dancer in different nominations in the world. Still, referring to the classical ballet and, especially, Russian classical ballet, one of the most significant prizes is the International Ballet Award DANCE OPEN which is awarded once a year in St.-Petersburg by the competent jury which consists of the prominent figures of international ballet society.

The importance of the event is easily proved by the fact that the award ceremony at the Dance Open Festival is traditionally attended by the most influential representatives of the world’s best ballet schools. Top ballet dancers of the world theaters and dancing professors also come to St.-Petersburg to participate in the event as the members of the competition’s jury, as the contestants, or just as spectators of the show as a whole.

Why is it so important for the professionals to see who wins the main prize this year? Probably, this is the question referred to the audience. The importance of the event is determined by the people who choose the winner and the spectators who are interested in the results. They create the context for the public discussion about the main aesthetic values embodied in the dance, particularly in ballet. Thus, the more qualified ballet dancers and professors take part in the event, the more important is its final result, i.e. the best dancer of the year chosen by them and in their presence.

Then, who are our best dancers then? Dance Open is a festival that makes it possible to deal with the practices and traditions of different ages and countries in the format of the united space which is open to innovation. The festival thus is an instrument created to accumulate individual experiences and points of view, which is probably the best way to keep classical art of ballet living and up-to-date and also to promote contemporary ballet, attracting public attention to the best dancers and dancing groups.

According to these main goals of the event, we must admit, that the contestants who will be approved by the jury and become laureates, are the persons defining the main trends in world dancing. So, at the Dance Open Award Ceremony we are to witness how the future of the dance begins here, growing from the centuries of the ballet tradition and making profit of individual manner of every ballet dancer and every student. To become a prize winner thus is not just to become the best dancer of the year. This means is to be in charge of the destiny of international art - which is definitely a challenge.