"In the pre selection the panel first looks at the shape of the student’s body and feet and cuts accordingly. After that they skip watch the remainder and stop watching if they’re not impressed. They absolutely do not watch the whole submission. They also almost never watch the contemporary so don’t waste too much time on that."
"Recording the videos with the help of your ballet instructor is very helpful especially if as a parent you are not ballet trained."
Competition experience
2-5
6-10
Event Details
Round
Final
Season
2025
2026
Location
Lausanne, Switzerland
Entry affiliation
School
Independent
Master Classes
Master Class Types
Technique
Contemporary
Variations
Character
Master class teachers
"Elisabeth Platel"
"Yoel Carreno
Federico Bonelli"
Received corrections
No
Yes
How corrections were given
"Prix Lausanne individual variation training for both classical and contemporary were amazing. Also the group classes were challenging but in a supportive environment"
What corrections were about
"We had no issues with language being used"
Teacher engagement
"Amazing"
"Instructors were walking around and highly engaged. It was a supportive and high energy environment where everyone was trying their best."
Crowding
Really Crowded
3
4
Plenty of Room to Move
Master Class Feedback
Contemporary
A
D
Additional master class comments
"Truly excellent."
"It was all very good"
Performance Details
Venue name
"Théâtre Beaulieu"
"Prix Lausanne"
Venue description
"Very nice theater"
"lots of seating"
Stage description
"Excellent and professional"
"My son did say the floor was a bit hard on stage. He was sore from all the training and classes and performances they had all week."
Off-stage warm-up space
"Studios and backstage spaces"
"unclear"
Dressing rooms
"Plenty of space for everyone"
"N/A"
Parents in dressing rooms
Yes
No
Parents backstage
Yes
No
Onstage warm-up
"No open stage. Individual stage time for everyone"
"It was fine"
Staff communication
"Excellent"
"good"
Parent seminar offered
Yes
No
Parent Education
Seminar content
"Multiple"
Why (not) helpful
"These things are always the same"
Judging
Judging rubric clarity
No
Yes
Feedback turnaround
Never
not sure we got score info
Type of Feedback
No scoring or feedback
n/a
Feedback helpfulness
Not Helpful At All
1
5
Extremely Helpful
Main takeaway
"No official feedback was given and in informal discussions several judges seemed very surprised by the results"
"Verbal Feedback was excellent and encouraging"
Scoring felt fair
No
Yes
Why Scoring Unfair?
"There is no scoring"
Awards & Scholarships
Awards ceremony
"Long and painful"
"It was great . They addressed all the kids and emphasized that regardless of outcomes they should all be proud of their hard work and the judges wanted this competition to be a positive experience."
Award or Training Offer Description
"Royal Ballet School
Paris Opera Ballet School
San Francisco Ballet School
Houston Ballet School (short stay/summer)
Boston Ballet II
ABT/JKO
Zurich Ballet School
Dresden"
"Admission to several schools for full time training and conversations with many school directors which were positive."
Gala offer details
"All finalists perform in the gala"
"Prix Lausanne Gala was held the same time as the competition. No added cost was incurred. He was asked to perform his competition piece."
Final Comments
Best aspect
"Exposure"
"Having the jury panel observe all the classes made for a more balanced evaluation of each candidate. Judging based on solely performances does not comprehensively assess a dancer’s full potential. Prix’s competition format is beneficial for students and makes this experience so special."
Worst aspect
"Judging"
"It was physically tiring for the dancers as they are dancing everyday in rigorous classes and sometimes performing their variations as well for practice. Not everyone has a coach that can travel to Lausanne with them so that could be a disadvantage."
Competition culture
"Excellent"
"Everyone was very welcoming from the start and end of the week. This is a well run competition and highly organized. They reinforced that the week was about learning and appreciating the time spent with each other and faculty. It was a warm, positive and inclusive environment. Attendees were treated equally throughout the week and fairness was a priority. Jury was kept secluded from the candidates to prevent bias. Care was taken to be professional at all times by faculty, staff, and jury."
Attendee culture
"Excellent"
"Collegial, supportive, respectful and friendly."
Suggested changes
"Ballet competitions are and will always be inherently unfair and subjective. Just know that going in"
"Continue what they are doing ! It was a positive experience and one that candidates will never forget."
Cost vs. expectation
Significantly More
1
3
Significantly Less
Overall rating
A
C
Anything else?
"No"
"Some dancers come with a team or at least their tracher in tow. It is difficult if you are a parent who does not fully understand what Prix is like to give all the necessary advice to your dancer. It is a mentally and physically demanding week for the dancers so would recommend asking other parents about their experiences before the competition."
