2019 Judging Panel
The Organizing Committee of the 2019 World Ballet Competition has announced members of the Jury Panel. The 2019 World Finals will be held in Orlando, Florida from April 22-27, 2019.
HSIENFA CHENG - SINGAPORE
Founder & Artistic Director/Cheng Ballet Academy
Hsienfa Cheng began his dance education at the National Taiwan University of Arts where he was given the Honourable Ballet Dancer award from the National Taiwan Theatre in 1988. Mr. Cheng has worked extensively with The Atlanta Ballet, and as principal dancer for The Metropolitan Ballet Theatre, and the Contemporaneo Ballet de Caracas in Venezuela. In 1995, he joined Singapore Dance Theatre as Principal Dancer. Currently, he is the Artistic Director of Cheng Ballet Academy, which he co-founded with his wife, Ms Tan Yaling, in Singapore in 2006. A prolific choreographer and teacher, Mr Cheng has won many teaching and choreography awards at the Japan Ballet Competition, Tokyo Ballet Competition, Barcelona Dance Awards, and World Ballet Competition among others.
MIHAILO DJURIC - SERBIA
Artistic Director/Festival Ballet Providence
Mihailo Djuric is a former first soloist with the National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Yugoslavia. In 1991, Mr. Djuric was appointed Artistic Director at Ballet New England and in 1998 co-founded Ballet Theatre Workshop and Children’s Repertory Ballet in New Hampshire. As a choreographer, his works have been performed in Russia, Switzerland, Romania, Italy and Venezuela. In July 1998, Mr. Djuric was appointed as the Artistic Director of Festival Ballet Providence where he is responsible for managing the Company, Junior Company and the Festival Ballet Providence School. His honors include the Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts and gold medal at the Yugoslavian Choreographers’ Competition.
CHAN HON GOH - CANADA
Director of Goh Ballet Academy
In her illustrious 20 year stage career, Chan Hon Goh has performed around the world. Recognition of her talents and artistic achievements began early in her career when Ms. Goh became the first Canadian to receive the Silver Medal at the Genèe International Ballet Competition in London, England and a prize at the illustrious Prix de Lausanne. In 2005, she received the New Pioneers Arts Award for her contributions to dance in Canada. As of September of 2010, Ms. Goh accepted an invitation to become the Director of the Goh Ballet Academy and Youth Company Canada. While in Vancouver, she also took on the role of Executive Producer to Goh Ballet’s critically acclaimed production of The Nutcracker. Ms. Goh is also a founding member of Vancouver’s Arts and Culture Policy Council.
ELEUSA LOURENZONI - BRAZIL
International Master Teacher and Choreographer
Eleusa Lourenzoni studied at the Royal Academy of Dance in London and Municipal Ballet School in Brazil. She received a graduate degree in the History of Art, with specialty in ballet terminology and dance history. She has performed with Municipal Theater Ballet São Paulo, Maria Olenewa Ballet, Ballet of the City Sao Paulo, and Victor Aukstin Company. Mrs. Lourenzoni actively participates as a master ballet teacher and juror in major festivals, and has choreographed works in Brazil, U.S.A. and Argentina. She is the recipient of the Gala Ismael Guiser and Dance Personality Award in Brazil.
CHRISTOPHER MOORE - UNITED KINGDOM
Artistic Director/Ballet Theatre UK
Christopher Moore founded the Ballet Theatre UK company in 2008 and has since created over twelve full-length ballets for the Company. The success of the Company has subsequently led to the development of The School of Ballet Theatre UK, founded in 2014 and has fast become of the leading classical training institutions in the country. He trained at Tring Park School of Performing Arts and The Royal Ballet School and has toured the world with many companies and choreographers. Christopher held the position of Head of Dance at Midland College, Nottingham, for five years and Artistic Director of Encore Dance Company at Ting Park School of Performing Arts. He has been an invited lecturer and judge at many international dance competitions and teacher conventions around the world.
ANA LOURDES NOVOA - CUBA
Pennsylvania Ballet/Faculty Member
Ana Lourdes Novoa studied at the School of National Art in Havana, Cuba under the guidance of Ramona de Saa. Upon graduation, she immediately joined the Cuban National Ballet Company where she became a principal dancer and danced with the company for more than twenty years. She performed all throughout Cuba and toured extensively worldwide, dancing on all the renowned stage of the major capitals of the world including Bolshoi in Moscow, Metropolitan Opera House in New York, Kennedy Center, Liceu in Barcelona, Champs Elysees in Paris, Colon Theater in Argentina and many others. She has also taught professional level programs for Ballet Hispanico, Ballet Theater of Harlem, and the Cuban National Ballet. Currently Ana is a faculty member for the Pennsylvania Ballet.
RODNEY RIVERA - PUERTO RICO
Ballet Brio/Artistic Director
Rodney Rivera trained under the direction of Vladimir Issaev, Carlota Carrera, Silvia Marichal, and on scholarship at Point Park University. In 1994, he became the first male Puerto Rican to participate in the International Ballet Competition in Jackson. Rivera has performed in Taiwan, Cuba, Haiti, Egypt, Japan, USA, Mexico, Spain and Italy. He joined Ballet Brio in 1999 and became Artistic Director in 2010. Awards include Choreography Gold Medal at the Argentina International Dance Competition in 2006 and "Best Choreographer of the Year" by the Puertorrican Institute of Culture in 2010.
WILLY SHIVES - USA
Ballet San Antonio/Former Artistic Director
Declared by the New York Times as “an astounding dancer", Shives' award winning career included performances with companies in New York, Austin, Tulsa, Milwaukee, Minnesota and Pittsburgh. Willy Shives studied with Nikita Talin in Texas before receiving a scholarship to train at the School of American Ballet. After a brilliant 16 year tenure with the Joffrey Ballet, he was named Artistic Director of Ballet San Antonio in 2015. He was credited for elevating the company and earning the title " Best Arts Organization 2017" by SA Magazine.He is the recipient of the 2004 Natalie Skelton Legacy Award and "Chicagoan of the Year” by The Chicago Tribune.
BRIAN YOO - CHINA
Universal Ballet/Artistic Director
Brian Yoo graduated from Jilin Arts School, studied dance pedagogy at the Beijing Dance Academy, and later joined Universal Ballet as a soloist. In 1995, he became ballet master and choreographer at the Guangzhou Ballet in China and moved to the National Ballet of China in Beijing in 1997. Mr. Yoo rejoined Universal Ballet as Ballet Master in 1999; promoted to Assistant Artistic Director in 2000; and Artistic Director in 2009. Mr. Yoo choreographed several ballets for the Universal Ballet, most recently the full-length Korean ballet, The Love of Chunhyung.
CLAUDIA ZACCARI - ITALY
Opus Ballet/Classical Ballet Department Director
Claudia Zaccari is a former Prima Ballerina of the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome and Guest Prima Ballerina in famed theaters and opera houses including: Arena di Verona, Massimo di Palermo, Toulouse, Avignon, and London. She has danced alongside world-class dancers such as Maja Plisetskaia, Carla Fracci and Vladimir Vassiliev. Mrs. Zaccari has worked as a Consultant and Artistic Director of numerous dance schools, dance performances and events in Italy and abroad such as: the 'Cecilia Kerche Festival' in Belem (Brazil) and the 'Centro Teatral di Mazatlan' (Mexico). Currently, Mrs. Zaccari is the Director of Opus Ballet's Department of Classical Dance and a public relations representative for So Danca. Mrs. Zaccari's awards include the title of "Knight of the Republic" for having promoted artistic exchanges on the international level between Italy and countries worldwide.
The Judges
