3 Pinoys to compete in US dance Olympics

MANILA, Philippines - Three dancers from Ballet Philippines have been selected to compete in the 2014 USA International Ballet Competition scheduled for June 14 to 29 in Jackson, Mississippi.

Designated as the official international ballet competition in the United States by a Joint Resolution of Congress, the event is held every four years and showcases the best dance talent the world has to offer.

Victor Maguad, Jayson Pescasio and Jemina Reyes will be among 97 dancers competing for scholarships, company contracts, cash awards and medals during the USA IBC’s three rounds of competition. Maguad and Pescasio will compete in the senior male division, while Reyes competes in the senior female division. Pescasio now trains in the US. 

The dancers will perform variations from the classical and contemporary repertoires.

The USA IBC’s selection process is rigorous and requires that dancers submit written entries and performance videos from the classical ballet repertoire. Competitors from Ballet Philippines were selected by a world-renowned group of dance professionals who chose them from almost 300 applicants.

“Being among the dancers selected to compete in the USA IBC is a tremendous accomplishment,” said Sue Lobrano, USA IBC executive director. “The dancers selected exemplify the highest caliber of artistic performance and skill.”

In 2010, former BP principal dancer Candice Adea won the silver medal in the senior female division.

The USA IBC is a two-week, “olympic-style” competition presented under the auspices of the International Dance Committee, International Theatre Institute of UNESCO in the tradition of sister competitions in Varna, Bulgaria and Moscow, Russia.