New Director, New Plans at Prix de Lausanne

This story originally appeared in the August/September 2016 issue of
Pointe.

In September, former Houston Ballet Academy director Shelly Power will take up her post as Prix de Lausanne’s first dual artistic director and CEO—just in time for the competition’s 45th anniversary. And she has ambitious plans for its future. Power wants to expand the annual one-week competition into a year-round dance hub, instituting choreography workshops and nurturing leadership qualities in participants. “Oftentimes, students are myopic,” she says. “It’s all about getting their training and getting into a company. But if you plant leadership seeds at a young age, they become true ambassadors for the art form.”

The next Prix de Lausanne takes place January 29 through February 5, 2017. Students can apply via video submission through September 30. Check Prix de Lausanne’s website for application details: prixdelausanne.org.