My name is Claire Wu, and I'm a Dance major at Butler University. Earlier this month I went to Hong Kong to participate in the 2018 Genée International Ballet Competition, hosted by the Royal Academy of Dance. The Genée is for dancers who have received RAD training and passed their last vocational exam (Advanced Two) with the highest marks of a distinction. I received my RAD training at my home studio, Rachel's Ballet, in Fremont, California, where I was awarded the Solo Seal Award in 2016.

I had also attended the Genée in 2016 when it was held in Sydney, Australia, and I had such a great experience that I wanted to participate again. Unlike most competitions, the Genée has five days of classes and coaching before the semi-finals, which consist of a class onstage, a Dancer's Own solo and a classical variation. The contestants also learn a commissioned variation, which is performed by the finalists. Since the competition was far away, I applied for the Dame Darcy Bussell Genée Bursary, a scholarship to help cover the costs of the competition. I was one of the few competitors awarded one, and it was one of my ultimate deciding factors to go. Below is a journal of my time at the 2018 Genée.