<p><a href="https://www.pointemagazine.com/the-prix-de-lausanne-just-announced-its-2020-finalists-2645066524.html" target="_blank">Twenty-one dancers </a>advanced to Saturday's finals (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGMhYYfwHak&t=3616s" target="_blank">click here</a> to watch them in full), where eight were awarded a scholarship to a Prix de Lausanne partner school or company of their choice. One finalist from the United States, Ava Arbuckle, was among the winners. The Prix also presented five other additional<strong> </strong>awards, and all finalists who did not receive a scholarship received the Finalist Award for the sum of 1000 Swiss Francs. Read on for the list of prize winners, and congratulations to all! </p>
Marco Masciari
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="46afc1b0a6abe4ca08348683463fad78"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uHPFFvA3-Jw?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Italian dancer Marco Masciari, who also won the Prix's Contemporary Prize, is a 17-year-old student at the Academie Princess Grace in Monaco. Not only is he a beautiful dancer, he's also a big-hearted: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8Ug5zVC_3P/" target="_blank">In his acceptance speech</a>, Masciari dedicated his prize to his Academie Princess Grace classmate and fellow Prix de Lausanne candidate, Katomi Yamada. She had broken her toe the day before the semi-finals and was not able to finish the competition. "God knows how much she has been working and wanted to perform. So, Kotomi, that's for us," Masciari said, pointing to his medal.</p>
Ava Arbuckle
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="83fd73bf4e975288a6c4eb91e4920838"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E4PxtevZItE?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Ava Arbuckle trains at Elite Classical Coaching in Frisco, Texas, directed by Catherine Livengood Lewellen. She not only won a scholarship to the Prix de Lausanne partner school of her choice, but she also received the Best Young Talent prize. While<strong> </strong>only 15, Arbuckle has amassed an impressive resumé, including second place in the junior category at Youth America Grand Prix's 2019 New York Finals and two gold medals (in both the classical and contemporary junior categories) at the <a href="https://www.adcibc.com/" target="_blank">2019 American Dance Competition</a>. She was also named Grishko's 2019 Model Search winner. We can't wait to see where she ends up!</p>
João Vitor Santana
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7b71d5b222cf915e5965443eb883c76e"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xnsZpGqP-bk?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Seventeen-year-old João Vitor Santana is one of two finalists who train at Brazil's Itego em Artes Basilieu França. According to the publication <a href="http://www.rfi.fr/br/cultura/20200209-na-su%C3%AD%C3%A7a-bailarinos-brasileiros-ganham-pr%C3%AAmios-em-um-dos-maiores-concursos-de-dan%C3%A7a" target="_blank">RFi</a>, he has only been taking ballet since age 13. Watch<strong>i</strong>ng his classical variation from <em>Paquita</em> above, it's obvious that those have been four years well-spent!</p>
Lin Zhang
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ee0d3283fdbc50955003a48cacc359bf"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cm9BY2XVbEE?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Lin Zhang, 17, trains at the Secondary School of <a href="https://www.pointemagazine.com/beijing-dance-academy-2549891019.html" target="_blank">Beijing Dance Academy</a> in China. (Her classmate, Yuyan Wang, also made the Prix de Lausanne finals). She performed the <em>Giselle</em> Act I variation and Mauro Bigonzetti's Solo de Rossini Cards<strong> </strong>for her contemporary selection. Zhang was also a semi-finalist at the 2020 YAGP China and has been i<a href="https://yagp.org/misc/Downloads/2020/YAGP%202020%20BEIJING,%20CHINA,%20NY%20INVITATIONS.pdf" target="_blank">nvited to participate</a> in the New York City Finals in April.</p>
Chaeyeon Kang
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c453076119a4e97656f942a4fb418231"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TaRvHeCEyRs?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Chaeyeon Kang attends the Yewon School in Seoul, South Korea, the same school that produced Washington Ballet's <a href="https://www.pointemagazine.com/eunwon-lee-the-washington-ballet-2551405963.html" target="_blank">EunWon Lee</a>. Kang is only 15, yet she performed her <em>Paquita</em> variation with polished precision, clean pirouettes and buoyant jumps, showing confidence beyond her years, </p>
Matei Holeleu
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="69425331ba3d313a37e7aa44afc28a96"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ssh0zSCtABA?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Matei Holeleu was one of four pre-selected candidates chosen from Prix de Lausanne's first summer intensive, held last July. The 18-year-old dancer, who hails from Romania, currently trains at Switzerland's Ballettschule Theater Basel. Holeleu also won the Prix's Best Swiss Candidate Prize.<strong></strong></p>
Augusto Vitor Vaz
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="56bc8be603b99c66631cf1b70bee4855"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YAOEcpcwuBc?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>A native of Brazil, Augusto Vitor Vaz, 15, also trains at Itego em Atres Basileu França. According to the publication <a href="http://www.rfi.fr/br/cultura/20200209-na-su%C3%AD%C3%A7a-bailarinos-brasileiros-ganham-pr%C3%AAmios-em-um-dos-maiores-concursos-de-dan%C3%A7a" target="_blank">RFi</a>, he gave up judo lessons for ballet at age nine after his instructor told him he had more of a dancer's physique. "My mother said, if this is what you want in your life, this is what you'll have," he told RFi.</p>
Yuyan Wang
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cb20f7cf10f9839f3c21478fae1ca581"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uAtV4sNprEs?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Seventeen-year-old Yuyan Wang more than impressed the judges. In addition to winning a scholarship, the Beijing Dance Academy student was named the Web Audience Favorite Prize, given to the dancer who received the most votes from those watching the finals via live stream. Watching her Gamzatti variation above, it's easy to see why!</p>
Other Prizes
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjY2OTM4Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2OTg2NDk0NX0.n7HuhQSri9zbK3vHbtGRFT-32LZD95nppYvjjL-kZXI/img.jpg?width=980" id="b7fcc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="92e318d9ccee9c423fc2b49f55e37872" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Carolina Pires does a piqu\u00e9 first arabesque on pointe on her left leg. She smiles brightly, wearing a white tutu with black and red trim, pink tights and pointe shoes. Her dark brown hair is pulled into a low bun." />
Carolina Pires, winner of the Audience Favorite Prize.
Gregory Batardon, Courtesy PdL
<p><strong>Best Young Talent Prize:</strong> Ava Arbuckle</p><p><strong>Contemporary Dance Prize:</strong> Marco Masciari</p><p><strong>Best Swiss Candidate: </strong>Matei Holeleu</p><p><strong>Web Audience Favorite (co-organized with ARTE Concert): </strong>Yuyan Wang</p><p><strong>Audience Favorite: </strong>Catarina Pires</p>