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EUN YOUNG AHN

PITTSBURGH BALLET THEATRE SCHOOL

Originally from Seoul, Korea, Eun Young received the majority of her training at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington D.C. where she received her 6-year Vaganova training diploma, under the direction of Oleg Vinogradov. Upon graduation, she returned to Seoul to join the Universal Ballet Company where she became a soloist. In 2002, Eun Young joined the Staatsballet Berlin as a demi-soloist. After a second stint with the Universal Ballet Company, she then joined American Ballet Theatre in 2007 where she retired in 2013. Her performing experience includes corps and soloist roles in the classics such as La Bayadere, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Giselle, in addition to works by George Balanchine, Nacho Duato, Ohad Naharin, Alexei Ratmansky, and Christopher Wheeldon.Eun Young has taught and coached both students and professional dancers at the Universal Ballet Academy and Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh. She is certified in the ABT National Training Curriculum and is the first Head of Curriculum and Student Division at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School.

DANIELA BUSON

TULSA BALLET

Daniela Buson is the assistant artistic director of the Tulsa Ballet, following a career as a principal dancer and guest artist for many international ballet companies. Born in Palermo, Italy she received her training from maestro Jacques Beltrame. Upon graduation she joined Maggio Danza in Florence under the direction of Evgeny Polyakov. In 1983, she joined the Deutsche Oper Berlin in Berlin, Germany as a soloist, then joining Northern Ballet Theater, England as a principal dancer the following year. Ms. Buson has appeared as guest principal artist with the English National Ballet; Basel Ballet, Switzerland; Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Montreal, Canada; Cincinnati Ballet; Ballet West and Ballet Arizona in the US as well as having danced with the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Italy. As a principal dancer of Tulsa Ballet, under her husband's (Marcello Angelini) artistic directorship, Ms. Buson danced leading roles in the classical ballet repertory as well as having worked with many of the important contemporary choreographers of our time. Upon her retiring from the stage, Ms. Buson became ballet mistress of the Tulsa Ballet before assuming her present position.

DEBORAH HESS

CANADA'S NATIONAL BALLET SCHOOL

A native New Yorker, Deborah Hess received her formative training from Valentina Pereyaslavec and Kathleen Crofton. After having toured throughout Europe with Rudolf Nureyev, she joined companies in Europe where she danced an extensive variety of classical and contemporary roles. Always interested in pedagogy, she became a teacher and the Assistant to the Director of San Francisco Ballet School. At the recommendation of Erik Bruhn, Ms. Hess then joined Canada’s National Ballet School, where she gained an international reputation as a respected senior faculty member, coach, and manager of the School’s Student Exchange Program. She has been a guest teacher at Boston Ballet; Cincinnati Ballet; the USA IBC in Jackson, Mississippi; the National Ballet of Canada; the Royal Danish Ballet School, the School at Jacob's Pillow Dance, Arts, and the Vancouver Ballet Society, among others. She is also a frequent guest teacher in Japan. Deborah Hess has been on the juries of the International Ballet Student Competition in Havana, Cuba, Beijing Ballet Competition, FIDPOA Brazil, and Japan Grand Prix, among other noted competitions. Deborah Hess has been a member of the JGP jury, representing Canada's National Ballet School, since its inception in 2003.

GRACE HOLMES

SAN FRANCISCO BALLET SCHOOL

Grace Holmes was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, beginning her ballet training with Audrey Maduell, Lelia Haller, and Harvey Hysell. She then danced as a soloist with the New Orleans Ballet and San Francisco Ballet before moving to England to dance as a senior soloist with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, where her repertoire has included many classical, modern, and contemporary roles. Grace Holmes has performed in major theaters and opera houses in over thirty countries around the world. During her career Grace has danced leading roles in all of the major classics, as well as working with internationally acclaimed choreographers on world premieres.
After retiring from the stage, Grace Holmes worked in Education and Outreach for Birmingham Royal Ballet as the Ballet Education Manager, as well as for the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, London. Grace Holmes was the Academy Director for Tapestry Dance Company and a Professor of Dance at University of Texas in Austin. Grace was the School Director for Kansas City Ballet before recently assuming the School Directorship of the San Francisco Ballet.

TAMARA KING

BOSTON BALLET SCHOOL

Tamara King became Principal of Boston Ballet School in 2020 after serving as Principal of Boston Balletʼs Newton Studio and its Summer Dance Program since 2004. During her tenure, the Newton School became the hub of the Classical Ballet Program. Ms. King began her professional career in 1981 as a member of Ballet West in Salt Lake City, UT USA, directed by Bruce Marks. With Ballet West, she danced a variety of principal, soloist, and corps de ballet roles in the classical repertoire, including The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, and The Nutcracker, as well as performing in ballets by Sir Fredrick Ashton and George Balanchine. From 1987 until her retirement in 1993, she danced as a member of Boston Ballet, again under the direction of Bruce Marks, appearing in the “Glasnost” Swan Lake, staged by Konstantin Sergeyev and Natalya Dudinskaya, of the Kirov Ballet (Mariinsky Ballet), as well as continuing to develop her Balanchine repertoire.
Tamara King was appointed Associate Director of Boston Ballet School in 2023. In this role, she also contributes to the development of the Ballet Program at Walnut Hill School for the Arts.

MARIANNE KRUUSE

SCHOOL OF THE HAMBURG BALLET – JOHN NEUMEIER

Marianne Kruuse was born in Copenhagen, dancing with the Scandinavian Ballet before John Cranko invited her to join his company in Stuttgart. In Stuttgart, she met John Neumeier with whom she was to form a close working relationship spanning decades. John Neumeier created his first ballets for her: "Haiku" and "Separate Journeys." She subsequently went with him to Frankfurt, where she danced as his Juliette in Romeo and Juliette, Marie in Nutcracker, and Chloe in Daphnis and Chloe. Marianne Kruuse continued dancing as John Neumeier's principal dancer in Hamburg from 1973 until 1985. She danced in many of John Neumeier's creations as well as dancing principal roles in many of the ballets by John Cranko, Jerome Robbins and Alan Biele. Marianne Kruuse also danced as a guest in Stuttgart, Munich, and Copenhagen. When she bade farewell to the stage, she worked as a teacher in the school of Hamburg Ballet, later taking the position of the Pedagogical Principal and Deputy Director until 2013. Marianne Kruuse has been working as a guest teacher since 2014 and performed in Stuttgart Theaterhaus with Egon Madsen in his ballet Greyhounds. Japan Grand Prix 2020 is proud to welcome Marianne Kruusa, once again, to represent the School of the Hamburg Ballet in place of Carolina Borrajo.

KIMMY LAUWENS

ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL ANTWERP

Kimmy Lauwens was born in Korea, adopted by Belgian parents, receiving her training at the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp. After graduation, she danced with the Royal Ballet of Flanders and the Basler Ballet. During her career, she danced repertoire, including works by George Balanchine, Nacho Duato, Hans Van Manen, Paul Taylor. William Forsythe and Maurice Béjart. Turning to pedagogy, she received her degree at the Higher Institute for Dance and Dance Pedagogy in Antwerp, beginning teaching at the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp in 1993, and appointed the school’s artistic director in 2003. In 2009 Ms. Lauwens resigned the artistic directorship to dedicate herself to working directly with young dancers, where she has been teaching and preparing students for international ballet competitions at the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp. She is a guest teacher of dance methodology at the "Royal Conservatory – Artesis Plantijn Hogeschool Antwerpen," a teacher for international ballet seminars, a jury member for graduation exams of professional ballet schools, as well as for international ballet competitions including Prix de Lausanne and Tanz Olympic Berlin. She collaborates with Mauro di Candia for "Formazione Tersicore-Arte&Balletto" in Italy and is a guest lecturer at the University of Leuven (KUL). Kimmy Lauwens has a teacher's diploma in "Coaching Essentials and Progressive Ballet Technique," giving ballet teachers seminars throughout Belgium and abroad.

DIMITRI MAGITOV

JOHN CRANKO SCHOOL

Dimitri Magitov began his dance studies at the Kiev State Choreographic School and then graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Choreography (The Bolshoi Ballet Academy) in Moscow, in 1992. Mr. Magitov's first engagement as a dancer was with the Moscow Classical Ballet. He has studied at the State Institute of Theatrical Arts in Moscow-Ballet Pedagogical Faculty (G.I.T.I.S.), where he received his teaching diploma. Mr. Magitov joined the Stuttgart Ballet's corps de ballet for the company's 1996-1997 season, being promoted to soloist the following season through 2005. During his tenure as a soloist with the Stuttgart Ballet, Mr. Magitov danced numerous important solo roles. Upon retiring as a dancer, he completed the ballet teacher training courses at Wurttemberg State Theatre and the State Academy of Ballet (John Cranko Schule) in Stuttgart. In 2010, he accepted the position of a ballet instructor, at the John Cranko Schule, State Ballet Academy / Vocational School. Mr. Magitov has been officially designated to represent the John Cranko Schule as a judge by Tadeusz Matacz, the director of the John Cranko Schule, who for many years had been a JGP judge.

FRÉDÉRIC OLIVIERI

ACCADEMIA TEATRO ALLA SCALA

Frédéric Olivieri was born in Nice, graduating from the Music and Dance Conservatory. He won the First Prize in Prix de Lausanne in 1977, then entered the Ballet School of the Paris Opéra. He joined the Paris Opéra Ballet in 1978, was appointed soloist in 1981, dancing major roles in the entire repertoire. In 1985 he joined the newly formed Ballets de Monte-Carlo as leading dancer and soon after was awarded the title Étoile. In 1986 he received the Leonide Massine Prize and in 1992 Prince Rainier of Monaco awarded him "Knight of the Order of Cultural Merits." He joined the Hamburg Ballet in 1993, as principal dancer, concluding his performing career. From 1996 until 1998 he was the ballet master of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, then becaming the ballet master of the Zurich Ballet. In 2000 he became the Artistic Director of MaggioDanza at Teatro Comunale, Fiorentino. In 2002 he was appointed director of the Ballet Company of Teatro alla Scala, until 2007. Since 2003 he also was the Director of the Dance Department of Teatro alla Scala Academy. October 2006 he also became Director of the La Scala Ballet School. and in July 2005 was awarded “Knight of Arts and Letters” by the French Ministry of Culture. From October 2016 to December 2020 he was again entrusted with the direction of the Teatro alla Scala Ballet Company, and returning as director of the Dance Department of the La Scala Academy.

ROBERT PARKER

ELMHURST BALLET SCHOOL

Born in Kingston upon Hull, Robert Parker trained at the Royal Ballet School and joined the Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1994 then under the directorship of Sir Peter Wright. He became a Principal dancer in 1999 where he collaborated with Artistic Director and acclaimed choreographer Sir David Bintley to create many leading roles for the company. He made guest appearances with the Royal Ballet and performed in many Galas around the world. His accolades include an Olivier Award nomination in 2001 and a Critics' Circle Award for Outstanding Male Artist in 2003. Robert completed a Master’s degree in Philosophy in Education and was selected to attend the 2012 Rural Retreat for aspiring artistic leaders. After retiring from Birmingham Royal Ballet he passed his RAD Professional Dancers’ Teaching Diploma with distinction. That same year he was appointed President of the London Ballet Association. Robert joined Elmhurst Ballet School as Artistic Director in autumn 2012 and has guest taught in ballet companies and guest adjudicated at numerous international ballet competitions around the world.

RAIMONDO REBECK

KARLSRUHE BALLET

Raimondo Rebeck was born in Berlin and studed at the Staatliche Ballettschule Berlin with Prof. Martin Puttke. He was a principal dancer at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin and Deutsche Oper Berlin, winning many awards and international competitions, including Prix de Lausanne, Osaka and Varna Ballet Competitions, the "Berlin Critic Prize," and the "Aalto Prize of the City of Essen," Germany, as well as the "German Dance Critic Award 2002" as best dancer. From 2005-2008 Mr. Rebeck was the first ballet master and Associate Artistic Director of the Aalto Ballett Theater Essen, Germany. He works internationally as a choreographer, organizer of ballet galas as well as having been a guest dancer working closely with prominent artists including Eva Evdokimova, Jiri Kylian, Yvette Chauviree, William Forsythe, and in close association with Maurice Bejart, for whom he danced many principal roles, a well as with Rudolf Nureyev. Since 2012 Raimondo Rebeck has been the Ballet Master for the Ballet Dortmund, and since 2014 he has been the Artistic Director and choreographer for the NRW Junior Ballet, Dortmund. As of this September 2023, Raimondo Rebeck becomes the Artistic Director of the Karlsruhe Ballet of Germany.

VICTORIA SCHNEIDER

THE HARID CONSERVATORY

Victoria Schneider studied at the School of the Garden State Ballet. She danced professionally with the Garden State Ballet as a soloist, and with the Pennsylvania Ballet. She has been on the faculty of the School of the Pennsylvania Ballet and principal teacher at La Scuola di Danza Classica in Prato, Italy. Together with Martin Fredmann, she established the School of the Tampa Ballet and served as ballet mistress of the Tampa/Colorado Ballet, she studied the teaching of Russian Classical Ballet with her late husband, Jurgen Schneider and later completed the methodology program at Vaganova Academy of Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia. Since 1995 she has been a member of the faculty of The HARID Conservatory. Her students have won major awards in numerous ballet competitions and can be found dancing in major ballet companies in the United States and abroad. She has served as a jury member for the JGP since its inception in 2002. She remains active as a guest teacher and lecturer of Russian Ballet Pedagogy.

SHARON STORY

ATLANTA BALLET

Sharon Story is now serving her 24th year as the Dean of the Centre for Dance Education of the Atlanta Ballet, after having a professional dance career spanning more than 20 years, including 10 years with the Boston Ballet as well as a tenures with Joffrey and Atlanta Ballet. Sharon Story trained with Robert Joffrey at the Joffrey Ballet School (NYC) and under a full Ford Foundation Scholarship at the School of American Ballet (SAB) before starting her professional performing career. In 1996, she began her position as Dean of the Centre for Dance Education of Atlanta Ballet, one of the largest dance centers in the USA, recognized for its training program. Under Ms.Story's direction, the Centre for Dance Education of the Atlanta Ballet received accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD). Sharon Story, currently the president of NASD, serves on many community and national boards. In 2015 she received the "Women Making a Mark" award from Atlanta Magazine, was featured in Dance Teacher Magazine in 2007 and ArtsLegacy Award in 2018. Japan Grand Prix-IBC welcomes Sharon Story as a judge, representing Atlanta Ballet's artistic director Mr. Gennadi Nedvigin.

GARRY TRINDER

NEW ZEALAND SCHOOL OF DANCE

Born in England, Garry Trinder trained at The Royal Ballet School and Rambert School of Ballet in London and Maurice Béjart’s MUDRA. As a dancer, he worked with Scottish Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, and London City Ballet. His career includes six years as artistic director of Hong Kong Ballet and two years as director of dance at South Africa’s NAPAC Dance Company. He was appointed director of the New Zealand School of Dance in 1998. He holds a master’s degree from the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and an Advanced Diploma in Education from Newcastle University. In addition to his role at The New Zealand School of Dance, he is associated with many international ballet competitions, including the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland and the Japan Grand Prix in Tokyo, among others. Since 2011 He has assumed the role of President of the Jury for the Asian Grand Prix ballet competition in Hong Kong. Garry Trinder was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2013 for his services to dance.

OLIVIER VERCOUTERE

BALLET ACADEMY UNIVERSITY OF MUSIC AND
PERFORMING ARTS MUNICH AND BAVARIAN JUNIOR BALLET MUNICH

Olivier Vercoutère was born in Wattrelos France receiving his training from the John Cranko-Ballet School of Stuttgart. Upon graduation, he became a member of the Stuttgart Ballet. In 1995 he joined the Bavarian State Ballet-Munich, and in 1996 joining the ballet of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, re-joining the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich in 1999 where he was promoted to soloist in 2004. His repertoire included “Limb’s Theorem” of William Forsythe, "Stamping Ground" of Jiri Kylian, Petipa-Gorsky's "Don Quijote", John Cranko's "Romeo and Juliet", Hans van Manen's "Kammerballett", the pas de deux in Jacopo Godani’s "After Dark", and the role of "Shadow Man" in John Neumeier's "Illusion Like Swan Lake", among other works. After dancing professionally for 20 years, Olivier Vercoutere concluded his career in 2012. From 2008-2010 he studied ballet pedagogy at the University of Music and Theater in Munich. Presently Olivier Vercoutere is a professor of classical dance at the Munich Ballet Academy and teacher and ballet master for the Bavarian State Ballet's Junior Company.

Participated Judges 2003-2023

Alphabetical Order (school/company represented at the time of participation).
  • Jacqueline Achmedow, Kirov Academy of Ballet
  • Roberto Almaguer, English National Ballet School
  • Nina Ananiashivili, State Ballet Of Georgia
  • Marcello Angelini, Tulsa Ballet
  • Jason Ambrose, San Francisco Ballet
  • Vicki Attard, Houston Ballet
  • Kathrin Baum-Höfer, State Ballet School of Berlin
  • Carolina Borrajo, School of the Hamburg Ballet – John Neumeier
  • Melissa Bowman, Houston Ballet School
  • Ted Brandsen, Dutch National Ballet
  • Jan Broeckx, Ballet Academy Of The University Of Music And Performing Arts - Munich
  • Cheryne Busch, Houston Ballet School
  • Daniela Buson, Tulsa Ballet
  • Val Caniparoli, San Francisco Ballet
  • Pedro Carneiro, National Conservatory of Dance School - Lisbon
  • Marat Daukayev, Kirov Academy of Ballet
  • Eva Draw, Royal Danish Ballet
  • Eva Evdokimova, Prima Ballerina Assoluta
  • Betsy Erickson, San Francisco Ballet
  • Pavel Gurevich, Boston Ballet School
  • Deborah Hess, Canada’s National Ballet School
  • Christopher Hird, Boston Ballet School
  • Olaf Höfer, State Ballet School of Berlin
  • Denise Jefferson, The Ailey School
  • Tamara King, Boston ballet school
  • Alexei Kremnev, Academy of the Joffrey Ballet Chicago
  • Marianne Kruuse, The School of the Hamburg Ballet – John Neumeier
  • Valentina Kozlova, vkibc and valentina kozlova dance conservatory
  • Evelyn Cisneros-Legate, Boston Ballet School
  • stÉphane lÉonard, canada's royal winnipeg ballet school
  • Louise Lester, Houston Ballet
  • Raymond Lukens, American Ballet Theatre JKO School
  • Muriel Maffre, San Francisco Ballet
  • Dimitri Magitov, John Cranko School – Stuttgart Ballet
  • Nikoloz Makhateli, Kirov Academy of Ballet
  • Dennis Marshall, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School
  • Tadeusz Matacz, John Cranko School
  • Oliver Matz, Zurich Dance Academy Zurich University of The Arts
  • Parrish Maynard, Kansas City Ballet
  • Gilbert Mayer (Ret), The Paris Opera Ballet
  • David McAllister, The Australian Ballet
  • Arlene Minkhorst, Tulsa Ballet
  • Joseph Morrissey, Interlochen Center for the Arts
  • Claudio Munoz, Houston Ballet II
  • Gennadi Nedvigin, Atlanta Ballet
  • Mikko Nissinen, Boston Ballet
  • Simona Noja, Ballet Academy Of The Vienna State Opera
  • Gary Norman, The Royal Ballet School
  • Meelis Pakri, Houston Ballet
  • David Peden, The Royal Ballet School
  • Melanie Person, The Ailey School
  • Kirk Peterson, American Ballet Theatre Studio Company
  • Vadim Pisarev, Donetsk Ballet
  • Inessa Plekhanova, Radford University
  • Janet Popeleski, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School
  • Raimondo Rebeck, Ballet dortmund, Nrw Dortmund Junior Ballet
  • Andre Reyes, Boston Ballet School
  • Samira Saidi, English National Ballet School
  • Janek Schergen, Singapore Dance Theatre
  • Victoria Schneider, The HARID Conservatory
  • Gregor Seyffert, State Ballet School of Berlin
  • Toru Shimazaki, Choreographer
  • Adam Sklute, Ballet West
  • Jim Sohm, San Francisco Ballet School
  • Tamas Solymosi, Hungarian National Ballet
  • Peter Stark, Boston Ballet
  • Gailene Stock, The Royal Ballet School
  • Sharon Story, Atlanta Ballet
  • Garry Trinder, New Zealand School of Dance
  • Carlos Valcarcel, English National Ballet School
  • Olivier Vercoutere, Ballet Academy of the University of Music and Performing Arts - The Bavarian Junior Ballet
  • Ashley Wheater, The Joffrey Ballet Chicago
  • Sasha Yapparov, Kirov Academy of Ballet
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