Supported by Harlequin, the International Ballet Grand Prix Singapore 2025 brought together young dancers from around the world in a celebration of artistry and performance.

The International Ballet Grand Prix 2025 (IBGP) includes both ballet and contemporary segments, aiming to recognise and celebrate talented young dancers. 

Open to participants of all nationalities and backgrounds, aged 7-21, the competition offers students valuable opportunities to learn, grow and shape their future dance careers.

Back for another year, the Burgos & New York International Choreography Competition held its grand final earlier this month at the Teatro Principal de Burgos. 

On 25 July, seven finalists took to the stage to compete for a total of €27,000 in cash prizes at the Burgos & New York International Choreography Competition.

This year’s contest officially kicked off on 21 July, featuring 20 dance pieces with participants from the UK, Italy, Spain, Taiwan, France, Cuba, Chile, the Dominican Republic and the USA.

Ewha Womans University is one of Seoul’s most prestigious institutions and the world’s largest university for women.

Founded in 1886 by Mary F. Scranton, the university was originally known as Ewha Haktang, meaning ‘Pear Blossom School’, and has since become a global hub for women’s education. It is the first university and graduate school for women in South Korea.

Over the years, the Ewha Womans University has played a leading role in Korean education, with alumni including Korea’s first female doctor, prime minister, lawyer and judge.

Ewha consistently invests in world-class facilities and resources to support its students’ growth, both academically and artistically. This year, the dance department decided to refurbish four of the dance studios with a Harlequin Cascade performance vinyl floor. Previously, the university had a Harlequin Reversible top surface, which is still being used and loved by students and staff.

The university now has over 20,000 students studying on its campus in the heart of Seoul. Universities, such as King’s College London and Harvard, now offer study abroad programs throughout the year.

From historic milestones to modern renovations, Ewha Womans University continues to shape the future of global women’s education in South Korea.

After its world premiere in France, and then in Hong Kong, Sir Wayne McGregor’s Deepstaria makes its UK premiere at Sadler’s Wells this month. 

From Thursday 27 February to Sunday 2 March, Deepstaria will premiere at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, which includes a post-show talk on Thursday with Wayne McGregor and Alistair Spalding, Artistic Director and Co-Chief Executive.

Deepstaria offers the audience a meditative pure dance and sound experience, taking inspiration from the shape-shifting life of the deep sea and an enigmatic species of jellyfish.

Wayne McGregor chose a silver Harlequin Hi-Shine performance vinyl floor to create a vibrant and unique stage production. By utilising Vantablack technology on stage, McGregor and the set designers, Benjamin Males and Theresa Baumgartner, created ‘unfathomable darkness that disturbs traditional hierarchies of perception’.

Deepstaria had its world premiere on 22 June 2024 at the Montpellier Danse festival, before touring to Spoleto Festival. It then premiered in Hong Kong on 20 September 2024.

After its UK premiere next week in London, McGregor plans to continue showcasing Deepstaria around the world over the next four years.

Photo credits: Ravi Deepres

As the Prix de Lausanne comes to an end for another year, we look back on this year’s competition and congratulate the well-deserved winners.

The 53rd edition of the prestigious Prix de Lausanne took place in Lausanne from 2-8 February. Recognised as one of the most important competitions in the world, this event once again brought together promising young talent and iconic figures from the world of dance.

Throughout the week, the candidates performed on a Harlequin Liberty sprung floor with a Harlequin Studio vinyl floor in the temporary studios at the Beaulieu Theatre to help protect the health of young dancers by reducing the risk of injury.

The Prix de Lausanne: A Competition with a Jury of Former Laureates

This year a total of 87 young dancers were selected from 429 applicants across 40 countries for their technical excellence and artistic potential. Every year the jury consists of nine individuals, with the majority being former laureates of the competition or well-known figures from the dance world.

Throughout the week, candidates take classes under the guidance of renowned teachers, with the jury closely observing their progress, technique, artistic development, and potential for future growth. In addition, candidates present both a classical and a contemporary variation.

Élisabeth Platel, Director of the Paris Opera Ballet School and classical dance teacher for the Prix de Lausanne from 2019 to 2025, said: “For me, the Prix de Lausanne is much more than just a competition, it is a meeting of artists. The teachers and directors are established artists, and the candidates are budding artists. It’s above all about discovering new talent. It is a week of exchange, in respect of our art, with the hope of seeing future long careers in the making.”

Harlequin Dance Floors: Injury Prevention 

For many years, Harlequin floors has supported the Prix de Lausanne by ensuring optimal dance conditions for the candidates. The shock-absorption in the sprung floor allows dancers to jump and land safely, reducing the risk of injury. This, combined with the slip-resistant Harlequin vinyl floor, provides the dancers with an optimal dance floor.

Congratulations to the Candidates and Laureates

A huge congratulations to the 2025 winners: YounJae Park (South Korea), Eric Poor (USA), Shinnosuke Yasuumi (Japan), Hanxi Wang (China), Hector Jain (USA), Ryan Handa (USA), Hono Hamasaki (Japan), Bogyeong Kim (South Korea), and Jakob Wheway Hugues (UK). 

Congratulations to all participants for their exceptional talent and hard work!

Photo credits: Rodrigo Buas, Gregory Batardon and Anne-Laure Lechat / Prix de Lausanne 2025

The Minzu University of China (MUC) is a national public university in Beijing, affiliated with the National Ethnic Affairs Commission of China.

Established in 1951, MUC is one of the most prestigious universities in China for its courses in dance and fine arts, ethnology, anthropology, ethnic economies, regional economics, religion studies and history.

MUC installed Harlequin Studio performance vinyl floors in 14 dance studios, totalling 2400sqm. Since the installation last September, the students and staff have been making good use of the new dance facilities.

The MUC performing arts degree programs include a Bachelor’s Degree in Dance Education and Dance Performance and also a Master’s Degree in Dancology, offering modules in art theory, musicology, and teaching pedagogy.