American Academy of Ballet Performance Awards Competition 2025
The American Academy of Ballet (AAB), a New York-based organisation that coordinates and hosts auditions and Performance Awards events all over the world, is delighted to announce that its South African Performance Awards Competition will be held at the Roodepoort Theatre on Saturday 15 November 2025.
Established by the visionary South African trailblazer in the world of ballet education, Mignon Furman, in the early 90s, the prestigious Performance Awards programme offers aspiring dancers from around the world the opportunity to refine their skills in a focused, supportive environment.
The programme — a system in which dancers perform choreographed routines before a judge and receive a certificate and medal- is noted for boosting dancers’ technique, artistry, and confidence, and has proven to be an extraordinary way to inspire, train and motivate dancers to improve while truly enjoying ballet.
Long recognised as one of the premier ballet training institutions in the United States, the AAB is particularly renowned for its Summer School of Excellence. Its international faculty boasts teachers drawn from prestigious ballet institutions such as the Paris Opera Ballet School, the Royal Ballet School in Antwerp, the New York City Ballet and includes the former artistic director of Joburg Ballet, Iain Macdonald.
The AAB Performance Awards Competition 2025 – junior & senior divisions:
- The Grand Prize – awarded to one Junior winner and one Senior winner – a full scholarship to the AAB Summer School of Excellence in July 2026 at Purchase College, State University of New York – two weeks free tuition, meals and accommodation, plus R10 000 towards the airfare to New York – total value R85 000
- Second Prize: three scholarships of R4 000 each awarded to the studios of three additional dancers
Third Prize: a Teacher’s award (for the teachers of the junior and senior winners) to attend the AAB Teachers’ Seminar in New York.
The AAB Performance Awards Competition is open to all ballet teachers and their students. The dancer and teacher may decide the most appropriate level for entry and each dancer must perform the solo variation for the level they select.
- Junior division: Level 4: age 10 & under; Level 5: age 11 & under; Level 6:age 12 & under; Level 7: age 13 & under.
- Senior division: Level 8:14 & under; Level 9:15 & under; Level 10:16 & under; Levels 11 & 12: No maximum age.
- Entry Fee: Juniors R500 | Seniors R600
The Performance Awards will start with an Open Class and then move on to solos from the AAB syllabus. The schedule is subject to change depending on the number of entries per level.
Laurence Kaplan, the son of Mignon Furman and the AAB Executive Director, says:
“We look forward to a wonderful competition filled with talent, growth and inspiration.”
Please use this link to enter the Performance Awards competition.
The AAB’s Summer School of Excellence is attended by dancers from all over the world and international auditions are held in over a dozen countries.
The South African auditions, open to all ages, run from 8 to 12 November 2025 in:
- Cape Town: Saturday, 8 November at 10 am and Sunday, 9 November at 5 pm at Jan Van Riebeeck Laerskool, 52 Kloof Street, Tamboerskloof
- Pretoria: Tuesday, 11 November at 4 pm at Southdowns College, John Voster Drive Ext.
- Johannesburg: Wednesday, 12 November at 4 pm at Joburg Ballet Studios, 26 Hoofd Street, Braamfontein
- Durban: Thursday, 13 November at 4.30 pm at Springwood Dance Academy, 134 Park Rd, Park Hill
For enquiries/information please contact: aaboffice@gmail.com | phone & whatsapp: (USA) +1-917-698-7172.
About the American Academy of Ballet
The American Academy of Ballet, located in the vibrant city of New York, is an exceptional ballet company renowned for its top-notch ballet instruction. The American Academy of Ballet offers world-class dance training and performance opportunities. Its mission is to provide rigorous and inspiring ballet education to prepare students for professional careers.
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