The New York International Ballet Competition (NYIBC), was a program providing dance education and employment opportunities for young dancers ages 17 to 24.
In 1983 Ilona Copen founded NYIBC, with Igor Youskevitch as first artistic director, in order to fill a void and satisfy a need in the global dance ecosystem.
NYIBC's mission was to discover the world's finest young ballet dancers, provide them with an extraordinary educational, mentoring and cultural experience, advance their careers by producing performances in New York City, and promote international understanding and goodwill.
[1] For the three-week intensive program of dance education and professional training, all 48 dancers from around the world received full scholarships to participate.
[3] The competition began with two weeks of technique classes and the learning and rehearsing of two classical and one contemporary pas de deux.
The jury, composed of leading artistic figures from different countries, awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals accompanied by monetary prizes.