Lauren Chua ’18 Performs at World Ballet Competition; Ensemble Wins Gold

Lauren Chua ’18 performed at the World Ballet Competition in Florida last Month with The School of First State Ballet Theatre. Her ensemble came in first place, and Lauren was chosen to accept the award. Lauren was part of the elite group of ballet dancers, representing 25 countries, who competed for more than $300,000 in scholarships, cash prizes and contract offers from dance companies around the world.

The World Ballet Competition opened on Monday, June 11 and continued with four days of intensely competitive and juried solo, partnered and ensemble performances. The week-long “Olympics of Dance” culminated with a star-studded All Stars Performance finale on Saturday, June 16 at the Bob Carr Theater in Orlando, Florida.

Dancers are drawn to compete based on the success of past WBC winners who are now enjoying professional careers at the top of their field. The competition prides itself on “unique elements such as an instantaneous scoring system that promotes transparency and eliminates favoritism, and an internet broadcast watched by hundreds of thousands of viewers providing global visibility.” Lauren’s ensemble came in First Place in the “Ensemble” category, winning a Gold Medal and $2,000 Cash Prize.