Artistic committee

Wim Broeckx

Wim Broeckx has a long history with the Prix de Lausanne. He was a finalist at the competition in 1980 and returned to take part in the Gala Performance celebrating the 20th anniversary in 1992. He has, in recent years, served on three occasions as a member of the competition’s jury. He enjoyed a long and successful performing career with four international ballet companies, most notably Dutch National Ballet, where he rose to become Principal Dancer and, eventually, Assistant Artistic Director. In 2002, he was appointed Director of the Dance Department of the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. He is known and respected throughout the dance community for his commitment to the healthy and responsible training of young dancers, and his determination to promote ballet and ensure its recognition as a profession. Since 2008, Wim Broeckx has been Artistic President of the Prix de Lausanne.

Photo credit : Alexandra Hunt

Paola Cantalupo

Paola Cantalupo was trained in Milano at the Scala Ballet School. Awarded the Gold Medal at the Prix de Lausanne in 1977, she was later invited by Maurice Béjart to join the Ballet du XXe siècle and afterwards joined the Hamburg Ballet under John Neumeier. She went on to become a Principal dancer with the National Ballet of Portugal before joining the Ballets de Monte Carlo where she was made “Etoile” in 1989. While continuing as a dancer, she is frequently invited to teach and in 2008 she obtained the "Certificat d'Aptitude aux fonctions de Professeur de danse" by the French Ministry of Culture. She also serves as Vice-President of the "Association Danse Médecine Recherche (A D M R)" based in Monaco. Since 2009, she has been the Artistic Director of the Ecole Supérieure de Danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower. Paola Cantalupo has been a member of the Artistic Committee since 2005.

Jill Gomme

Jill Gomme studied ballet in New Zealand and was awarded a R.A.D scholarship to continue her studies in England at the Royal Ballet School. Her lifelong love of ballet and passionate support for young dancers have kept her involved in the Prix de Lausanne since 1992.

Jason Beechey

A graduate of Canada’s National Ballet School, Jason Beechey completed his training at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg and under Stanley Williams at the School of American Ballet in New York. Beginning his career as a soloist with the London City Ballet, he went on to dance for fifteen years with Frédéric Flamand at Charleroi/Danses in Belgium. Parallel to performing, Jason was the Training Director of the National Choreographic Centre, founded and ran his own studio, The Loft and developed and co-ordinated the D.A.N.C.E. Programme in close collaboration with William Forsythe, Wayne McGregor, Frédéric Flamand and Angelin Preljocaj. Since becoming Rector of the Palucca Schule Dresden in 2006, he has created Tanzplan Dresden with the European Centre for the Arts Hellerau as well as an Apprentice Programme with Aaron S. Watkin and the Semperoper Ballet.

Photo credit : Bettina Stoess

Garry Trinder

Garry Trinder studied at the Rambert School of Ballet in London and Maurice Béjart’s MUDRA in Brussels. As a dancer he worked with the Scottish Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and London City Ballet. He was Artistic Director of the Hong Kong Ballet from 1985 to 1991 and South Africa’s NAPAC Dance Company from 1991 to 1993. He holds a Master of Arts degree from London’s Laban Centre. In January 1998 he assumed the directorship of the New Zealand School of Dance. Garry Trinder regularly serves on the jury of international ballet competitions in Tokyo and New York and has been a member of the Artistic Committee of the Prix de Lausanne since 2006.

Photo credit : Stephen A'Court

Former Artistic Committee Members

President of the Artistic Committee from 1997-2001 : Jan Nuyts

After completing his training in Belgium with the Brabants sister, Jan Nuyts danced with the Antwerp Ballet, The Nederlands Dans Theater, the Ballet du XXe siècle and the San Francisco Ballet. He was the artistic co-director of Mudra form 1983 to 1988. He was invited as a guest teacher around the world.

President of the Artistic Committee from 2001-2008 : Mavis Staines

Mavis Staines, Artistic Director of Canada’s National Ballet School for the past 18 years, is committed to evolving ballet education by merging the best of traditional schooling with the philosophy that self awareness and self respect enhances quality of life, quality of art and lengthens careers. Her values are reflected in the artistic experiences available to Prix de Lausanne candidates at the competition and to the Prix winners throughout the year.

Deborah Bull

Prix de Lausanne winner in 1980 and Principal with England’s Royal Ballet until 2001, Deborah Bull is presently Creative Director at London’s Royal Opera House. Deborah sat on Arts Council England between 1999 and 2005 and from August 2003 - December 2006, served as a Governor of the BBC. In The Queen's Birthday Honours List, June 1999, she was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE). A dancer, writer and broadcaster, Deborah Bull was a member of the Artistic Committee from 2002 to 2010.

Claudine Kamoun

First Prize at the Conservatoire de Paris, Claudine Kamoun joins the Paris Opera Ballet School. She dances as a soloist for les Ballets du Marquis de Cuevas, les Ballets Roland Petit and le Ballet Serge Golovine. She is promoted principal dancer with the Washington National Ballet, the P.A.C.T. Ballet Johannesburg, the London Festival Ballet and the Grand Théâtre de Genève. Co-Director of the Geneva Dance Center since 1980, Claudine Kamoun has played a variety of roles in the Prix de Lausanne team since 1991, including jury member and organizer of the 20th Anniversary Gala.

Samuel Wuersten

Samuel Wuersten studied dance at the Hamburg Ballet School, the Rotterdam Dance Academy, and in New York. He is an international guest teacher. He teaches a Cunningham based contemporary class. He started choreographing in 1992 for, among others, ballettmainz, Komische Oper Berlin, Rotterdam Dance Company, Modern Dance Turkey as well as solos for Amanda Miller and Jorma Uotinen. He has been the Artistic Director of the Holland Dance Festival in The Hague since 1994; the Artistic Director of the Rotterdam Dance Academy since 2000; the Artistic Co-director of Steps (international dance festival in Switzerland) since 1998; Curator dance program at Lucent Danstheater, The Hague, since 2004. He was a member of the artistic committee of the Prix de Lausanne from 1997 to 2010. He was the contemporary dance teacher for the Prix de Lausanne from 1997 to 2008.