Artistic Director 

'Solo Dance Prize' is a way to teach the technique of classical dance through dance itself. Similar to how children learn musical instruments, this method reinforces concepts and technique through practicing repertoire. Aside from learning scales (the equivalent of barre exercises for ballet), children learn classical musical compositions as their main learning material. Technique is mastered through scales but only to some degree and perfection is acquired through learning different musical compositions in different styles and speeds to develop technique and artistry. The same concept applies to classical ballet.

Many students gain considerable growth while rehearsing variations from the classical ballet repertoire for exposure in competitions. These solos do indeed help build strength and technical confidence  but consist always of variations originally created for finished, professional ballerinas. The variations of Gamzatti, Kitri, Esmeralda, Odile etc. can never be tastefully interpreted by children. These famous variations used for today's standard competitions were choreographed by the Master Choreographer of Classical Ballet, Marius Petipa. They are small gems of the classical ballet repertoire and part of multiple act ballets, spectacles in themselves. As they were choreographed to be part of something much bigger and more profound, they can only be portrayed and performed by dancers with sufficient artistry and maturity.

Solo Dance Prize offers a choice of variations for age groups (5-18), specifically choreographed and ‘designed’ to further the student at their age appropriate level of ballet technique as well as their level of maturity. 

Teachers learn the method of Solo Dance Prize either privately or in group seminars and then teach their students the solos over the course of several months. If desired, the solos can be performed in front of a small visiting  jury. In this way students receive a prize, recognition and feedback for their work and achievement and graduate to the next level.

 "The Solo in dance form is like a small diamond in a set of jewels and  should be appreciated as uniquely valuable by itself... 

A child's uniqueness is more  enhanced through the individual solo work- like privately and separately carving out that small gem to create something even more beautiful. The solo is a lone work in its final stage but the work towards the end product is nonetheless full of  team achievement"

About

Cosima Borrer (left) rehearsing at the Semper Oper, Dresden, 1991 

Cosima Borrer-Stadnik is of Swiss- Australian heritage and is an international prize winner (Prix de Lausanne). After graduating from the State Ballet School, Berlin, she was both a corps de ballet member and soloist in Dresden (Semper Oper), Vienna (Wiener Staatsballett) and Moscow (Russian State Ballet). Ms. Borrer-Stadnik was a guest artist with the Bayreuther Festspiel, State Hermitage Theater and St. Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theater. It was in this city where she remained to complete her studies in Ballet Pedagogy and graduated with a Masters in 1999, having worked and studied for four years with experts of the Vaganova Method and many of the best pedagogues of the twentieth century.  Since then, having taught all over the world, she combines her unique experience and knowledge to assist children and teachers alike. She choreographed all the existing solos for Solo Dance Prize ©

    Solo Dance Prize © Team:

• Maria Stadnik (Piano accompanist and musical arranger)
• Heidi J Roth (Swiss Representative), Tanz Theater, Winterthur
• Irina Derilow (Jury Member)
• Tracey Webb (Marketer)