Igone de Jongh Principal Dancer of the Dutch National Ballet Dance Open: 2014

Born in Haarlem, the Netherlands. Started dancing very early, at 9 years old was admitted to the National Ballet Academy of the Netherlands, and at 16 — to the Royal Ballet School in London. Finalist at the Prix de Lausanne, laureate of Arnold Haskell Award, Alexandra Radius Prize and others. Joined the Dutch National Ballet in 1997 and was rapidly promoted to the rank of Principal Dancer. According to critics, she is born to Balanchine ballets, many of which are included in her repertoire. Works much with contemporary choreographers: Hans van Manen, Rudi van Dantzig, Ted Brandsen, Krzysztof Pastor, David Dawson, Wayne Eagling, William Forsythe, Christopher Wheeldon. Performs classical parts with invariable beauty.

Hiroaki Ishida Dancer of the Royal Swedish Ballet Dance Open: 2018Dance Open Award: Mister Expressivity 2018

Hiroaki Ishida was born in Osaka in Japan, and began his dance training at the Arte Yamanouchi Ballet School, and then won a place at the prestigious Princess Grace Academy in Monte Carlo. He has won international ballet competitions in Nagoya and Nara. During the 2014/2015 season, he danced with NRW Juniorballett, and the following year was invited to join Ballett Dortmund. Hiroaki’s most noted role is his eloquent interpretation of Mefisto in Xin Peng Wang’s production of Faust.

Maxim Zyuzin Soloist of the Mariinsky Theater Dance Open: 2012, 2013

In 2001 graduated from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet and joined the Mariinsky Ballet. Has toured with the Mariinsky Ballet to Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, France, the USA, China, Japan and Azerbaijan. His repertoire includes: Le Corsaire (Lankedem); La Bayadère (Magdaveya); The Sleeping Beauty (Prince Désiré, Prince Chéri, Prince Fleur de Pois, the Blue Bird); Swan Lake (Prince Siegfried, Pas de trois); Raymonda (Béranger, Grand pas); Le Sacre du Printemps (Elders, Youths) and many others.

Igor Zelensky People's Artist of Russia Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre Dance Open: 2006, 2009

Graduated from the Tbilisi School of Ballet (class of Vakhtang Chabukiani), also trained at the Vaganova Ballet Academy (class of Professor Gennady Selyutsky). In 1988 Igor Zelensky joined the Mariinsky Ballet Company (Saint-Petersburg), and three year later was promoted to a soloist. At different times, Igor Zelensky was a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, guest principal dancer with the Royal Ballet Covent Garden (London), at the La Scala Theater (Milan), Bavarian State Opera (Munich), Staatsoper Berlin, Teatro Colon (Buenos Aires), theaters of Boston, San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro. In 2000 he was promoted to a guest principal dancer with the Bolshoi Theater of Russia (Moscow). Being the Mariinsky Theatre principal dancer, in 2006, Igor Zelensky became an artistic director of the ballet company at the Novosibirsk State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, in 2011 an artistic director of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre .