Emerging Talents on a High Note
Edited by Anna Popper
The Hungarian Dance University, which plays a primary role in the training of Hungarian professional dancers and is celebrating its 75th anniversary, organised the third edition of the Budapest Ballet Grand Prix (BBGP), an annual international ballet competition held from 17 to 21 November 2025. The event showcased a high level of professional training and outstanding emerging talent in both classical and contemporary dance.
More than 110 applications were submitted for BBGP 2025, including professionally trained dancers and recent graduates arriving from 25 countries.
The competition rounds and the final were held at the National Dance Theatre, while the Gala Evening, marking the official close of the event, took place at the prestigious Müpa (Palace of Arts) Budapest.
The final round featured 40 dancers across three categories: junior, senior, and pas de deux. Seventeen finalists were students of the Hungarian Dance University, alongside 23 international competitors.
Members of the international jury praised the consistently high artistic and technical standard of the performances and highlighted the visible influence of national character and training traditions. They emphasized that behind each competitor stands the dedicated work of teachers, schools, and mentors, whose guidance is as essential as the performance itself. Participants received detailed professional feedback from the illustrious jury. Beyond the individual results, the general consensus was that the artistic standard achieved this year was the highest in the history of the Budapest Ballet Grand Prix.
Tamás Nagy, Director of BBGP Competition and Chairman of the Artistic Council of the Hungarian Dance University, announced the top three winners in each category and thanked both the participants and the audience for their keen interest and engagement.
The final was attended by hundreds of spectators in person and was also followed online via the official Facebook pages of the university and BBGP competition, where the afternoon symposium and a side event focusing on stress management were broadcast live.
Budapest Ballet Grand Prix Concludes with a Gala Evening at Müpa
The 3rd Budapest Ballet Grand Prix concluded with a full-house Gala Evening at the Festival Theatre of Müpa Budapest, marking the end of the annual international competition. Among the guests were high-ranking officials, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of Hungary’s cultural life and devoted ballet lovers.
The Gala program, curated by the organisers, showcased outstanding young talents from Hungary and abroad. The performances were met with enthusiastic applause, with both classical and contemporary pieces receiving an especially warm reception from the audience.
The evening began with a performance by students of the Classical Ballet Department of the Hungarian Dance University, who presented Tarantella, choreographed by Mónika Barna. Following this, the graduating class of the Folk Dance Department of the Hungarian Dance University preformed folk dances.
Ms. Márta Fodorné Molnár, Rector of the Hungarian Dance University delivered a welcome speech, in which she warmly congratulated the winners, and wished all participants continued success and an inspiring professional future.
Afterward, Ms. Veronika Bajusz, State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation addressed the audience, congratulating both the awardees and the organisers on the exceptionally high standard of the competition.
The award ceremony took place before a packed auditorium. In addition to the main category prizes, several special awards were presented, including those for the best Young Hungarian Talent, Young International Talent, as well as for the Best Modern Performer.
In a rare decision, the international jury awarded the BBGP Grand Prix to junior-category competitor Valentina Mascini (Annarella Sanchez Ballet and Dance Conservatory, Cuba), recognizing her exceptional artistic and technical performance. The Grand Prix, specially created by Herend Porcelain Manufactory Zrt., was accompanied by a cash prize of €3,000.
BBGP 2025 – Medallists
Junior Category
Gold: Victoria Carrillo (USA), Silver: Alexandra Grigore (Romania), Bronze: Abilmansur Syrmanov (Kazakhstan)
Senior Category
Gold: Kenshin Kimura (Japan), Silver: Karen Satomura (Japan/Hungary), Bronze: Daeun Joung (South Korea)
Pas de Deux
Gold: Emese Varga Lilla (Hungary) & Nathaniel James Lillington (out of competition), Silver: Clémence Rhode (France) & Sámuel Gribovszki (Hungary)
The first-place winners and the Grand Prix recipient received €3,000 each, while the second and third places were awarded €2,000 and €1,000 respectively.
The highlight of the evening was the Gala performances by the prize winners, featuring selected classical and contemporary pieces from the competition repertoire. The performances drew enthusiastic applauses, underscoring the outstanding artistic level of the dancers.
The Gala Evening concluded with a reception, where János Kiss, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the MOL–New Europe Foundation and Co-Chair of the Organising Committee, praised the competition’s artistic quality and its exemplary organisation, reflecting the views of the jury members and the invited experts.
In a touching closing moment, Ms. Márta Fodorné Molnár, Rector of the Hungarian Dance University, and Mr. Csaba Káel, CEO of Müpa Budapest, congratulated János Kiss on receiving the prestigious title of Artist of the Nation.
Main supporters of the event:
The 4th Budapest Ballet Grand Prix is scheduled to take place in November 2026.
Sources: Hungarian Dance University, Budapest Ballet Grand Prix
Photos from the Budapest Ballet Grand Prix – Andrea Paolini Merlo, Adrienne Horváth
