The III. Budapest Ballet Grand Prix Gala evening, as a result of a very high-quality and strong competition, took place at the Müpa Budapest. The program selected by the organizers was applauded by everyone as it excellently showed what serious talents had arrived in Budapest. Exceptionally this year, the international Jury awarded BBGP’s superior prize, the Grand Prix to the wonderful Valentina Mascini, who competed in the junior category and performed with distinguiled excellence.
The opening number of the evening was performed by students studying in the classical ballet department of the Hungarian Dance University, with the choreography of Tarantellea by Mónika Barna.
Photos: BBGP 2025
Afterwards, Márta Fodorné Molnár, the rector of the organizer Hungarian Dance University, and Veronika Bajusz, State Secretary, gave a welcoming speech. After the speeches, a spectacular award ceremony took place in front of a packed auditorium, where several state secretaries, members of the diplomatic corps and luminaries of Hungarian art life were seated.
At the beginning of the award ceremony, Zoltán Tamás Nagy, the competition director of the Budapest Ballet Grand Prix, called the jury members to the stage and representatives of the competition’s sponsors also took the stage, at the moderator’s call. Then followed the award ceremony, where in addition to the category winners announced on Thursday evening, several valuable prizes and offerings were also presented.
It is important to emphasize, that while the Grand Prix wasn’t presented last year, in BBGP2025 we were able to grant our superior prize for the most exquisite contestant, which was crafted by Herendi Porcelánmanufaktúra Zrt. uniqually this event, and comes with 3000 EUR money prize, similarly to BBGP’s first prizes.
Additional awards were presented at the Gala:
- Young Hungarian Talent – Budapest Capital Special Award: Vida Vencel (Hungarian Dance University)
- Young International Talent – Budapest Capital Special Award: Sarah Maione, Alonso Nieto (Conservatory of Ballet and Dance Annarella Sanchez)
- Best Modern Performer Award: Yunoka Inoue, Rui Mizutani (Hungarian Dance University)
- Best Hungarian Performer Award: Márton Balog (Hungarian Dance University)
- Special Award of the Hungarian Dance University: Abilmansur Syrmanov (Kazakh National Academy of Choreography)
BBGP2025 Medalists
Junior Category:
1. Victoria Carrillo (Master Ballet Academy – American)
2. Alexandra Grigore (National College Of Art Octav Bancila Iasi – Romanian)
3. Abilmansur Syrmanov (Kazakh National Academy of Choreography – Kazakh)
Senior Category:
1. Kenshin Kimura (John Cranko Schule – Japanese)
2. Karen Satomura (Hungarian Dance University – Japanese)
3. Daeun Joung (The City Ballet – South Korean)
Pas de deux category:
1. Emese Varga Lilla (Hungarian National Ballet Institute – Hungarian), Nathaniel James Lillington (out of competition)
2. Clémence Rhode, Sámuel Gribovszki (Hungarian University of Dance – Hungarian, French)
3. not published
First places and the Grand Prix are awarded 3,000 euros, second and third places 2,000 euros and 1,000 euros respectively.
We warmly congratulate the winners and wish everyone further successful and uplifting years!
The evening continued with the graduating class of the Folk Dance Department of the 75th Hungarian Dance University, who performed the Kalotaszegi bachelor by Zoltán Zsuráfszky Jr., followed by the Kalotaszegi bachelor by Jr. They danced the choreography of Zoltán Zsuráfszky and Gyöngyvér Hortobágyi with great success: Halfway – Pálpataki dances. The talented young folk dancers, the excellent class, were given music by Sándor Csoóri Jr. and his friends.
This was followed by the Gala. The audience could see a selection of the repertoire the ballet dancers danced during the competition. The audience could admire classical and modern solos, as well as pas de deux, each performance reflecting artistic perseverance and the brilliance of talent.
The performances were as follows:
Vida Vencel – Le Corsaire var.
Dóra Kocsó – Academic Fragments
Márton Balog – Paquita var.
Daeun Joung – Paquita var.
Abilmansur Syrmanov – Satanella var.
Yunoka Inoue – How to never stop being sad
Sarah Maione, Alonso Nieto – Psamate
Alexandra Grigore, Robert Petrea – Swan lake Pas de Deux
Karen Satomura – Libertá
Rui Mizutani – Midnight in Paris
Victoria Carillo – Esmeralda var.
Clémence Rhode, Sámuel Gribovszki – Sirocco duet
Kenshin Kimura – Grand pas Classique var.
Lilla Emese Varga, Nathaniel James Lillington – Don’t let me go duet
Valentina Mascini – Esmeralda var.
The III: Budapest Ballet Grand Prix was closed with a reception in an excellent atmosphere, at which János Kiss, the chairman of the board of trustees of the Foundation that maintains the university and the co-chairman of the Organizing Committee – interpreting the opinions of several distinguished jury members and experts – congratulated all Hungarian and international participants on the excellently successful competition, the excellent organization and the high artistic standard.
Afterwards, causing great surprise and joy, Márta Fodorné Molnár, rector of the Hungarian Dance University, and Csaba Káel, CEO of Müpa Budapest, congratulated János Kiss on his Artist of the Nation, which the Kossuth Prize-winning ballet artist received a few days ago. It was an uplifting conclusion to everything.
We look forward to seeing everyone in November 2026 at the IV. Budapest Ballet Grand Prix.
