Eva Flores competes in the 2017 SIDC Finals. | Photo courtesy of Robert Borden
Two recent CalArts graduates, Eva Flores (Dance BFA 17) and Ezra Shipin (Dance BFA 17), were selected to compete in the 14th annual Seoul International Dance Competition (SIDC). Several hundred dancers from around the world competed in Seoul, South Korea, from July 18-23.
SIDC has three dance categories that are divided into different age groups: Ballet, Contemporary Dance and Ethnic Dance. Shipin and Flores competed in the Senior (ages 19-28), Solo Contemporary Dance category. Flores made it to the finals and won an SIDC Special Award.
This is the third year that CalArtians have been selected to compete in SIDC. Past participants include Kelsey Long (BFA 17), who took home first place in 2015, and Tariq Mitri (BFA 15) and Carissa Songhorian (BFA 17) who competed in 2016.
Laurence Blake, assistant dean and faculty member of The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance at CalArts, was appointed as one of the Ballet jurists by SIDC’s Competition Executive Committee. Each performance was judged on technical and artistic achievement. Dean of Enrollment Management Robert Borden also attended the competition and presented three School of Dance scholarship awards.
SIDC is hosted by the Seoul International Cultural Foundation and is supported by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.