The Jury

Paul Kay

Artistic Manager for Intensive Courses and Audition at The Royal Ballet School and International Guest Teacher

 

Born in Oxford, Paul Kay trained with Gaynor Walters in Devon and then at The Royal Ballet School, dancing the Flower Festival at Genzano pas de deux for his graduation, 2003. During his training he won medals at both Adeline Genée Award and Roseta Mauri Dance Competition.

 

He joined The Royal Ballet Company after graduation and was promoted to soloist in 2008. He danced principal and soloist roles in the company's repertoire over the following 19 years including Hans Peter/Nutcracker, Bronze Idol, Kolia, Jester (Cinderella), Blue Boy (les patineurs), Napoli and Chroma. He also created original roles in Wayne McGregor’s Infra, Woolf Works and Dante Project, Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice in Wonderland, A Winter’s Tale and DGV. As well as creating new work for Crystal Pite, Hofesh Shechter, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Cathy Marston. Paul Kay was also nominated for Emerging Male Artist (Classical) at the Critics Circle Dance Awards.

 

Mr. Kay undertook his professional teacher training with The Royal Ballet School (PDTC) and has been a guest teacher for many vocational training programs as well as teaching masterclasses internationally. He is currently the Artistic Manager for Intensive Courses and Audition at The Royal Ballet School and frequently teaches at the school.

Paul Kay, Jury, Mentor

Grant Martin Scruggs

Professor at Akademie Des Tanzes, international juror

Grant Martin Scruggs studied in New York City under renowned teachers Stanley Williams, Richard Rapp and Andrei Kramerevsky at the School of American Ballet. His professional career began at the New York City Ballet and Boston Ballet. Original roles were created on him by choreographers Twyla Tharp, Stephen Baynes and Eduard Touissant.

As a Principal dancer he danced with the Tulsa Ballet, Indianapolis Ballet, Staatstheater
Wiesbaden, Milwaukee Ballet and Ballet de Victor Ullate.

As a Principal guest artist he performed with the National Ballet of Mexico, Ballet de Santiago, Milwaukee Ballet, and Cisne Negro to name a few.

He has taught with the Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Olympic Ballet Theater, Houston Ballet, West Australian Ballet, State Street Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin, Victor Ullate Ballet, Ballet Mainz, Geneva Ballet and Opera de Lyon. In 2016 Grant Scruggs was appointed to his position as Professor at the Akademie Des Tanzes in Mannheim, Germany.

He has served on International Juries for competitions in Germany, Spain, Italy, Brazil and continues to teach master classes around the globe.

 

 

Grant Martin Scruggs, Guest-teacher, member of the jury

Damiano Bisozzi

International dancer, choreographer and director

Among his most important works are "Notre Dame de Paris", "Tosca" (by Lucio Dalla), "Dracula", "Giulietta e Romeo", "I Promessi Sposi", "Peter Pan", "Cindarella" with world tours, Hollywood film "Nine" directed by Rob Marshall (director of Chicago), "The Tourist" etc.

 

Damiano is jured in major European international festivals. Awarded by The Vatican Swiss Guards as "Italian Choreographic Talent".

 

Lately he was choreographer and director of the opera ballet "Alice in Wonderland", selling out in Romania and in Asia. He is also choreographer of the musical with world premiere in Bucharest of "Jack Pazzia e Amore" with international success.

 

Artistic director of the international competition Wladanza. His choreographies for students win on many prestigious international contests.

 

In November 2022 he was awarded in Rome as "European Choreographic Excellence".

Damiano Bisozzi, Guest-teacher, member of the jury

Isabella McGuire Mayes

International dance coach and mentor

Isabella McGuire Mayes is a graduate of the Vaganova Academy and formerly danced with The Mikhailovsky Ballet and Eifman Ballet.

 

Isabella is now a full time coach and mentor to dancers all over the world both in person and via her online platform BWI helping them all achieve their goals.

Isabella McGuire Mayes, Jury, Mentor