Monterrey dancer Fabrizzio Ulloa Cornejo won first place in the prestigious Prix de Lausanne 2023, an international classical ballet competition held in Switzerland since 1973. Ulloa is the first Mexican to ever win this award.  

“I almost fainted. I was shocked because it was something I always dreamed of and I always took it lightly and never really thought it could happen,” Ulloa said in a phone interview with Debate newspaper.

This year’s award was special, since it was given to two dancers. Ulloa shared the prize with Spanish dancer Millán de Benito, age 15.

The competition, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, is focused on young dancers (15 to 18 years old) who seek to pursue a professional career in classical ballet. 

This year’s contest took place from Jan. 29 to Feb. 4, beginning with 82 candidates, of whom only 22 moved on to the finals. Amongst the finalists was 18-year-old Amaury Zanete Pérez, another Mexican ballet dancer. 

Ulloa was a student at the Inbal Higher School of Music and Dance of Monterrey and in 2021, he also won first place in the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) Junior Category. In this year’s competition, he participated as a student of the Basel Theater Ballet School in Switzerland, where he currently lives. 

The winners (eleven in total) will receive a one-year scholarship to study at any school or ballet company of their choice that is partnered with the Prix de Lausanne.  

With reports from Debate and Animal Político