FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sarasota, FL (July 1, 2018) Media Contact: Rebeca Fernandez
[email protected] 941.365.8400 SARASOTA CUBAN BALLET SCHOOL WINS BRONZE MEDAL AT 2018 USA INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION Sarasota, FL.- Harold Mendez, a 16-year-old dance student at the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School (SCBS), won the bronze medal in the Junior Male category at the 2018 USA International Ballet Competition (USA IBC) held from June 10 to June 23 in Jackson, Mississippi. 119 dancers —ages 14 to 28— participated in the by-invitation-only, two-week Olympic style competition. After three rounds of world-class performances, a panel of international judges selected only 18 dancers, representing eight different nations, as the competition’s medal winners. When the winners were announced at a gala on June 22, Harold's coach and SCBS Co-Artistic Director, Ariel Serrano had double the reason to feel proud. It turned out that Katherine Barkman, a former SCBS student and now a principal dancer at Ballet Manila had won the silver medal in the Senior Female category. "Being distinguished at USA IBC allows both Harold and Katherine to take their places among the world’s best young ballet dancers,” said Serrano. USA IBC was founded in 1979 by renowned American dancer and educator Thalia Mara. In 1982, the United States Congress and former President Ronald Reagan passed a Joint Resolution designating Jackson as the official home of the event. Today, USA IBC is one of the five most prestigious ballet competitions in the world. —More— Road to Bronze Six months of intense training preceded Mendez’s fourth trip to the winner's podium —previously, he won medals at 2014 Cuba’s Grand Prix, 2016 Youth America Grand Prix Semifinals, and 2017 World Ballet Competition.