Egyptian dancer sets new record for Middle Eastern ballet

Egyptian ballet dancer Luca Abdel Nour, 17, claimed the second rank for classical ballet at the 49th edition of the international ballet competition Prix de Lausanne, which was held from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, in Switzerland.

Abdel Nour, who performed classical and contemporary ballet, also won the “Best Swiss Candidate” award and the “Audience Favorite” Award.

About 78 dancers participated in this year’s competition. They were selected based on audition videos.

He became the first Egyptian to win a prize at a prestigious ballet competition in Lausanne and wants his experience to be an inspiration for other boys in the Middle East.

The Prix de Lausanne has been one of the leading showcases for young ballet talent since it began in 1973 and follows the development of future dance talents throughout the year through various activities which culminate into the most prestigious classical ballet competition in the world.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Luca Abdel Nour[/caption]

Born to a French mother but growing up in Cairo, Abdel Nour performed in dance and theatre shows with his school as a young boy. He surrounded by little girls and mocked at school when he first tried ballet, but he didn’t try ballet until he took part in a summer dance school in France aged 12 and an instructor told him to give it a try.

Abdel Nour was reluctant at first to do ballet, but his mother kept encouraging him and eventually joined a class in Egypt. He soon realized this was his passion, even if he was the only boy in the group.

Hard work helped him overcome his late start and by 14 he had won a year’s scholarship to a dance school in Budapest. The following year, he won a full-time place at the elite Zurich Dance Academy. This was where things became serious: he had to relearn everything from scratch and overcome two leg injuries in his first year.

But the work paid off at Lausanne last month. His success has generated plenty of reaction back home in Egypt, with social media full of praise as well as the inevitable sarcastic and even hostile commentary.

Abdel-Nour has accepted a place in a company but is not yet allowed to reveal which one.