Child ballet ambassadors selected from dozens of hopefuls

Three child ambassadors for the sixth Shanghai International Ballet Competition were announced on Monday after a two-month selection process involving more than 100 applicants.

They are 8-year-old Lee Gyeong-eun of Chinese-Korean descent, 9-year-old Yao Yixuan who is a Shanghai native, and 6-year-old Wang Han from Guangzhou of Guangdong Province. The three will participate in the event’s advertising and interact with ballet masters.

More than 100 child dancers uploaded video clips since the recruitment drive launched on March 27, including local and foreign children dwelling in Shanghai, as well as children from other provinces.

A dozen entrants made it to the second-round, exhibiting classic ballet pieces like those from “La Fille Mal Gardee,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Giselle” and “Le Corsaire,” as well as pop dances by Michael Jackson and Simba in “The Lion King."

They will each get the chance to watch the competition live in August.