Ballet Diaries
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JGP-IBC — Japan Grand Prix

Tokyo, Shinjuku Bunka Center · International

Usual dates (to be confirmed)Early August — 2-6 August in 2026, 2027 edition not published

Length
5 days
Entry fee
¥45,000 for classical, plus ¥15,000 if you reach the final · ¥20,000 for contemporary
Deadline
Not published
Age reference
⚠️ For girls, categories are set by Japanese school year, not by calendar age. The equivalents below are approximate and need confirming.

Age categories

  • Precompetitive I — flat shoes — 8–10 years old
  • Precompetitive II — 10–12 years old
  • Junior B I — 12–14 years old
  • Junior B II — 14–15 years old
  • Junior A — 15–18 years old

Levels

Pre-competitive — No recreational track. Restricted to amateurs aged 10 to 23; dancers employed by a company are excluded, except in the Senior category.

Variations

Repertoire
  • Repertoire — Classical variations only. Black Swan, Esmeralda and Grand Pas Classique are excluded · 8–18 years old
  • Free — The contemporary category, from Precompetitive II upwards · 10–18 years old

Classical variations only. Black Swan, Esmeralda and Grand Pas Classique are excluded, as are copyrighted choreographies. 3 minutes maximum.

Masterclasses. Not mentioned.

Jury. 17 international judges — the competition claims to be the only one with a panel made up entirely of international adjudicators. Names not published.

What you can win. Apprenticeships and scholarships from companies and schools in Europe, Oceania, Canada and the United States. That is the competition's main draw.

Worth knowing. Open internationally, but no explicit guidance on converting Japanese school years for foreign entrants.

Official site →

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Built from official websites and published rulebooks, checked in September 2026. Nothing is guessed: where a date, a fee or a jury is not published, the guide says so rather than inventing one. Rules change from season to season — always check the competition's own site before entering.