The First Lady, Mrs. Zanele Mbeki has shown her support for the SAIBC by hosting a gala dinner for the judges and VIP guests at her Genadendal Residence in Cape Town on the eve of the competition.

Casting their critical eyes over the competitors is an illustrious panel of high profile judges from all over the world and South Africa, namely Cape Town- based Denise Schultze, former Assistant Artistic Director of Ballet West in Salt Lake City, Co -Director of PACT Ballet, and a guest teacher and producer of Classical Ballets with ballet companies and schools in RSA and around the world, and Phyllis Spira, former Prima Ballerina Assoluta with CAPAB Ballet and now the Assistant Artistic Director of the Dance for All Youth Company based in Athlone. Two of the panel are South Africans living abroad: Laveen Naidu, formerly a dancer with the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) and now the Executive Director of that company, and former dancer Charla Genn, previously the Artistic Director of Manhattan Ballet in New York, and an international guest teacher with companies such as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and Les Ballets de Trockaderos. The international contingent of judges further comprises of Virginia Johnson, a former ballerina with the Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Editor of Pointe Magazine; Septime Webre, the Artistic Director of Washington Ballet; Simon Dow, formerly the Artistic Director of the Milwaukee Ballet and the West Australian Ballet, now a choreographer, master teacher and coach; Hae Shik Kim, the President of the World Dance Alliance in Korea and Artistic Director of the Seoul International Dance Competition and Mario Galizzi, a former principal dancer and choreographer from Argentina who has also directed several dance companies and who is currently a guest teacher in his home country.
 
Dirk Badenhorst the CEO of the SAIBC comments, "the competition gives our dancers, from ages 15 to 29, the chance to showcase their talent and be exposed to the different dance styles and techniques demonstrated by our guests from overseas. The SAIBC also contributes to the success, growth and development of ballet, a unique artform that has an important role to play in the cultural integration of South African society.” He added that like other ballet competitions in Varna, Bulgaria and the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland, the SAIBC will typically enable local and international dance directors to seek out emerging talent for their own companies. The event will grow new audiences and draw amateur and professional dance companies together to learn from each other through the platform of competitive engagement. Workshops are also being planned for young dancers from the growing number of dance projects in the City.

The SAIBC will be a significant boost to tourism and income in the Mother City, providing another showcase opportunity for the nation, and enhancing Cape Town's status as the cultural gateway to Africa.

The competition categories are divided into two sections, Junior/Amateur (15-18 years) and Senior/Professional (19- 28 years). There will be cash prizes in all divisions, donated by the Guernsey-based Michel Tesson Performing Arts Trust. In the Senior category, the first prize is ZAR100,000, second prize is ZAR65,000 and the third prize is ZAR45,000. In the junior category, the first prize will be ZAR80,000, second prize is ZAR55,000 and the third prize is ZAR35,000. There will also be two awards made to the winning contemporary performances in each category, the prize being ZAR30,000 per dancer.

The elimination rounds take place from Tuesday 15th to Thursday 17th January at 2pm and 7pm, with the finals being held on Friday 18th January and the Gala performance on the Saturday 19th January 2008, at 8pm. The winners will be announced at the Gala and there will be guest appearances by the contemporary dancer Mamela Nyamza and Theo Ndindwa, who together with his newly formed iKapa Dance Theatre, will present an indigenous choreography that has been specially commissioned and sponsored by Pick 'n Pay.
 
Tickets for the elimination rounds cost from R50 to R80 for a day ticket; for the Finals from R66 to R223 and for the Gala performance from R191 to R403. All booking is through Computicket, 083 915 8000 or Artscape Dial-A-Seat on 021 421 7695. For further enquiries concerning the competition, please visit www.saibc.co.za.
 
The competition schedule:
 
Tuesday 15th January - First elimination rounds:
14h00: Juniors- first classical solo
19h00: Seniors- first classical solo
 
Wednesday 16th January- Second elimination rounds
14h00: Seniors - second classical solo
19h00:Juniors- second classical solo
 
Thursday 17th January – Third elimination rounds
14h00: Juniors – contemporary solo
19h00: Seniors - contemporary solo
 
Announcement of Classical finalists
 
Friday 18th January
20h00 - FINALS with guest performances by iKapa Dance Theatre and Mamela Nyamza
 
Announcement of Contemporary winners and Classical winners but not their placing ie First, Second and Third places will be announced at the Gala
 
Saturday 19 January
20h00 – GALA with guest with guest performances by iKapa Dance Theatre and Mamela Nyamza and the Awards Ceremony
 
The SAIBC is the initiative of Dirk Badenhorst and as the Artistic Director and CEO of the SAIBC, he has appointed the following members to his competition Board, namely Boniswa Peziswa, the Executive Director of an advertising agency; Andrew Gilder, an environmental lawyer and former dancer; Ann Wixley, a media and communications strategist and a former ballet dancer; Suzie Frankel, a ballet teacher and administrator; Rita van den Heever, the Head of the University of Johannesburg's Arts Centre and Academy and Allison Foat, a publicist and former ballet dancer.
 
The competition has received sponsorship from the City of Cape Town, British Airways, The Michel Tesson Performing Arts Trust, Nestle, LSC International, Pick ‘n Pay, the Chiappini Trust, Schwartz Jewellers, Meerlust, Tokara, Network BBDO, The Cullinan Hotel, Southern Sun, and Cape Town Routes Unlimited.