Puerto Rico Classical Dance Competition

About

Puerto Rico Classical
Dance Competition

Puerto Rico Classical Dance Competition is a competition dedicated to awarding scholarships to classical ballet students with an aspiration to become professional dancer. PRCD is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to support the growth of the classical ballet training. The event is three days in which students ages 9-19 will participate, be observed in master classes, and present variations to internationally recognized judges for an opportunity to be awarded scholarships. The chosen students will be awarded scholarships and will have access to international dance programs and companies. The event aims to provide a platform for students to have a stimulus to continue developing in this art of classical dance and to assist in the transition to a professional career in dance. The competition is open to all students of the indicated ages, all genders, and ethnic backgrounds.


The goal of PRCDC is to create a platform for young people in artistic development to continue their studies in professional companies with the possibility of being hired as future professionals in classical dance. It aims to provide resources through scholarships to students who exhibit extraordinary talent and assist in their development through scholarships to assist in the costly training.

About

The Founder and
Artistic director

Blanca Huertas-Agnew began her training in Puerto Rico under the tutelage of her mother, Blanca E. Cortés. She later joined Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico as an Apprentice (Taller) and further became a member of the corps of ballet under the direction of Lolita San Miguel. Later on, she joined Ballets de San Juan, where she earned the title of Principal Soloist under the direction of Ana García. During her career, she had the opportunity to perform an array of classical, neoclassical, and contemporary repertoire. She was chosen to dance lead roles such as Lise in Fille Mal Gardée, Swanilda in Coppélia, Princess Tsarevna in Firebird, and Myrtha in Giselle. During her years at Ballets de San Juan, she performed Balanchine repertoire with lead roles as Polyhymnia in Balanchine’s Apollo, and Who Cares? As soloist and corps of ballet, she performed Serenade, Valse Fantaisie, Rubies, and Concerto Barocco. As corps de ballet member at Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, she learned classics such as Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Romeo & Juliet, Giselle, and Nutcracker from ballet masters such as Alexander Beriozoff and José Parés. Autochthonous repertoire from Puerto Rican Choreographers includes Los Soles Truncos, Amores, Julieta, Pas de Quatre Criollo, y Misa Criolla to mention some. She also had guest appearances with Ballet Municipal de San Juan under her father’s direction, Victor Huertas. Her professional career allowed her to perform not only in her native Puerto Rico but also in the United States, Central America, South America, and Europe. 

During her developing years, she had the opportunity to learn from dance professors from different methodologies such as Michael Vernon, Alexander Filipov, Amelia Gilmore, Francesca Corkle, Ramon Molina, Juan Anduze, Sandra Jennings, Alexander Kamaranski, Gloria Govrin, Maria Carrera, Carlota Carrera, Marina Eglevsky, Petra Bravo, Hilda Navarra, David Storey, and Kun-Yang Li providing her diversified training for a multifaceted career. 

As an educator, Blanca is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 7 & Partnering of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She was also an ABT® Affiliate Teachers, an honor given to ABT® Certified Teacher that presented students for examinations and passed with High Honors. She is experienced in Classical French, Russian, Italian, and Cuban schools of dance. Her students have been accepted to International Programs such as the Royal Ballet and Paris Opera Summer Programs as well as national programs such as American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive, The Cuban Classical Summer Intensive at The School of Ballet Hispánico, The School of Pennsylvania Ballet, and Ellison Summer Intensive in NY. Blanca was the founder and Artistic Director of Pennsylvania Ballet Arts in Chalfont, PA. Blanca is certified to teach Progressing Ballet Technique Junior through Advanced level acquiring PBT Level 3 Badge designation, the highest designation in the program. Most recently, Blanca completed her Certification in CUBALLET with Laura Alonso in primary through advanced levels. 

She was part of the Faculty of the Pennsylvania Ballet and acts as an adjudicator in their national audition tour. In addition, she was the lead teaching artist of the Pennsylvania Ballet in different Community Engagement Programs. Blanca is part of the Faculty of La Academia de Ballet Hispanico in New York City. Blanca also has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Temple University with a concentration in Risk Management & Insurance with a second concentration in Real Estate. In 2017, she received the Howard Gilman Fellowship Award at Jacksonville University, where she completed her MFA in Choreography in 2019, graduating with high honors. Blanca has been commissioned to choreograph for Drexel University and was an Adjunct Professor of Drexel University Dance Department in 2020-21.  Blanca is the Founder and Artistic Director of Puerto Rico Classical Dance Competition, the first classical dance competition in Puerto Rico. Blanca is currently the Interim Program Director of Dance at Westphal College of Media Arts & Design of Drexel University.