LONDON — Director of The Royal Ballet, Kevin O’Hare is this year’s President of Jury for the Prix de Lausanne.

Kevin was appointed Director of The Royal Ballet in July 2012 and has since been responsible for driving the artistic direction of the company, commissioning many one-act and five full-length ballets along the way. His involvement in this year’s Prix de Lausanne, as President of the Jury, reflects his ongoing commitment to developing new talent.

Harlequin Floors, major sponsor of the Prix, caught up with Kevin with some big questions:

What made you accept the role of President of the Jury for the Prix de Lausanne 2017? 
I have been an admirer of the Prix for many years and its promotion of dance and the wide-ranging talents of young dancers today.

How important do you think the Prix de Lausanne is compared to other international dance competitions? 
I regard the Prix as one of the top competitions. You only have to look at the previous winners to see how high the standard has been over the years and continues to be.

At the beginning of your career did you, yourself, participate in dance competitions like the Prix?  No but I have performed at the Finals as a professional dancer!

The Royal Ballet School is the among the most popular choices for Prix de Lausanne scholarship laureates. Why do you think this is?
I believe the RBS is one of the greatest ballet schools in the world. It not only produces great dancers but highly motivated young people.

In your opinion, what are the key qualities you need to win the Prix de Lausanne? 
For me, the most important thing is to dance with passion and communicate with your audience!