Dance magazine

Article Body: On February 6 the 2011 Prix de Lausanne culminated in a dazzling final where 20 finalists competed and eight were awarded prizes, from over 200 candidates from all over the world. This year young performer Derrin "Harper" Watters of Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy was chosen as a prize winner by the tough jury of international dance VIPs. Celebrating its 39th year the Prix de Lausanne is a prestigious international competition for dancers aged 15 to 18 with a long history of career success for its young prize winners.



Tell us about your Prix de Lausanne experience



It was for sure an experience I will never forget. It was an amazing opportunity to travel and dance with dancers from all over the world, and I learnt to trust myself and my teachers. It was an eye opening experience to compete. I credit my teachers for jump starting my career there – an opportunity that I couldn’t have gotten anywhere else.



Did you expect to have such success?



Going in we were told to not have any expectations, but to just enjoy it and perform. It was hard for me because for the last two years someone from here (Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy) has placed, and it was in the back of my mind the whole time. But at the end I just had to trust myself and my teachers—and it worked!



What is your dance background?



I’ve been dancing since I was five years old, and I’ve been dancing ballet since I was 11. I came from a small local studio in my hometown of New Hampshire, and was there for 2 years. Afterwards, I knew I wanted to keep dancing but I wasn’t sure if I wanted it as a career. So I enrolled in Walnut Hills Performing Arts High School where I could both dance and study simultaneously. After some time there I decided dance was definitely something I wanted to pursue as a career. Luckily I attended a summer program here at Houston Ballet, and subsequently got offered to be in Houston Ballet II, and then I’ll be entering the company next season! Coming to Houston Ballet II was definitely the best decision I ever made.



Why did you choose to dance with the Houston Ballet as your prize over international opportunities?



My prize was to be an apprentice for a company, which is to be with them at their lowest level. I had had some experience with the company while in Houston Ballet II, so I was already very comfortable with the teachers, and had worked extensively with the main company. I felt comfortable here. I knew how they worked, and they knew me (my strengths and my weaknesses). I respected their direction and repertoire. For my first experience in a professional company, I just wanted to feel comfortable.



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