THE WORLD STAGE AWAITS OUR ANIKA: 15-year-old ballerina wins gold at international competition in Italy and a full scholarship in London!

Fifteen-year-old ballerina Anika Nikić from Niš has won first place at the prestigious international Bologna Ballet Competition in Italy, as well as a full scholarship to the Carlos Acosta Dance Foundation in London. She achieved this outstanding success competing against talented young artists from numerous countries around the world.

At the fourth international competition in classical ballet and contemporary dance, held from October 23 to 25 at the Teatro Duse in Bologna, Anika triumphed in the senior category, which includes competitors aged 15 to 18.

Competing against young ballet artists from Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Greece, Italy and India, the young dancer from Niš demonstrated exceptional talent and won the highest award in her category.

She performed variations from the ballets La Bayadère and Paquita, and her performances were evaluated by a seven-member expert jury. The competition was broadcast by Italian television channel RAI 1.

“It was truly wonderful. It is always lovely to meet new people with whom I share the same love for this art. This victory means a lot to me because it opens new doors for me. I can’t wait to see what the future will bring,” Anika told Južne vesti.

In addition to the gold medal, Anika also won a full scholarship to the Carlos Acosta Dance Foundation in London, providing a significant opportunity for her further artistic development.

The talented girl is also a second-year student at the Music School in Niš, where she excels as a flute and clarinet player, while pursuing her ballet education at a ballet school in Verona.

The Niš Music School said her achievement was a major recognition of her talent, hard work and dedication.

“At the same time, this is a great source of pride for our school and confirmation that hard work and perseverance open doors to new artistic opportunities,” the school said.

What makes the achievement particularly remarkable is that Anika is not the only member of the Nikić family to return from Bologna with a victory. Her younger sister, Melanija, also competed in the same event and won first place in the 10–11 age category.

The two young dancers from Niš have thus achieved outstanding results on the international ballet stage, giving their family, school and hometown double reason to be proud.