about us
Universal Ballet Competition (UBC) is a premier student ballet competition dedicated to providing dancers with opportunities in competition, education, mentorship, talent scouting, scholarships, and professional exposure.
Founded by former professional ballet principals Lissette Salgado and David Lucas, UBC brings together talented dancers and respected professionals from the international dance community to create an environment focused on artistic development, education, encouragement, and opportunity.
UBC’s mission is to connect exceptionally talented dancers of all backgrounds with quality dance education, opportunities, and pathways toward professional careers worldwide.
Universal Ballet Competition (UBC) believes that every dancer has a unique story to tell. From the first step in the studio to the moment they take the stage, every dancer deserves the opportunity to be seen, encouraged, and celebrated for their hard work, talent, artistry, and potential.
As UBC continues to grow across the United States and internationally, its mission remains simple: to create meaningful opportunities for dancers while providing a fair, positive, educational, and inspiring competition experience.
A Competition Built Around the Dancer
Universal Ballet Competition is a premier student ballet competition that has grown through its popularity among dancers, studio directors, teachers, and the ballet community. UBC is more than a competition—it is a unique experience that combines competition, education, mentorship, talent scouting, scholarships, master classes, and professional opportunities.
UBC was founded by Lissette Salgado and David Lucas, former principal ballet dancers with the Joffrey Ballet and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Their professional careers and relationships within the dance world have allowed UBC to bring together internationally recognized dancers, company directors, ballet school directors, teachers, and artists to judge, mentor, and teach dancers throughout the UBC experience.
Since its first season, UBC has had the privilege of working with and mentoring countless young dancers and has awarded millions of dollars in scholarships and opportunities.
Celebrating Talent—Not a Body Type
At the heart of UBC is the belief that there is no single body type that defines a great dancer.
Dancers come in different shapes, sizes, heights, and physical proportions. What makes a dancer special is the combination of their technique, musicality, artistry, expression, dedication, passion, personality, and desire to grow.
UBC’s goal is to give dancers the opportunity to be evaluated on what they bring to the stage, rather than feeling that they have to fit a particular physical image.
“We want dancers to feel comfortable being themselves,” says UBC leadership. “Our focus is on the dancer—their talent, their artistry, their technique, their musicality, their dedication, and their potential. We want to celebrate what makes each dancer unique.”
Technology That Helps Create a Fair and Educational Experience
UBC has always looked for innovative ways to create opportunities for dancers. The organization was one of the first ballet competitions to introduce online auditions, helping bridge the gap between talented dancers and college, university, and professional training programs.
UBC also utilizes a state-of-the-art video judging system as part of its adjudication process.
This technology allows dancers to watch and listen to their performances while receiving feedback from an experienced jury panel. Judges can carefully evaluate each performance and provide dancers with guidance, encouragement, and areas for continued growth.
Rather than simply receiving a score, dancers have the opportunity to learn from the experience.
The judging process focuses on important elements of dance, including:
- Technique
- Musicality
- Artistry and expression
- Performance quality
- Stage presence
- Choreographic interpretation
- Dedication and preparation
- Individuality
- Potential for growth
- Overall performance
UBC believes that constructive feedback is one of the most valuable parts of a competition. The goal is not simply to determine a winner—it is to help every dancer become a better artist.
Opening Doors Through Talent Scouting
One of UBC’s primary goals is to provide talent-scouting opportunities for dancers.
Throughout the competition, dancers have opportunities to be seen by respected artists, professional company directors, ballet school directors, college and university representatives, and other members of the dance community.
This exposure can be an important step for young dancers who are considering their next stage of training or dreaming of a professional career.
UBC’s online audition platform was created in part to connect talented dancers with college, university, and professional school directors. During competitions, educational institutions have been able to observe dancers and identify students who may be a good fit for their programs, including scholarship opportunities.
Education Is at the Heart of UBC
Every UBC competition includes master classes taught by experienced artists from around the world.
These classes give dancers the opportunity to learn from professionals, experience different teaching styles, and receive individualized attention and mentorship.
The instruction and feedback dancers receive can become an important part of their development—not just as dancers, but as young artists and individuals.
UBC believes that competition should be about more than medals and trophies. It should be about learning, growing, meeting new people, gaining confidence, and discovering what is possible.
A History of Innovation
UBC has always been willing to think differently.
When the world changed in February 2020, UBC quickly adapted and held what it believes was the first-ever virtual ballet competition. Dancers from around the world participated, allowing UBC to continue providing opportunities at a time when traditional competitions were not possible.
That experience reinforced UBC’s belief that technology can be used to connect dancers with opportunities regardless of where they live.
Creating Opportunities for Every Dancer
UBC’s mission is to connect exceptionally talented dancers from all racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds with quality dance education, meaningful opportunities, and potential professional careers around the world.
The organization recognizes that every dancer’s journey is different. Some may dream of joining a professional ballet company. Others may want to attend college, become teachers or choreographers, or simply continue dancing because they love it.
Every path is important.
UBC’s goal is to help dancers discover their possibilities and provide opportunities that can help them move toward their individual goals.
The Grand Prix Finals
The Grand Prix Finals represents the culmination of the UBC season and provides dancers with even more opportunities to learn, connect, and be recognized.
The Finals bring together additional master classes, talent scouts, scholarships, and cash prizes, creating an exciting opportunity for dancers to take their experience to the next level.
More Than a Competition
At Universal Ballet Competition, success is not defined by a single score.
Success can be gaining confidence, receiving valuable feedback, meeting a professional who inspires you, earning a scholarship, discovering a new school, making a new friend, learning something new in a master class, or simply walking off the stage knowing you gave your best.
“Our ultimate goal is the growth of each dancer as an individual,” says UBC leadership. “We want dancers to leave UBC feeling inspired, encouraged, and excited about their future. We want them to know that their hard work matters and that there are opportunities waiting for them.”
Universal Ballet Competition is proud to create a community where dancers can challenge themselves, celebrate one another, learn from professionals, and pursue their dreams.
Our Message to Dancers
Be yourself.
Work hard.
Dance with passion.
Believe in your potential.
Let your talent shine.
Work hard.
Dance with passion.
Believe in your potential.
Let your talent shine.
At UBC, we believe every dancer deserves the opportunity to be seen.
Judge the talent. Celebrate the artistry. Encourage the journey. Create opportunities.
That is the Universal Ballet Competition experience.
executive team
LISSETTE SALGADO-LUCAS
FOUNDER/PRESIDENT
Born in Miami, Florida, LISSETTE evolved her passion for dance while studying with Liana Navarro, Judith Reece Newman and Marianna Alvarez. In 1988, She joined the Joffrey Ballet and danced with the company for seven years. Some of Lissette’s roles included: Balanchine’s Tarantella, Frederick Ashton’s Les Patinuers and La Fille Mal Gardee, Kurt Jooss’s The Green Table, John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, Jiri Kylian’s Return to Strange Land, Gerald Arpino’s Light Rain and Viva Vivaldi, and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. In 1995, Lissette joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and danced lead roles in: Bengt Jorgens’s Swedish Song and Anthony Tudor’s Leaves are Fading. She was recognized for her role as Odette/Odile in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Juliet in Rudi van Dantzig’s Romeo and Juliet, Beauty and Butterfly in David Nixon’s Beauty and the Beast and Butterfly, Lucy in Mark Godden’s Dracula, the principal role in Mikhail Fokine’s Les Sylphides, Paquita in Petipa’s Paquita, and Kitri in Petipa’s Don Quixote. Lissette is a renowned, international guest artist who has performed with the Daring Project under the direction of Margo Sappington and Valentina Kozlova. She also performed her role of Juliet in Florence, Italy with Teatro de Maggio Dance Company and was a guest artist with the ‘Stars of Canadian Ballet’ Company, touring throughout Canada and performing in the Pan Am Summer Games Closing Ceremonies. Lissette has taught at the North Carolina School of the Arts, South Carolina Governor’s School of the Arts and Dillard High School for the Performing Arts, and is the Founder/President of Shake The Ground, The Ultimate Dance Competition, her extensive professional experience and relationships with professionals in the industry allow Shake The Ground to expand on a national platform.Since 2015 Lissette has Co-directed along with her husband David the Joffrey Ballet School Summer of Hip-Hop Program in New York City. In 2020 they will add and direct the Joffrey Ballet School Summer of Hip Hop in New York City and Tampa, FL They are also be the directors of the Joffrey Ballet/Contemporary program held for 2 weeks in Tampa, Florida.
DAVID LUCAS
FOUNDER/DIRECTOR
Born in Chorley, England, and raised in Kelowna, B.C., Canada, DAVID unveiled his passion for dance at age nine. The Canadian School of Ballet is where he began training under the direction of Betty Farrally, the co founder of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company. He later trained in Toronto and graduated from the National Ballet School and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. David joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company in 1988 and danced for 14 years before retiring in 2000. He danced many lead roles such as: Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and Tarantella, David Nixon’s Beauty and the Beast, Butterfly, Mark Godden’s Dracula, Paquita, Don Quixote’s Pas de Deux and Brian McDonald’s Pas D’Action. It was with the RWB that he met his lovely wife, Lissette Salgado, and was honored to partner and perform many lead roles with her throughout his career. David has also performed in five made for television dance movies as well as the popular Children’s TV show “The Toy Castle,” where he played the Strongman. He has also been invited as a guest artist to perform in Japan with the Reiko Yamamoto Ballet Company. David was also the Artistic Director for the Canadian School of Ballet Summer program, which he and his wife, Lissette, directed for four years. David and Lissette choreographed and staged performances each year for the students. David later founded ‘The Stars of Canadian Ballet’ Company, which brought together the best artists in Canada from the National Ballet Company, The Alberta Ballet Company, and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company. This renowned group toured in Canada and performed in the closing ceremonies for the Pan Am Games in 1999. In 2012, David co-founded Shake The Ground with his wife, Lissette, and in 2013, Universal Ballet Competition. Both competitions offer over $200,000 in scholarships to inspiring young dancers, annually, to assist each of them in reaching their remarkable potential, catapulting them to the next level of their dance careers.