Sarawanee Tanatanit

Prix de Lausanne represents a lifetime opportunity to me.  At 18, I was unclear about the direction I had to take between pursuing a professional dance career or in academic study.  I felt uncertain towards my dance skills and where my dance level would be placed among many young dancers from around the globe.  The competition has given me a chance to become a professional dancer and join my dream company.  I can hardly believe how one competition could offer an opportunity that changed and impacted my life path so much.

Born in Bangkok, Thailand, Sarawanee Tanatanit joined the National Rhythmic Gymnastics team of Thailand at the age of 13, winning gold medals in the Junior Championship and the South East Asian Games competition.  She was offered a scholarship from The Sports Authority of Thailand to continue her rhythmic gymnastics training in Vancouver, Canada, where she also pursued her dance training at the Goh Ballet subsequently.  Prize Winner of the 2001 Prix de Lausanne, Miss Tanatanit was offered an apprenticeship at the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company and the following year she was honoured to join the American Ballet Theatre for the next 7 years.

She moved to Switzerland in 2008 and danced in many leading roles, working with many guest choreographers for the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève. After 8 years, she featured as a guest artist for The Danish Dance Theatre in Copenhagen at the same time as guest teaching in various schools in Europe and in Asia. In 2019, she launched her own project called HOST Bangkok Performing Arts Center in Thailand to support higher dance education and bring different varieties of art forms into collaborative projects and performances in Bangkok.

Honors and Awards

• “Critic’s Choice” by Pointe Magazine in 2003
• Awarded one of Dance Magazine’s “Top 25 to Watch” in 2008
• Awarded Outstanding Performer in 2023 from The Ministry of Culture, Thailand
• Appointed as Chevalier in receiving “L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” from The French Minister of Culture in 2024