Edward Villella has been hospitalized with an upper respiratory ailment while in Jackson, Mississippi serving as the Jury Chair for the USA International Ballet Competition, the local newspaper reported. Best wishes to him for a speedy recovery. Co-chairs John Meehan and Trinidad Vives will oversee adjudication until Villella returns.
Joseph Phillips, the 2002 Junior Gold Medalist, lit the flame to open the competition on Saturday. There are some nice pictures on the USA-IBC Facebook page, like this one: