The 15th edition of the Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition will take place March 17-21.  Rounds in classical ballet and contemporary dance will be held at New York Live Arts, March 17, 18 & 19, starting at 1 PM, and continuing until approx. 7 PM.  Audience members may take breaks during the Rounds and return to the theater with presentation of their tickets.  150+ dancers, from Poland to Portugal, will travel to NY to dance for company contracts and scholarships to dance academies around the world, performing before an international panel of company directors, choreographers, and teachers led by Nina Ananiashvili.  Valentina Kozlova, trained at the Bolshoi School, was a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet before defecting in 1979.  She subsequently joined NYCB at the invitation of George Balanchine, where she remained for 13 years.