Japanese dancer Miyazaki Keisuke has won a prize at an international ballet competition in Switzerland.

Miyazaki is from Osaka. He placed eighth at the annual Prix de Lausanne. The contest is regarded as a gateway to success for dancers between the ages of 15 and 18. The competition celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.

Miyazaki just recently turned 15. He was among 22 finalists, who competed on Saturday.

He performed one dance to tunes from Swan Lake. He danced with confidence and showed off his flexibility. The audience responded to his dynamic moves by applauding enthusiastically.

After the award ceremony, Miyazaki said he would never forget the experiences he had during the day. He added that he wants to draw on the confidence he gained by being able to do well, even though he was the youngest competitor.

Two male dancers from Spain and Mexico tied for first place. It is the first tie in the competition's history.

Well-known Japanese ballet dancer Kumakawa Tetsuya won a gold medal at the competition in 1989. He was one of the judges this year. Kumakawa said the competitors this year performed at a high level. He expressed hope that more Japanese participants will be successful in the future.