SHANGHAI, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai International Ballet Competition (SIBC) will be held in the east China city from Aug. 3 to 11 this year, the organizing committee said Thursday.

Registration will be open from Feb. 11 to May 31 at www.shanghaiibc.cn, with dancers able to enter the competition either as individuals or duos.

The top prize is 50,000 U.S. dollars.

The competition is divided into two sections: a junior division for dancers aged between 15 and 18, and senior division for dancers aged from 19 to 26.

Established in 1995, the contest is held every two years. This year, the theme is "Dance to the Rhythm of Shanghai."

"We hope the contest will attract the best ballet talent and we also hope it will help nurture young ballet artists," said Xin Lili, chairperson of the Shanghai Dancers' Association.