THE FINAL ROUND OF THE COMPETITION (April 15, 2015) - Each year, over 5,000 talented young dance student’s audition worldwide at semi-final rounds conducted by YAGP around the globe. Over 1,200 of the most promising young ballet dancers, representing 30 countries on 5 continents, are chosen for the New York City Finals. Open to general public, the FINAL ROUND gave New York audiences a unique opportunity to see many of the world’s best young dancers before they disperse around the world to study on scholarship at the world’s leading dance academies.
Liam Boswell (FL, USA), Yago Guerra (Brazil) and Ryu Bautista (Australia) placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the men’s junior division. Juliette Bosco (NY, USA) and Maggie Chadbourne (CA, USA) tied for 1st in the women’s junior division with Kotomi Yamada (Japan) placing 2nd and Yeojin Shim (Korea) in 3rd. The junior Grand Prix award was given to Shin-Yong Him (Korea).
The senior men’s 1st place award was given to Shogo Hayami (Germany), with Austen Acevedo (FL, USA) placing 2nd and Lang Ma (DC, USA) in 3rd. Yu Kurihara (Japan) placed 1st, Rio Anderson (CA, USA) in 2nd, and Bianca Scudamore (Australia), in 3rd in the women’s senior divisision.
Ye Lim Choi and Sun Woo Lee (Korea) placed 1st in the Pas de Deux division with Juliette Bosco and Theophilus Pilette (USA) in 2nd and Mo Chen Zhao and Zachary Downer (USA) in 3rd.
In ensembles Ellison Ballet – Professional Training Program (NY, USA) placed 1st, Annarella Academia de Ballet e Danca (Portugal) placed 2nd, and The Rock School for Dance Education (PA, USA) came in 3rd.
The Hope Award, awarded to younger dancers who exhibit exceptional talent, was given to Antonio Casalinho (Portugal)
Larissa Saveliev, founder of YAGP, noted “This year we saw great talent, especially among the junior dancers, which gives us confidence in the future of ballet. This is reflected in a particularly strong offering of jobs and scholarships.
The second act was filled with performances from the final including Paloma Herrera, one of the most beloved dancers performing today, in Mauricio Wainrot’s “Verano Porteño” with partner Juan Pablo Ledo of Teatro Colón, Argentina. The piece was performed to a live accompaniment by the Toomai Quintet with violinist Dmitri Berlinsky. A World Premiere of Artistic Director Alexei Kremnev’s choreography “Windy Sand” featured dancers from the Joffrey Ballet. The piece featured original music by composer Karen LeFrak performed by pianist Tatiana Goncharova, and costumed by internationally renowned fashion designer and YAGP board member, B Michael. YAGP’s “Emerging Choreographer Series” presented the World Premiere of a ballet by Anton Pimonov (Mariinsky Ballet), which featured the rising star of Mariinsky Ballet, Kristina Shapran, and YAGP Alum, Calvin Royal III (American Ballet Theatre). New York City Ballet’s Teresa Reichlen and Zachary Catazaro (YAGP Alum) performed in a World Premiere by Guggenheim artist, Emery LeCrone, set to Mozart’s “Menuet from String Quartet No. 15” that was performed live by the musicians from the Toomai Quintet, with costumes by B Michael. The program also featured a World Premiere of Ballet 101 by Eric Gauthier
The program featured the New York professional debut of two YAGP alumni, the Royal Ballet’s Melissa Hamilton (“Grand Prix” Award winner, YAGP 2007) – who, together with Edward Watson performed Wayne McGregor’s “Qualia” – and The Mariinsky Ballet’s Kimin Kim (“Grand Prix” Award winner, YAGP 2012), who performed the classic Pas de Deux from “Le Corsaire” with a fellow YAGP Alumna, Isabella Boylston (American Ballet Theatre). The program also included performances by Xander Parish (Mariisnky Ballet), Semyon Chudin and Ekaterina Krysanova (Bolshoi Ballet), as well as international ballroom champions Denys Drozdyuk and Antonina Skobina.
YOUTH AMERICA GRAND PRIX (YAGP) is a global dance network, connecting dance students, teachers, schools, companies, choreographers, professional dancers and audiences all over the world. YAGP annually conducts the world's largest student ballet scholarship audition, giving promising young dance students over $300,000 in scholarships to the leading dance schools worldwide. Since its founding in 1999, over 70,000 young dancers ages 9 to 19 of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds have participated in YAGP's international workshops, audition classes, and dance awareness events. Gifted dancers have earned over $3 million in scholarships to the leading dance schools. More than 300 YAGP alumni currently dance with 80 companies around the world including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg, and many others. For more information, call 646-791-9500 or visit WWW.YAGP.ORG
YAGP’s 2015 season is sponsored by Aleksandra/Russian Pointe, Bloch, Capezio, Discount Dance Supply, Dance Magazine, Dance Teacher Magazine, Dance Spirit Magazine, Grishko, Harlequin, Pointe Magazine, Sansha, and Sylvia Co.
Photography by Siggul/VAM