N E W S L E T T E R

2023 End-of-Year Highlights ✨

YAGP Alumni in the News

YAGP alumni and their stories are a powerful testament to the life-changing education and performance opportunities YAGP provides to young dancers worldwide. This year saw numerous YAGP alumni promotions at the world's leading dance companies - here are just a few of the highlights.

BALLET WEST

• Tyler Gum promoted to Principal Artist
• Victoria Vassos promoted to Soloist
• Nicole Fannéy and Vinicius Lima promoted to Demi-Soloist

DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET

• Victor Caixeta promoted to Principal Dancer

ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET

• Julia Conway promoted to First Soloist
• Ivana Bueno and Rentaro Nakaaki promoted to Junior Soloist

HOUSTON BALLET

• Danbi Kim promoted to Soloist 

JOFFREY BALLET

• Ao Wang and Reed Henry joined the Company

OKLAHOMA CITY BALLET

• Gabrielle Mengden promoted to Soloist

PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET

• Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan promoted to Principal Dancer

PITTSBURGH BALLET THEATRE

• Gustavo Ribeiro joins the Company as a Soloist
• Grace Rookstool promoted to Soloist 

PHILADELPHIA BALLET

• Ashton Roxander promoted to Principal Dancer

ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET

• Liam Saito promoted to Second Soloist

THE ROYAL BALLET

• Isabella Gasparini promoted to First Soloist
• Sae Maeda and Joonhyuk Jun promoted to Soloist

TULSA BALLET

• Jaimi Cullen and Jun Masuda promoted to Principal Dancer
• Aina Ok promoted to Soloist

VIENNA STATE BALLET

• Timoor Afshar joins the Company as a Soloist

THE STUTTGART BALLET

• Mackenzie Brown promoted to Principal Dancer
• Gabriel Figueredo promoted to Soloist

Mackenzie Brown

(The Stuttgart Ballet)

Jun Masuda

(Tulsa Ballet)

Isabella Gasparini

(The Royal Ballet)

Sarah Gabrielle Ryan

(Pacific Northwest Ballet)

Cover Stars

YAGP alumni continued to grace the covers of numerous publications worldwide in 2023, including Pointe, Dance Magazine, Dance Europe, and Dance Magazine Japan.

Kamala Saara

(Dance Theatre of Harlem)

Chyrstyn Fentroy

(Boston Ballet)

Mayara Magri

( The Royal Ballet)

Antóntio Casalinho and

Margarita Fernandes

(Bavarian State Ballet)

Victor Caixeta

(Dutch National Ballet)

SunMi Park

(American Ballet Theatre)

Jasmine Jimison

(San Francisco Ballet)

Dance Europe "2023 Dancer of the Year"

YAGP alumna Elisa Badenes, Principal Dancer of The Stuttgart Ballet (pictured, below right), received the honor of being named the 2023 “Dance of the Year” by Dance Europe Magazine. Learn more about her inspiring journey in the video here.

William Bracewell with Fumi Kaneko

(The Royal Ballet)

Dancer of the Year, Elisa Badenes

(The Stuttgart Ballet)

Future Stars ⭐️ Dance Magazine Japan

Several YAGP alumni were also featured in a special issue of Dance Magazine Japan: “The Future Promising Stars from YAGP Competition.” In the piece, Haruka Sasa (Berlin State Ballet), Haruhi Otani (English National Ballet), Yu Kurihara (Birmingham Royal Ballet), and Daichi Ikarashi (The Royal Ballet) shared their journeys through YAGP, illustrating the power of life-changing scholarships they received that helped launch their careers.

Nozomi Iijima

(K Ballet Company)

Shoma Ikemoto

(Tokyo Ballet)

Jake Roxander

(American Ballet Theatre)

Dance Magazine "25 to Watch in 2024"

Once again, several YAGP alumni were also recognized in Dance Magazine's annual "25 to Watch" list honoring up-and-coming artists on the brink of skyrocketing.



Join us in congratulating Olivia Bell (New York City Ballet), Jindallae Bernard (Houston Ballet), Yuval Cohen (Philadelphia Ballet), Grace Rookstool (Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre), Jake Roxander (American Ballet Theatre), and Kamala Saara (Dance Theatre of Harlem). To see the complete list, click here.



Olivia Bell

(New York City Ballet)

Yuval Cohen

(Philadelphia Ballet)

Pointe Magazine "Standout Performances of 2023"

Several YAGP alumni were also recognized in Pointe's "Standout Performances of 2023," honoring some of the year's most memorable performances and premiers.

Please join us in congratulating Emma Von Enck (New York City Ballet), Jennifer Stahl (San Francisco Ballet), Calley Skalnik and Genevieve Penn Nabity (National Ballet of Canada), and José Pablo Castro Cuevas and Jonathan Dole (Joffrey Ballet). To read the full article, click here.

Emma Von Enck

(New York City Ballet)

Jonathan Dole

(Joffrey Ballet)

Jennifer Stahl

(San Francisco Ballet)

UP CLOSE & PERSONAL

YAGP Community Gatherings

A GATHERING OF FRIENDS IN PALM BEACH

March 29, 2023

Hosted by YAGP Trustee Kamie Lighturn

YAGP Trustee Kamie Lightburn (pictured, right) hosted a lovely luncheon celebrating youth, talent, and dance in honor of YAGP at Carriage House - an elegant private club in Palm Beach - earlier this year.

The luncheon was attended by the leading members of the philanthropic community and arts & culture aficionados from Palm Beach and beyond.

The afternoon featured Ukrainian dancer (and YAGP alumnus) Vsevolod Maievskyi, pictured left, who flew in from Germany to attend the event, and Argentinian-born former star of New York City Ballet, Ana Sophia Scheller. 

The dancers participated in a short Q&A, sharing stories from a lifetime in dance and their feelings about why dance matters.

The afternoon culminated with a group photo featuring the dancers in performance costume, taken by well-known social photographer Annie Watt.

Vsevolod Maievskyi and Ana Sophia Scheller with the hostess, Kamie Lightburn, and guests

A CELEBRATION OF DANCE IN SARASOTA

April 3, 2023

Hosted by Laura Lobdell and Darrel Flanel, co-hosted by Adrienne and Gianluigi Vittadini

Beauty was the theme of the evening at the celebration of dance at the elegant home of Darrel Flanel and longtime YAGP supporter and friend, Laura Lobdell, this past spring just before the YAGP 2023 Season Finals. Co-hosted by Laura, Darrel and Adrienne and Gianluigi Vittadini, the evening featured a magical sunset performance of The Dying Swan by international guest artist Ana Sophia Scheller (pictured, right). 

As YAGP's Sergey Gordeev said in his introductory remarks, “dance makes the world a more beautiful place” - and beauty abounded in every detail, including the ballet-themed drinks and dance-inspired designs created by Laura. The evening ended with heartfelt words of appreciation by the hostess - and with Ana Sophia gifting Laura with a personally signed pair of pointe shoes.

Hostess of the evening Laura Lobdell, Gianluigi Vittadini, Ana Sophia Scheller, Darrel Flanel, Adrienne Vittadini

BALLET COCKTAILS IN THE DUNES

July 23, 2023

Hosted by Elizabeth Jacoby and Richard Brand

A YAGP tradition in the Hamptons, a lovely summer cocktail party was held at the beautiful Amangansett home of Elizabeth Jacoby and Richard Brand in July.

The guests of honor were YAGP alumni Chloe Misseldine of American Ballet Theatre and Vsevolod Maievskyi of English National Ballet, who inspired all in attendance with their stories as they spoke of how instrumental YAGP has been to their careers. The guests delighted in jovial conversation about the opportunities YAGP provides to young dancers worldwide while enjoying a truly charming afternoon.

Vsevolod Maievskyi, hostess Elizabeth Jacoby, and Chloe Misseldine

Lola Koch, Isabelle Tsereteli, and Emily Reifel

Renee Cox and Tinu Najia

Dan and Elaine Brownstein

YAGP Galas Around the World

As part of its mission to educate the next generation of dancers and audiences, YAGP partners with Galas and Festivals around the world to give its participants invaluable performance opportunities – and international audiences an unforgettable dance experience. Here are some of the exciting YAGP Gala highlights of 2023.

YAGP 2023 SEASON FINALS GALA

April 8, 2023 | Tampa, FL

The week-long YAGP 2023 Season Finals held in Tampa, FL, and hosted by the Straz Center for the Performing Arts culminated in the YAGP signature “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow” Gala.

As with every YAGP Gala, this annual tradition featured numerous professional guest artists from the world’s leading dance companies, the majority of whom are YAGP alumni, along with some of the world’s most promising young dance talent - scholarship recipients and prize winners of the YAGP 2023 Finals.

The Gala included memorable performances from YAGP alumni Skylar Brandt, Chloe Misseldine, and James Whiteside of American Ballet Theatre; YAGP alumni Constantine Allen and Young Gyu Cho of Dutch National Ballet; as well as international guest artist Ana Sophia Scheller, Adji Cissoko of Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and dancers of the ABT Studio Company.



Skyler Brandt and James Whiteside

(American Ballet Theatre)

Ana Sophia Scheller

(International Guest Artist)

Young Gyu Choi

(Dutch National Ballet)

Chloe Misseldine

(American Ballet Theatre)

Constantine Allen

(Dutch National Ballet)

YAGP 25th ANNIVERSARY KICK-OFF GALA

April 11, 2023 | New York City

Hosted by YAGP Trustees Marcella Hymowitz, Lesley Vecsler, and the Gala Leadership

Following the YAGP 2023 Season Finals, we were thrilled to return to New York City for the YAGP 25th Anniversary Kick-Off Gala at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. This exciting event marked the first YAGP Gala back in New York since the 20th Anniversary in 2019 (!) and the start of the year-long celebration of YAGP’s 25th Anniversary Season.

The evening featured thrilling performances by celebrated international ballet artists including Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia (New York City Ballet); Jacopo Tissi (Dutch National Ballet), Evelina Godunova (Berlin State Ballet) and YAGP alumnus Shale Wagman (Bavarian State Ballet) all in their New York City debuts; YAGP alumni Constantine Allen (Dutch National Ballet), Christine Shevchenko (American Ballet Theatre), Michaela DePrince (Boston Ballet), and Jun Masuda (Tulsa Ballet); and celebrated Brazilian ballerina Claudia Mota (Theatro do Municipal do Rio de Janeiro).

The Gala also featured talented rising stars of tomorrow, the inaugural cohort of YAGP's ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble) comprised of 35 dancers from 15 countries, and a special performance by young singing prodigy Paloma Dineli Chesky, accompanied by Grammy-nominated composer and pianist David Chesky.

Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia

(New York City Ballet)

Evelina Godunova

(Berlin State Ballet)

Christine Shevchenko

(American Ballet Theatre)

Jacopo Tissi

(Dutch National Ballet)

YAGP Trustees Marcella Hymowitz (pictured, right) and Lesley Vecsler took the lead on turning the evening into a true celebration of dance. The inspired performances by STARS OF TODAY and the STARS OF TOMORROW; gorgeous floral arrangements by "Girl and Garden, festive decorations, beautiful projections, wine and spirits generously provided by MyStory Wine Company and Medco Atlantic, beautiful gift bags by Paravel, and great vibes courtesy of DJ Chachi all conspired to create a magical atmosphere.

The GALA LEADERSHIP (pictured, below) included some of the leading figures in the New York culture, fashion, and philanthropic community:

Paul Arnhold | Elissa Brenner | Lili Buffett | Chelsea Clinton | Grace Fuller Marroquin | Wes Gordon | Alyson Gradone | Rebecca Hessel Cohen | Sarah Hoover | Lilli Hymowitz | Marcella Hymowitz | Eve Jobs | Lindsay Kraus | Candice Miller | Colby Mugrabi | Grace Pomeranc | Indré Rockefeller | Priya Shukla | Daniela Tisch | Virginia W. Tomenson | Lesley Vecsley | Lina Wallach

We look forward to the YAGP 25th ANNIVERSARY GALA on April 18th, 2024 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center! 



Lilli Hymowitz, Eve Jobs, Wendi Murdoch

Lilah Ramzi, Sarah Hoover, Lili Buffett

Maria-Teresa Rodger, Maria Cristina Anzola, Allyson Tang

Christian Zimmermann, Marilyn Kirschner, Karine Plantadit, Andre Lespierr

Gabriel and Alexandra Hoffmann

YAGP 25th Anniversary Kick-Off Gala Host Committee

YAGP GALAS AT NERVI FESTIVAL

July 8, 2023 | Genoa, ITALY

This summer, YAGP its third annual program at the Nervi Festival, one of the most prestigious events of the Italian dance scene. This year’s program welcomed 200 dancers from 5 continents and 32 countries around the world, who attended six days of master classes taught by directors and artists from some of the world’s leading dance institutions.

The week culminated in two spectacular Gala performances on the famed Nervi stage overlooking the Ligurian Sea, where numerous ballet legends have performed, including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Rudolf Nureyev, Margot Fonteyn, beloved Italian prima ballerina Carla Fracci, and many others.

This year’s closing Gala featured some of ballet’s most exciting stars performing today, including Maria Khoreva (Mariinsky Theater), Natalia Osipova (The Royal Ballet), and Reece Clarke (The Royal Ballet). The star-studded cast also included YAGP alumnus Vsevolod Maievskyi (English National Ballet), Roxane Stojanov and Thomas Docquir (Paris Opera Ballet), YAGP alumna Emma Von Enck (New York City Ballet), Adji Cissoko (Alonzo King LINES Ballet), and YAGP alumni Takumi Miyake, Brady Farrar, and Kyra Coco (ABT Studio Company).



Natalia Osipova and

Reece Clark

(The Royal Ballet)

Maria Khoreva

(Mariinsky Theatre)

Adji Cissoko

(Alonzo King LINES Ballet)

Polina Semionova

(Berlin State Ballet)

Kimin Kim

(Mariinsky Ballet)

YAGP STARS GALA IN ISRAEL

May 27, 2023 | Tel Aviv, ISRAEL

In May, YAGP was thrilled to present its signature “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow” Gala for the very first time in Israel, at the Israeli Opera House in Tel Aviv. A special collaboration with the YAGP International Contemporary Ensemble, the program welcomed international ballet stars Polina Semionova (Berlin State Ballet) and YAGP alumnus Kimin Kim (Mariinsky Ballet), YAGP alumnus Shale Wagman (Bavarian State Ballet), and YAGP alumni Brady Farrar and Madison Brown of ABT Studio Company.

The Gala also featured the ICE dancers in repertoire by Ohad Naharin, Sharon Eyal, and Inbal Pinto - an honor for the 35 young dancers hand selected from around the world to take part in this unique and once-in-a-lifetime educational opportunity.

YAGP ICE - International Contemporary Ensemble

YAGP has always been at the forefront of what is important to dancers worldwide – and, as contemporary dance is becoming an increasingly important voice in today’s dance landscape, YAGP created a special program in 2023 to give its participants a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the life of dancers in a professional dance company – from auditioning for the company to working with professional rehearsal directors and ballet masters, casting for certain roles, rehearsing, travel and performances.

After a successful debut of the YAGP International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) at the YAGP Galas in Tampa, New York City, and Nervi last season, we were proud to launch season 2 of the ICE this November.

This year’s cohort, comprised of 65 young dancers from all over the globe gathered in Manhattan this fall for a repertoire workshop that included daily classes and rehearsals of repertoire by some of the world’s leading contemporary choreographers: Ohad Naharin, Mats Ek, and Shahar Binyamini. The ICE dancers will perform these iconic works at YAGP Galas during the 25th Anniversary Season. 

YAGP at Carnegie Hall

This fall, YAGP was thrilled and incredibly honored to have been invited to work with the brilliant Japanese pianist Yoshiki for his concert at the famed Carnegie Hall celebrating the 10th anniversary of his album “Yoshiki Classical.”

YAGP alumni Nayara Lopes and Pau Pujol of Philadelphia Ballet, Elisabeth Beyer of American Ballet Theatre, and Andres Zuniga of New York City Ballet (both pictured below) - along with YAGP participants Sally Caruso, Paris Svigos, and Viktoria Papakalodouka - performed excerpts from Swan Lake and other classical repertoire to a sold-out crowd, delighting the audience with this very special collaboration.



Elisabeth Beyer (ABT) and Andres Zuniga (NYCB) with Yoshiki at Carnegie Hall

YAGP Participants at Radio City Music Hall

YAGP has also enjoyed a longstanding history with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, recommending talented young dancers from around the country each year for the role of Clara - many of whom have gone on to successful careers as leading dancers in the world’s most prestigious dance companies, including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, The Royal Ballet, and many others.

This year was no exception, with all three Claras cast in the 2023 Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes being YAGP participants! We share our warmest congratulations to Katarina Carney, Savannah Manzel, and Kya Massimino as they complete their final shows this winter, following in the footsteps of numerous other YAGP alumni before them in this beloved NYC holiday tradition.



Katarina Carney

(Southland Ballet Academy, CA)



Savannah Manzel

(Larkin Dance Studio, MN)



Kya Massimino

(The Art of Classical Ballet, FL)



YAGP 25th Anniversary Season Semi-Finals

As the year 2023 comes to a close, we also look back on the final semi-final events of the year with gratitude and inspiration after completing 12 international and 5 U.S. semi-final auditions this fall - having been, at one point, on FOUR different continents at the same time within a single weekend, a YAGP first!

YAGP’s international tour, the largest yet - befitting the 25th Anniversary Season - saw dancers from literally all over the globe, in the following locations:

• Seoul, South Korea 🇰🇷
• Sydney, Australia 🇦🇺
• Singapore 🇸🇬
• Manila, Philippines 🇵🇭
• Osaka, Japan 🇯🇵
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 🇧🇷
• Cordoba, Mexico 🇲🇽
• Paris, France 🇫🇷
• Jakarta, Indonesia 🇮🇩
• Buenos Aires, Argentina 🇦🇷
• Verona, Italy 🇮🇹
• Barcelona, Spain 🇪🇸

The final stops on the tour were held in Verona, ITALY and Barcelona, SPAIN. The inaugural YGP Verona Semi-Final, held at the historic Teatro Filarmonico, welcomed dancers from all over Italy and across Europe - and beyond. In Barcelona, a record number of participants hailing from 31 countries presented impressive performances over the course of five days. As with all YAGP auditions, both events featured a jury panel comprised of directors from leading dance academies institutions around the world.

We now look forward to continuing the North American audition this winter, which will offer young dancers in 27 locations across the U.S. and Canada a chance to experience the magic of YAGP.

For a full schedule of the YAGP 25th Anniversary Season North American audition tour, click here - and stay tuned for live-streaming of every event across the country on the YAGP YouTube channel.

YAGP participants at the beautiful Teatro Filarmonico, YGP Verona

Isabell Keller (Ballet-Academy University Music and Theatre Munich, GERMANY), YGP Barcelona Senior Women 1st Place Classical

✨ SAVE THE DATE ✨

April 17-19, 2024

YAGP 25th Anniversary Celebration

Lincoln Center | New York City

With 15 international semi-final auditions and 32 in the US. & Canada, this year is the most exciting yet - culminating in the YAGP 25th Anniversary Celebration at Lincoln Center. YAGP will return to its longtime artistic home, the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, for the Final Rounds of the competition and two spectacular Gala performances.

See the stars of the world's leading dance companies share the stage with the world's most exciting young dance talent. Different casts, different programs - each an UNFORGETTABLE EVENING OF DANCE!

We hope you join us in April 2024 to celebrate 25 years of Youth America Grand Prix ensuring the future of dance. For tickets and more information, click the link below.

*Use promo code EARLYBIRD to receive 25% off your ticket order through February 15, 2024. Limited seats available.

YAGP Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala in Tampa

Straz Center for Performing Arts | Tampa, FL | January 6, 2024

Photography Credits: LK Studio, Jennifer Curry Wingrove, Star Action Shots, Chris Moore, Darian Volkova, BFA - Ben Rosse and Bre Johnson, Annie Watt, Lori Sax, Richard Lewin, Hidemi Seto, Daniel Rojas, Liza Voll, Jayme Thornton, Michael Winokur, Carol Lancelotti