More Than Nothing World Premier, Photo by Jennifer Curry Wingrove for LK Studio
On Thursday evening, the world’s largest student ballet scholarship competition – YOUTH AMERICA GRAND PRIX (YAGP), celebrated 25 years hosting its “Stars of Today Meets the Stars of Tomorrow Gala,” held at the David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center.
Grand Defile, Photo by Jennifer Curry Wingrove for LK Studio
From the opening presentation, Grand Defile, which featured all the YAGP 2024 finalists, to Bolero X, the closing performance with the ICE (YAGP International Contemporary Ensemble), it was a spectacular evening of dance highlighting a stellar international cast from the world’s leading dance companies. Featured musical artists included 4 students from The Julliard School; three who played the piano and one, the violin.
Bolero X, Photo by Jennifer Curry Wingrove for LK Studio
Proceeds from the Gala will go directly toward scholarships for gifted young dance students who wish to pursue a professional career in dance – and to help YAG’s efforts to help displaced Ukrainian dance students.
Marcella Hymowitz, Virginia W Tomenson, Brent Neale, Lesley Vecsler, Lauren Muzinich, Photo by BFA
Marcella Hymowitz served as Creative Chair with chairs Paul Arnhold and Wes Gordon (do these guys ever stay home?), Elissa Brenner, Chelsea Clinton, Melanie Hamrick, Rebecca Hessel Cohen, Courtney Davis, Aly Gradone, Sarah Hoover, Carrie Kaufman, Lindsay Kraus, Candice Miller, Colby Mugrabi, Cynthia Rowley, Grace Pomerance, Lilah Ramzi, Emily Reifel, Indre Rockefeller, Priya Shukla, Lesley Thompson Vecsler, Lina Wallach, Barbara Tober, and Virginia Wettlaufer Tomenson.
YAGP Founder and Creative Director, Larissa Saveliev & Guest, Photo by Marilyn Kirschner
Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) was founded by Larissa Saveliev who serves as creative director. The former Bolshoi Ballet dancer helped changed the way the dance world looks for talent. YAGP continues to be the #1 source of talented dancers for the world’s dance schools and companies. There are 450 YAGP alumni dancing in 80 companies around the globe, including The Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre.
Carolina Herrera, Photo by Marilyn Kirschner
YAGP participants are divided into three age categories: Senior Age Category (15–19 years old), Junior Age Category (12–14 years old), and Pre-Competitive Age Category (9–11 years old). Last night, the YAGP 2024 competition winners shared a stage with ballet superstars of today (many YGP alumni), dancing an eclectic mix of contemporary and classical ballet favorites during the almost two hour long program.
Pink was the color of the night, Photo by Marilyn Kirschner
Among the riveting performances that enthralled even the most jaded balletomanes were two World Premieres; one by James Whiteside with American Ballet Theatre’s Isabella Boylston, Catherine Hurlin, and Jake Roxander, and live accompaniment by pianist Matthew Whitaker; a second World Premiere by Maria Konrad, with Alonzo King LINES Ballet’s Adji Cissoko and English National Ballet’s Vsevolod Maievskyi, with music by Karen LeFrak.
Tai Sharon Waksai, Milly Knauer, Photo by Jared Siskin PMC
Stuttgart Ballet’s Elisa Badenes, Mackenzie Brown, and Gabriel Figueredo made their New York stage debuts along with Mariinsky Ballet’s May Nagahisa and Paris Opera Ballet’s Bianca Scudamore.
Dinner atmosphere, Photo by Marilyn Kirschner
There was an elegant Gala celebration dinner and dancing with the artists on the Promenade, directly following the electrifying performances. It might have been an unseasonably cold evening, but inside, everything was warm, glowing and rosy, including a large number of pink clad guests.
FYI, it was hard not to notice that many of the women were svelte and well-toned, with dancer’s bodies. I am assuming they filled up on salad and crudites and chose the vegan option in lieu of the Cajun chicken and French fries on the menu. If they ate at all.
Cynthia Rowley holding her custom YAGP on pointe slippers, Photo by PMC Jared Siskin
Artists and fashion designers created custom pointe shoes – with pearls, rhinestones, feathers, lace – that decorated the promenade during dinner. YAGP’s Pointe Project included Alicia+Olivia, Altuzarra, Aquazzura, Rosie Assoulin, Brian Atwood, Dennis Basso, Fer Da Silva, Dylan’s Candy Bar by Dylan Lauren, Carolina Herrera, KHAITE, Libby Klein, Michael Kors, Adam Lippes, LoveShackFancy, Markarian, Vanessa Noel, Michelle Ochs for Herve Leger, Alejandra Alanso Rojas, The Row, Cynthia Rowley, The Elder Statesman, and Giuseppe Zanotti. The ballet slippers are online for auction until April 23rd at 9pm EST: www.givebutter.com/c/YAGP2024/auction.
Young Dancers talking to Carolina Herrera, Photo by Marilyn Kirschner
Marcella Hymowitz served as Creative Chair with chairs Paul Arnhold and Wes Gordon (do these guys ever stay home?), Elissa Brenner, Chelsea Clinton, Melanie Hamrick, Rebecca Hessel Cohen, Courtney Davis, Wes Gordon, Aly Gradone, Sarah Hoover, Carrie Kaufman, Lindsay Kraus, Candice Miller, Colby Mugrabi, Cynthia Rowley, Grace Pomeranc, Lilah Ramzi, Emily Reifel, Indre Rockefeller, Priya Shukla, Lesley Thompson Vecsler, Lina Wallach, Barbara Tober, and Virginia Wettlaufer Tomenson.
Corsaire, Photo by Jennifer Curry Wingrove for LK Studio
By the way, in recognition of Marcella’s advocacy for dance, YAGP accounted a $1 million dollar endowment; the MARCELLA HYMOWITZ CREATIVE FELLOWSHIP! For the next 10 years, it will allow dancers from around the globe to create groundbreaking, innovative work that will push the art of dance into the future.
This generous gift is from Marcella’s husband, Gregg Hymowitz, and the Hymowitz Family Foundation”, shared Julie Kent, American Ballet Theatre’s longest serving ballerina and current Houston Ballet Co-Artistic Director. Gregg surprised Marcella at the Gala with this news.
Young Ballet Dancers Set a New World Record at a YAGP event held at the Plaza Hotel, Getty Images
On Wednesday, just one day before the gala, 353 dancers from across the globe won the title of Most Ballet Dancers En Pointe Simultaneously at a YAGP sponsored event held at the Plaza Hotel. The young ballet dancers held the position known as going “en pointe’ to beat the Guinness World Record of 306.
To prove that they belong in the history book, the teen ballet dancers were required to support all their body weight on the tips of the fully extended feet at the same time. According to Guinness, the previous record was set on September 10, 2019 during a taping of ABC’s “Live! With Kelly and Ryan.”
Talk about “ making a point!”
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