YAGP 2016 Season Highlights

YOUTH AMERICA GRAND PRIX

2016 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Dear Friends,

As the year comes to a close, we want to thank you for being a part of the YAGP family. Because of your dedication and support, we have changed the lives of more talented young dancers world-wide who share the dream of becoming professional dancers.

As a key player in helping YAGP achieve our mission to ensure the future of dance, we are pleased to share a few highlights with you that made 2016 our most successful year yet. Everything we do, from international Semi-Finals and master classes to expansive Gala performances and intimate events with our patrons ensures that YAGP continues to help young dance artists grow as professionals. We hope you enjoy this retrospective, and we look forward to seeing you in 2017.

ALUMNI SUCCESS STORIES

PROMOTIONS

We are so proud of our alumni, who are setting an example in dedication and artistry for future generations of dancers everywhere. In 2016, many YAGP alumni received exciting honors and promotions. We include just a few of them below. For a full list of alumni success stories, please click here.

HANNAH O'NEILL was promoted to Premier Danseur at Paris Opera Ballet. Hannah also performed at the 2016 YAGP Gala in New York (pictured above) and was featured on the cover of Pointe Magazine.

JEFFREY CIRIO was promoted to Principal at American Ballet Theatre after just one season. Pictured above: Jeffrey Cirio at YAGP Finals in 2009.

TAYLOR STANLEY was promoted to Principal at New York City Ballet and graced the cover of Pointe Magazine (above).

SASHA DE SOLA was promoted to Principal at San Francisco Ballet. (Pictured above) Sasha performing at the YAGP Finals in 2004.

SASHA MUKHAMEDOV was named Principal at Dutch National Ballet, following her Christmas debut in Coppélia. Pictured above: Mukhamedov in La Bayadère with fellow YAGP Alumnus DANIEL CAMARGO. Daniel recently joined Dutch National Ballet as a Principal Dancer, after performing at the YAGP 2016 Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala and at Gala de Danza in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Other Alumni promotions include:

PRINCIPALS

STERLING BACA, Pennsylvania Ballet
ELIZABETH BARRETO, Ballet Idaho
MATHIAS DINGMAN, Birmingham Royal Ballet
NOZOMI IIJIMA, Ballet Zurich
SHIORI KASE, English National Ballet
SARA MICHELLE MURAWSKI, Pennsylvania Ballet
CHARLES LOUIS YOSHIYAMA, Houston Ballet

SOLOISTS

KATLYN ADDISON, Ballet West
CAVAN CONLEY, Tulsa Ballet
ANGELICA GENEROSA, Pacific Northwest Ballet
ANGELO GRECO, San Francisco Ballet
TYLER GUM, Ballet West
JULIAN MACKAY, Mikhailovsky Theatre
MAYARA MAGRI, The Royal Ballet
CHIHIRO NOMURA, West Australian Ballet
CHISAKO OGA, Cincinnati Ballet
MATTHEW RENKO, Pacific Northwest Ballet
YAOQIAN SHANG, Birmingham Royal Ballet
WEI WANG, San Francisco Ballet
WANTING ZHAO, San Francisco Ballet
JUNXIONG ZHAO, Boston Ballet

YAGP ALUMNI TAKE TOP PRIZES

AROUND THE WORLD

Benois de la Danse awarded Mariinsky Ballet Principal Dancer and YAGP Alumnus Kimin Kim with the Best Male Dancer award. Hannah O'Neill, the new Paris Opera Ballet Premier Danseur and YAGP Alumna, was named Best Female Dancer for her performance of the title role in Paquita with fellow YAGP Alumnus and Étoile with Paris Opera Ballet.

YAGP Alumnus and Mariinsky Ballet Principal Dancer Kimin Kim in Pointe Magazine

The 12th Annual Erik Bruhn Competition was held on November 15, 2016 at the National Ballet of Canada Theatre. Several YAGP Alumni participated, including Calley Skalnik of National Ballet of Canada and Jeffrey Cirio, who choreographed a piece for fellow Alumnus Gabe Stone Shayer and Cassandra Trenary. The winners were YAGP Alumnus Angelo Greco and Natasha Sheehan performing a piece by YAGP Alumnus Myles Thatcher; all three dancers are company members of San Francisco Ballet.

Winners of the Erik Bruhn Competition, from left: Jeffrey Cirio,

Natasha Sheehan , Myles Thatcher , and

Angelo Greco

Prix de Lausanne counted several YAGP Alumni among its winners, including YAGP 2016 First Place winner, Yu Hang (P.R. of China); Vincenzo Di Primo (Austria), who was awarded the YAGP 2016 Mary Day Artistry Award; Leroy Mokgatle (South Africa); Danbi Kim (South Korea); Bai Dingkai (P.R. of China) and Madison Young (USA). To see the complete list of winners at the 2016 Prix de Lausanne, click here .

The Helsinki International Ballet Competition saw several YAGP Alumni among its participants, including Yeojin Shim (South Korea), So Jung Shin (South Korea), Frederico Loureiro (Portugal), Magili Chadbourne (USA) and Matthew Cunningham (USA). To see the complete list of winners at the Helsinki International Ballet Competition, click here .

The Varna International Ballet Competition is one of the oldest and most prestigious ballet competitions in the world, and this year's winners included many YAGP Alumni: Joy Womack (USA); Lou Yaa Spichtig (Switzerland); Jun Masuda (Japan); Jorge Barani (Cuba); and William Jackson Beckham (USA). For the complete list of winners, click here .

YAGP Alumnus Jun Masuda pictured above at the 2016 Varna International Ballet Competition

YAGP ALUMNI FEATURED IN DANCE MAGAZINE'S

"25 TO WATCH" IN 2017

Each year Dance Magazine announces its

picks for the top 25 dancers to watch in the upcoming season. YAGP Alumni maintain a nearly-constant presence on the list, and

this year four YAGP Alumni were chosen among the top to watch:

Sarah LaPointe , company artist at Charlotte Ballet; Zhiyao Zang , company artist at American Ballet Theatre; Shimon Ito , Soloist

at Miami City Ballet; and Elizabeth Wallace , company artist with Pennsylvania Ballet.

We congratulate our Alumni and wish

them further success in their careers!

Sarah LaPointe (Charlotte Ballet)

FEATURED YAGP ALUMNI

Ephraim Sykes, originally from Saint Petersburg, FL, participated in YAGP while in high school and received a scholarship to The Ailey School. Sykes graduated from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, and went on to perform on Broadway in Motown , Newsies , Memphis , and The Little Mermaid, before joining the hugely successful production of Hamilton in 2015. Sykes has also been cast on television shows such as 30 Rock , Smash , HBO's Rock 'n' Roll Project , and NYC22 . This fall, audiences across the nation saw Sykes in the NBC production of Hairspray Live! starring in the role of Seaweed J. Stubbs.

Ephraim Sykes in Hamilton period costume, photographed by a lens from the mid-1800s.

Lauren Lovette began studying ballet at the age of 11 at Cary Ballet Conservatory in Cary, NC, and participated with YAGP in 2006 before going on to the School of American Ballet. Lovette became an apprentice with New York City Ballet in 2009, joined the Corps de Ballet in 2010, promoted to Soloist in 2013, and became a Principal dancer in June 2015. Lovette continued to impress us with her amazing artistry this fall choreographing the new piece, For Clara, for the NYCB Opening Night Gala. Set to Schumann's "Introduction and Concert Allegro, Op. 134.", For Clara features an impressive cast of 17 dancers. In a New York Times article about Lovette's new direction, Gia Kourlas stated "....her choreography, which, like her dancing, is lush."

Lauren Lovette was one of the 2016 break-out stars of choreography (a
bove in Pointe Magazine).

Myles Thatcher was born in Atlanta, GA, and participated with YAGP in 2008. He was named an apprentice with San Francisco Ballet in 2009 and joined the Corps de Ballet in 2010. In early 2015, Thatcher made history when he became the first corps member at San Francisco Ballet in at least three decades to choreograph a work for the company's season with Manifesto. Thatcher was selected by Alexei Ratmansky for the 2014-15 Rolex Mentor & Protégé Arts Initiative and choreographed in 2015 for the Rolex Arts Weekend in Mexico City, New York City Ballet, and Joffrey Ballet. In 2016 he was nominated for an Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for Manifesto, and fellow San Francisco Ballet dancers Natasha Sheehan and Angelo Greco won the Erik Bruhn Competition performing Thatcher's new work Foragers as their contemporary piece.

Myles Thatcher continues to win awards as one of the most exciting choreographers working today.

2016 AUDITIONS AROUND

THE WORLD

INTERNATIONAL SEMI-FINALS

Building a global network of dance is key to YAGP's mission to support and develop world-class dancers, and each year our international Semi-Finals continue to expand. This year marked the opening of YAGP in South Korea under the leadership of YAGP Alumna and ABT Principal Dancer, Hee Seo. Participants took classes with Ms. Seo and received evaluations and scholarship advice from the distinguished judges of YAGP.

YAGP Alumna, ABT Principal Dancer, YAGP Korea founder, and new YAGP Board member

Hee Seo poses with YAGP Korea participants.

YAGP also held its first scholarship auditions and workshops in Australia, with a record-setting number of participants signing up for the auditions. They took place at the McDonald College in Sydney, the Australian Ballet in Melbourne, and the Queensland Ballet in Brisbane. YAGP would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the organizations that hosted YAGP in Australia.

YAGP workshop participants in Brisbane, Australia

U.S. SEMI-FINALS

YAGP traveled to 16 cities across the United States, giving the opportunity for more than 7,000 hopeful young dancers to audition for scholarships in training programs around the world. The Salt Lake City regional semi-final was added in 2016 to reach an even greater number of aspiring young dance students. It also became the site of yet another YAGP Gala performance.

2016 FINALS IN NEW YORK CITY

The year-long season of auditions around the world culminated with the 17th YAGP New York City Finals, traditionally held at NYU's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. The Final Round, featuring the top finalists in the competition, took place at the Howard Gilman Opera House at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Talented young dancers from 36 countries auditioned for more than $300,000 in scholarships to the world's leading dance academies.

2016 Grand Prix winner Joonhyuk Jun (South Korea) received a scholarship to The Royal Ballet

GALAS AROUND THE WORLD

YAGP believes that performing is a key part of a dancer's education. Along with the star-studded Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala that caps off the Finals Week in New York, YAGP co-produces Gala performances around the world with renowned performing arts organizations. Each of these programs features several YAGP participants and YAGP Alumni.

On January 9, 2016, YAGP traveled to Tampa, FL, to kick off its U.S. Semi-Final tour with the Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala at the beautiful David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts. The program featured YAGP Alumni Skylar Brandt (ABT), Gabe Stone Shayer

(ABT), and Sasha Mukhamedov (Dutch National Ballet) alongside young semi-final participants and guest performers. YAGP and the Straz Center will present its 5th consecutive Gala on Saturday, January 7, 2017. Tickets are available here .

Skylar Brandt (ABT) and Daniel Ulbricht (NYCB) perform the Pas de Deux from

Flames of Paris during the 2016 YAGP Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala in Tampa.

On February 27, 2016, YAGP presented its inaugural Night of Shining Stars Gala in partnership with Ballet West in Salt Lake City, UT. With performances by YAGP Alumni, including Beckanne Sisk and Whitney Jensen , the Gala paid tribute to Bruce Marks, former Artistic Director of Ballet West and Boston Ballet, former Chairman of the USIBC in Jackson, MS, and a longtime YAGP friend, judge, and master teacher. YAGP will return to Salt Lake City, February 23-26, 2017, and will co-present a Gala performance featuring YAGP Alumni on Saturday, February 25. Tickets are available here .

Ballet West Artistic Director and CEO Adam Sklute and Gala Honoree Bruce Marks

at the Night of Shining Stars Gala in Salt Lake City.

The YAGP 2016 Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala took place on April 28, 2016, at the Howard Gilman Opera House at Brooklyn Academy of Music. The historic venue provided a beautiful setting for a spectacular evening of dance, featuring the world's most promising young dance talent and today's most celebrated professional dancers. The all-star cast included YAGP Alumni Daniel Camargo (Dutch National Ballet), Sarah Lane (ABT), Hannah O'Neill (Paris Opera Ballet), and Rebecca King (Helsinki Ballet), performed with Amar Ramasar (NYCB) in a touching tribute to her late mother and longtime YAGP Regional Director, Ms. Shelley King.

The evening concluded with an elegant reception at Skylight One Hanson, an iconic art-deco landmark of New York City. Its famed interior provided a perfect setting for audience members to meet the artists after an unforgettable Gala performance.

Rebecca King and Amar Ramasar performing Blushing

YAGP Alumnus Daniel Camargo performing Firebreather. Camargo reprised this piece

several weeks later for audiences at the Gala de Danza in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

At the post-performance reception: Amy Astley, Architectural Digest Editor in Chief and Honorary Chair, YAGP Artistic Director and Founder, Larissa Saveliev,

and composer, longtime YAGP friend

and supporter, Karen LeFrak

Katherine Williams YAGP Alumna and ABT corps-de Ballet Dancer , Cassandra Trenary, ABT Soloist, Abigail Williams YAGP Alumni Director,

Christine Shevchenko, Y AGP Alumna and ABT Soloist ,

and Gennadi Saveliev, YAGP Founder and former ABT Soloist, during the post-performance

reception at Skylight One Hanson


	Suzanne Saperstein, Gala Co-Chair Christina Lyon, and Elizabeth Segerstrom

Gala Co-Chair Suzanne Dance and Alexis Fine


	Mark-Anthony Edwards, Saundra Cornwell, Cheryl Bergenfeld, and Gala Co-Chair B. Michael

Michael Weil, Gala Co-Chair Dr. Shirley
Madhere-Weil, Laurie Levy, and Richard Glick

Gala de Danza was founded by Christina Lyon, a longtime YAGP supporter and one of our newest Board members. The Gala is designed to bring the world's most exciting dancers to Mexico in an event to enrich the local community and culture. Gala de Danza collaborates with Danza Téllez's "Danza que da Esperanza," offering full dance scholarships to underserved children, bringing them hope and new opportunities. As part of its ongoing collaboration with YAGP, Gala de Danza invites select YAGP finalists to perform with outstanding guest artists from around the world. In 2016, the professional cast included Mariinsky Ballet's Ekaterina Kondaurova and Xander Parish, San Francisco Ballet's Taras Domitro, Ballroom star Yulia Zagoryuchenko, and YAGP Alumni, Daniel Camargo and Beckanne Sisk .

Gala De Danza will celebrate its 5th anniversary with a spectacular and unprecedented performance on March 4, 2017. More information and tickets are available here .

YAGP Alumni Austin Acevedo and Juliet Bosco

A YEAR OF INTIMATE EVENTS

First Position Club

The success of YAGP's mission to raise the next generations of dance artists and audiences depends on the support of like-minded organizations and individuals. To thank its supporters, YAGP created the First Position Club, which provides members with exclusive access to the world of dance. First Position Club members are invited to events in YAGP's Behind-the-Scenes Series, where they personally interact with the artists, directors, educators, and other celebrated leaders of the dance community. As we wrap up the inaugural year of First Position Club programming, here is a look at some of the events that took place earlier this year.

Exploring Contemporary Choreography

Daniil Simkin is not only one of the most exciting dancers performing today but also a thoughtful contemporary choreographer. First Position Club members enjoyed exclusive access to a private, press-only rehearsal of Simkin's INTENSIO before its New York premiere at the Joyce Theater.

YAGP Alumnus and ABT Principal James Whiteside with Celine Cassone

and ABT Principal Daniil Simkin.

Making of a Pointe Shoe

Everybody enjoys beautiful dancing, but few people know about one of the most important elements of a ballerina's performance: her pointe shoe. First Position Club members joined moderator and YAGP Board member, Barbara Brandt, for a fascinating look at how the anatomy of a dancer's foot affects the construction of a pointe shoe - resulting in the perfect fit.

Judy Weiss from Grishko and Aliana Grieco

Backstage with YAGP

First Position Club members enjoyed a private pre-performance reception with Pennsylvania Ballet's Artistic Director, former ABT Principal dancer, and YAGP honoree and guest artist Angel Corella before a spectacular performance of Pennsylvania Ballet at the Joyce Theater.

Howard Paley and Angel Corella Allegra Kent

Secrets of a Ballet Coach

Working with a ballet coach is one of the most important factors in ballet dancers' careers and their growth as artists. First Position Club members learned the secrets of this very important relationship, as former ABT Principal dancers, Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky, shared their experiences of being coached and demonstrated how it works in an impromptu coaching session with YAGP Alumni.

YAGP Alumnus and ABT Corps de ballet dancer, Gabe Stone Shayer;
Maxim Beloserkovsky; Irina Dvorovenko; ABT Soloist and YAGP Guest Artist, Luciana Paris; former ABT Apprentice, Rochelle DiStasio; and YAGP Alumnus and ABT Corps de Ballet dancer, Calvin Royal III.

Choreographing for Hundreds

Mass choreography is always impressive - but how do choreographers create and rehearse beautiful patterns for so many dancers on stage? First Position Club members saw it first-hand, as noted choreographer Carlos Dos Santos, Jr. rehearsed a section of the Grand Defilé - YAGP's signature piece featuring hundreds of dancers.

YAGP 2016 Grand Defilé

An Evening with the Sarasota Ballet

First Position Club members enjoyed a private pre-performance discussion with Iain Webb, the Director of Sarasota Ballet, and David Vaughan, the foremost authority on Sir Frederick Ashton. Amazing insights were garnered from the discussion by the First Position Club guests privileged to be there.

David Vaughan and Iain Webb

Creating Contemporary Choreography

One of New York City Ballet's most celebrated dancers, Ashley Bouder, shared her thoughts on contemporary choreography as she demonstrated her creative process before First Position Club members and friends as they watched Ashley choreograph her latest piece on Devin Alberda and Ashley Hod of New York City Ballet. The evening was moderated by Stephen Pier, Director of the Dance Division at the Hartt School, University of Hartford, and was followed by an elegant reception in the home YAGP friends and supporters Joanna and Brian Fisher.

Ashley Hod, Karl Yeh, Ashley Bouder, Harrison Ball, Emily Reifel, and Jonathan Rondinelli.

YAGP supporter Joanna Fisher, Brad Collins and YAGP supporter Brian Fisher

For more information about the First Position Club, please contact Victoria

Campbell, Development Manager, at 646.457.9454 or vcampbell@yagp.org

INSIDE YAGP

YAGP WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS

This year, YAGP welcomed four new Board members: Christina Lyon, Ellen Mondshine, Susan Gluck Pappajohn and Hee Seo.

	Christina Lyon was born in Newport Beach, California and began dancing at the age of twelve. At age thirteen, she was invited to train at the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, Russia. At sixteen, she was invited to join American Ballet Theatre where she toured internationally with the company. She was also a guest artist with English National Ballet in London and Bavarian National Ballet in Munich. She has worked with such luminaries as Margot Fonteyn, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Natalia Makarova, Maya Plietstskya, Agnes DeMille, Twyla Tharp and Gelsey Kirkland.
	Ellen Mondshine was born in Boston, Massachusetts and trained with Boston Ballet School for over ten years. After hanging up her pointe shoes, Ellen graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and received her MBA through the Executive program at Columbia Business School. Ellen worked for over 11 years in tax consulting at Deloitte Tax LLP before deciding to stay home full time with her two young sons. Ellen and her family reside on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
	Susan Gluck Pappajohn joined the New York City Ballet at 17 and danced for eight years under the leadership of George Balanchine, Peter Martins and Jerome Robbins, dancing Principal and Soloist roles. After her dancing career, Susan returned to her academic studies. She received a BA from Harvard College in Anthropology and an MBA from the Wharton School in Strategy and Marketing. After Wharton, Susan co-founded Time Warner Electronic Publishing, one of Time Warner's first digital media groups, and was the founder and General Manager of IBM's Multimedia Studio, where she oversaw a $100 million e-learning portfolio. At IBM, Susan also served as the Corporate Marketing Director responsible for IBM's global licensing activities, and VP of Global Marketing Management for IBM Global Services, IBM's largest division with revenue in excess of $40 billion. Susan serves on the board of directors at the George Balanchine Foundation, The Joyce Theater Foundation, Dance/NYC and the Professional Children's School.
	Hee Seo began her ballet training in her hometown at the Sun-hwa Arts Middle School in Seoul, South Korea. She was awarded a three-year full scholarship to continue her training at the Universal Ballet Academy in Washington, D.C. In 2003, Seo won a scholarship to train at the John Cranko Ballet Academy in Stuttgart. She was the recipient of the 2003 Prix de Lausanne Award and the 2003 Grand Prix recipient at the Youth America Grand Prix Final Round in New York City. Seo joined the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company in 2004. She joined the main Company as an apprentice in May 2005. She was promoted to the corps de ballet in March 2006. Seo was appointed a Soloist in August 2010 and was then was appointed to Principal Dancer in July 2012. In July 2016, Seo founded YAGP Korea.

NEW STAFF MEMBERS JOIN YAGP

This season we welcomed three new staff members to the YAGP team.

Alexei Moskalenko has been appointed as YAGP's first Assistant Artistic Director. A former dancer with the famed Bolshoi Ballet, Alexei also has had over 20 years of experience teaching every aspect of classical ballet. As a former dancer and a ballet teacher, Alexei is uniquely suited to counsel and guide YAGP participants through their many career options and opportunities. As a longtime YAGP master teacher, judge, and Grand Defil é rehearsal director, Alexei has mentored many students who have continued their dance training at colleges, universities, and professional dance companies. YAGP welcomes Alexei to this exciting new position.

Elina Mirmelshteyn has joined YAGP as a Regional Manager. A graduate of Temple University, she has worked at the Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia and has volunteered at YAGP for more than 10 years. YAGP welcomes Elina to her new full-time position.

Jordan Brown has joined YAGP as a Regional Associate. A former dancer, Jordan went on to study Arts Management at Columbia College. While at Columbia, she gained invaluable experience in several internships supervised by the Director of Production at The Joffrey Ballet. We are excited to welcome Jordan to the YAGP family.

Photos courtesy of VAM, Greg Partanio, Nathan Sayers, Patrick McMullan, Annie Watt, Cutty McGill, Dasha Korol, Ballet Zurich website, Josh Lehrer, Birmingham Royal Ballet website, Cincinnati Ballet website, Dutch National Ballet website, Altin Kaftira on behalf of Landgraf On Dance, Lindsay Thomas, Reto Albertalli, American Ballet Theatre website, Ballet West website, West Australian Ballet website, The Royal Ballet website, Boston Ballet website, Berlin State Opera website, English National Ballet website, Amitava Sarkar, Houston Ballet website, Paris Opera Ballet, Mikhailovsky Theatre website, Pennsylvania Ballet website, San Francisco Ballet website, Rosalie O'Connor, Hideaki Tanioka, Josh Lehrer.

We wish you a Happy New Year!

Please remember to save the date for YAGP's 2017 Gala Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow April 13, 2017 as YAGP returns to the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.