Nadine Lavi's Dance Notes:"The Youth America Grand Prix "

With the 2011 Youth America Grand Prix ballet competition preparing to take the stage at New York’s City Center next week, here is an appreciative look back at last year’s wonderful performances by the competitors, and the wonderful Gala tribute to the legendary Vladimir

Vasiliev that included dance’s greatest stars.

The YOUTH AMERICA GRAND PRIX (YAGP), America’s first and the world’s largest student ballet scholarship competition was founded in 1999 by two former Bolshoi Ballet dancers, Larissa and Gennadi Saveliev. With its scholarships to the world’s leading dance schools and the opportunity to participate in YAGP worldwide competitions and workshops, the YAGP has become the kind of testing ground for tomorrow’s professional dancers that is noteworthy for both the competitors and audiences.

Currently, over 250 YAGP alumni are dancing with the world’s elite ballet companies, including American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, and Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg, among others.

Last year’s showcase for some of today’s finest young talents began with the New York Finals on Sunday, March 21, 2010. While all of the young dancers presented themselves well, key standouts were notable in both the junior and senior divisions for their technical accomplishments and their artistic interpretations of well-known ballets.

In the Junior division: Natsuke Abe, age 12, from Japan, did jumps and beats in Harlequinade that were a pleasure to see. Julie Doherty, 12, of the USA, had good placement and fine developees. The USA’s 12 yr old Miko Fogarty’s clean multiple turns garnered him lots of applause. Kennedy Kawai Liggett, 13, USA, had a very high attitude and nice penchee in Diana and Acteon, while Tyler Donatelli, 13, USA, had very expressive arms, a good triple pirouette and clear beats, not to mention a gorgeous tutu in her variation. Rachel Richardson, 13, USA, showed The Rock School’s solid training with her superior placement and arabesque in Grand Pas Classique.

Leah Chrisitanson, 13, USA, of the Joffrey Ballet Academy of Dance, was a powerhouse of energy with very solid pirouettes. Alexandra Parsons, 13, USA, of North Caroline Dance Theatre, showed nice control and strength in La Bayadere. Miki Akuta, 13, Japan, did a 180 degree penchee, while Hannah Bettes, 13, USA, had good turnout and balances and very solid pirouettes. Han-deul Oh, 14, of Korea, danced a beautiful Black Swan variation that exuded confidence. Ran Takahashi, 14, Japan, danced an expressive Raymonda.

The next day’s rounds saw Sewon Ahn, 14, Korea, dance very well with expressiveness, nice extensions and port de bras. Kaho Ogawa, 14, Japan, gave one of the best overall performances with her pretty line, very good placement, and nice pirouettes as the Black Swan.

In the Senior division, Ki Hwan Cha, 18, Korea, dazzled with three tours en l’air in Don Quixote. Philippe Solano of France, had an exciting energy, nice pirouettes and the beautiful placement that French dancers are known for. William Bracewell, 18, UK, of the Royal Ballet School, gave a wonderful performance with his Swan Lake variation. Shu Kinouchi, 17, USA, of the American Ballet Theater Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, had good elevation, assembles, and nice tours.

Several of the seniors did five successive pirouettes in their variations and gave strong performances in terms of technique and artistry. In the senior division, serious ballets, like Giselle, were danced more often than in the Junior division, challenging these young dancers artistically. Shang Yao Qian, 15, China, gave a really well-rounded performance. Natalie Krakirian, 16, USA, danced a flamboyant variation from Don Q. Sun Yi, 16, of China, gave an excellent performance in Paquita.

The nice thing about the YAGP is that all participants are awarded a prize of some kind that will help them in furthering their dance education. It is no small achievement to make it to the final rounds.

When the excitement of the prizes had been announced, it was on to the “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow performance on Friday, March 26, 2010. The evening began with 2009 graduates of the Orlando Ballet School, the winner of the YAGP 2009 Outstanding School Award, dancing choreography by Fernando Bujones to the song, “Unbreak My Heart.” Several YAGP winners reprised their competition variations to great applause. And then the audience was treated to some great dancing by some of today’s greatest names.

Michele Wiles of ABT danced a pas de deux with Wang Yi of Tulsa Ballet, a world premiere called “In the Moment,” with choreography by Ma Cong. Afterwards, Mathilde Froustey and Mathias Heymann of the Paris Opera Ballet danced a beautiful Giselle pas de deux. The absolutely exquisite placement of Ms. Froustey charmed beyond measure. She embodies the beautiful superiority of French training and her artistry was a joy to watch.

Isabella Boylston and Blaine Hoven of ABT danced to inventive choreography by Susan Jaffe, presented as part of the YAGP’s “Emerging Choreographer’s Series,” suggesting that Ms. Jaffe is even more talented than her illustrious career as a ballerina proves. The evening took an electric turn when ballroom world champions Anna Melnikova and Slavik Kryklyvyy danced to “Jive.”

Yevgenia Obraztsova made her NY debut with Yuri Smekalov of the Maryinksy Ballet in “Parting,” also part of the same choreographic series. Tiler Peck and Joaquin De Luz of NYCB danced an energetic Stars and Stripes. Polina Semionova’s appearance was an evening highlight, as she danced with Marcelo Gomes in a beautifully rendered “Manon” pas de deux. Sarah Lamb and Sergei Polunin of The Royal Ballet danced with pristine clarity in “Diana and Acteon.”

What followed next, the Vladimir Vasiliev gala, was very special. Carla Fracci, a legend herself, opened the evening with a lovely speech. Most of the choreography of the evening was by the great Vasiliev, who talents have reached a kind of super-strata level in the dance world, beginning with his own dancer abilities and his long and wonderful partnership with his wife, the marvelous Ekaterina Maximova at the Bolshoi.

Evening highlights included Polina Semionova, wearing a tailored business vest and pants adding a contemporary twist to her pointe shoes. She danced “Alles Walzer,” choreography by Renato Zanella, to music by Johann Strauss, in a number that showed her sophisticated talents and superlative technique. Later in the evening she danced a wonderful Romeo and Juliet pas de deux, choreography by Maurice Bejart, with the consistently excellent and appealing David Hallberg.

Daniil Simkin, an audience favorite, performed “Le Bourgeois,” to the music of Jacques Brel. Sarah Lane and Luis Ribagorda of ABT, danced a lovely pas de deux from “Anyuta,” with choreography by Vasiliev. Veronika Part danced a little known “Macbeth” excerpt by Vasiliev, with Gray Davis of ABT, in an impressive performance that showed Vasiliev’s inventive choreography, with his keen eye for emotion and detail.

But perhaps the most moving part of the evening belonged to Vasiliev himself. He took the stage with Daria Khokhlova of the Bolshoi in a Piece D’Occasion, and danced his own choreography to the music of Frederic Chopin. Even after so many years, Vailiev’s musicality and sure partnering showed what a great partner he had been and still was, and his energy and feeling was mesmerizing. The tone and theme of the piece, age pursuing elusive youth in the form of a young girl, could not help but recall memories of, and the longing he surely still feels since her passing, of Maximova.

All in all, the entire YAGP of 2010 was a great success and a visceral one, emotionally, artistically, and technically. It offered the kind of showcase that is not often seen in comparable events of this kind. The memory of Vasiliev as he danced, still lingers, proving that great dancers’ performances are embedded in the memory and in the heart.

As this year’s YAGP nears, it has some new additions that should be very well received. The semi-final round was held in Paris last November. An inaugural U.S. Gala Tour was created for the first time featuring alumni of the YAGP. In addition, a special “Works & Process” presentation at the Guggenheim Museum on “How Judges Judge,” was recently held.

The upcoming Final Round of the Competition at City Center will be open to the public on March 21, 2011. This will be followed by the YAGP Gala, “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow,” on March 22, 2011. Visit WWW.YAGP.ORG for more information about seeing these wonderful performances.

Nadine's past blogs:

Nadine Lavi’s Dance Notes:“Claude Bessy, Lignes d’Une Vie”

Nadine Lavi's Dance notes: "Dance as Image: Film Night at Steps on Broadway"

Nadine Lavi's Dance Notes: ABT’s “Beauty” with Alina Cojocaru

Nadine Lavi's Dance Notes: "Corella Ballet: US debut"

Nadine Lavi’s Dance Notes:"ABT's 70th Anniversary"

Nadine Lavi's Dance Notes: Nadine Lavi’s Dance Notes:"Avi Scher & Dancers"

Nadine Lavi's Dance Notes: Nadine Lavi’s Dance Notes March 13, 2010

Nadine Lavi’s Dance Notes: The gift of a great teacher – Fabrice Herrault

Nadine Lavi's Dance Notes: "Morphoses at Central Park’s Summerstage 2009 in NY"

Nadine Lavi's Dance Notes "The Latin Choreographers Festival 2009: An Evening of Dance and Theater"

Nadine Lavi's Dance Notes "Beatriz Stix-Brunell: First-class dancing from a young dancer on the rise