YAGP 2024 Junior Final Round
HOT OFF THE PRESS! JUNIOR FINAL ROUND REVIEW
Photos courtesy of YAGP and LK Studios.
The capital of performing arts in America: Lincoln Center. Home to the Met Opera, New York City Ballet, School of American Ballet, Juilliard, New York Philharmonic, ABT’s home season, and the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. And for the next three days, home to ballet’s brightest and most promising young stars: The Youth America Grand Prix. It has been years since we have returned to the iconic block and everyone is excited about it. Well, everyone but me. But, here we are, as the masses of young ballet dancers fill the rings at the David H. Koch Theater, and the high paying seats are filled with ballet celebrities, coaches, the jury, and more.
Leading into junior final round, Isabella Sullivan (14) from Ballet Idaho had to go home, and Sakura Nagai (13) from Japan was moved into final round.
Junior final round at 4:00 PM, consists of young dancers ages 12-14 (ish) who have scored high enough in both classical and contemporary and the jury would like to see more of. The American favorites leading into the night included: Annie Webb (13) from MOGA, Kya Massimino (13) from The Art of Classical Ballet, Jolie Lavaux (13) from Boca Ballet Theatre, Chloe Helimets (13) Bayer Ballet Academy, Minori De Silva (14) from MorningStar Dance Academy, Cypress Schaff (14) from International Ballet Academy, Leon Yusei Sai (12) from Southland Ballet, Eric Poor (14) from Cary Ballet and Canadian favorite Keenan Mentzos (14).
Leon Yusei Sai (12) from Southland Ballet
As the theater fills with dancers from all over the world, the lights dim, and the energy in the theater is truly the best. I have said it time and time again, but YAGP final round and YAGP Galas truly are the best audiences. The mood is set and the show begins.
Junior final round was long, and some might say, too long. It was a combination of the divided age categories, or the 25th anniversary meaning a bigger/ longer show. To say the least, it was long.
Junior final round opened with number 213, Livia Pereira from ATM Centro Cultural de Danças from Brazil dancing the Fairy Doll in a lovely romantic, long sleeve, pink tutu.
Angelina Tan, Elite Classical Coaching danced Aurora 3rd Act from The Sleeping Beauty with a delicate ease.
The Junior girls progressed by age, and each dancer got stronger and stronger. Little Annie Web from MOGA did the alternative variation from Giselle, and her tiny little self flew across the stage in her menage. ABT Scholar Jolie Lavaux did the variation from La Bayadere. Other stand outs for the night included Tamison Soppet from Convergence Dance Studios, New Zealand and Nagiha Kimura from Ballet Le Coeur, Japan. Sakura Nagai (13) from Panda Ballet School, Japan dazzled the audience with impressive pirouettes. My favorite junior female of the night was Tamara Arandia (14) from Prover, Mexico.
Naghia Kimura, danced the Angela Variation from Marco Spada.
From there, we went on to the junior men’s category, opening with A&A Ballet’s George Alex Kremnev. And the junior men’s got the audience going, as most male variations do. Standout of the night was Leon Yusei Sai.
Junior Final Round this year was long, and those who were good, were really good. And those who made it to final round were accomplished. And however you speculate or think you know why or who was selected and for what reasons, the real answer is simple: These are the dancers who the judges made up directors wanted to see on stage. What were your thoughts?
Watch the final round live stream on YouTube!
