Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) is the world’s largest annual student ballet scholarship competition that awards over $250,000 annually in scholarships to leading dance schools worldwide. The competition is open to dance students of all nationalities 9-19 years old. Each year, over 5,000 ballet students audition worldwide to be part of the YAGP competition. 350 of the most promising soloists from the U.S., Japan, Mexico, Italy, and Brazil are chosen for the New York City Finals.
Launched in 1999 by two former dancers of the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet, Larissa and Gennadi Saveliev, YAGP is a non-profit organization created to provide unique educational and professional opportunities for young dance students, acting as a stepping stone to a professional dance career. Leading dance professionals from around the world are involved in Youth America Grand Prix, and the competition has gained major recognition in American media and from government agencies, including personal commendation from the office of the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, for its contributions to the cultural life of American and New York City in particular. Since its inception, Youth America Grand Prix has become an internationally known meeting place for dance students and teachers, where they can exchange their ideas, share experience and learn the most up-to-date information on a variety of issues in ballet and contemporary dance.
Visit Youth America Grand Prix online for more information about the New York City Finals and 2010 Gala.
Pictured: Sergei Polunin, age 16
