Standing: Kiran Abrigo, Riley Ahlman, Cora Reszcenski, Alexa Lopez, Tiffany Mirabal, Amanda Villa, Daniel Martinez, Riza Hernandez, Diego Posadas, Kayla Abbott,Andrea Prado.
Not in photo: Dianthe Gonzalez, Leah Llanos, Kayla Rodriguez. Courtesy Image.
Texas Border Business
Deborah Case will be sending 19 dancers to Youth America Grand Prix this March at University of Houston.
Deborah Case has been sending dancers to YAGP since 2000. Many of the dancers have been placed in the topten category, and were awarded a chance to perform in the International Finale at Lincoln Center in NYC.
Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) is the world’s largest global network of dance. It fulfills its mission of dance education through scholarship auditions, master classes, alumni services, educational and outreach activities, performances, and films.
YAGP’s mission statement is to support and develop world-class dancers, ages 9-19, of all economic, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds by providing scholarship auditions, performance and education opportunities, and by serving as the global network of dance, connecting students, teachers, schools, dance companies, dancers, and audiences.
Some of Youth America Grand Prix’s significant achievements are:
- Since 1999, YAGP has awarded over $3,000,000 in scholarships to the world’s leading dance schools.
- Over 50,000 dancers have participated in YAGP’s workshops, scholarship auditions and master classes worldwide.
- Over 300 YAGP alumni are now dancing with 80 companies around the world, including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Paris Opera Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Washington Ballet, among many others.
To identify promising young dance talent, YAGP conducts auditions in 15 cities in the United States and in Belgium, France, Italy, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Japan, among others.
YAGP aims to develop new audiences by bringing dance into mainstream culture. In 2010, it became the subject of First Position – an award-winning documentary which followed six YAGP participants on their journey to YAGP’s New York City Finals. In 2013, YAGP produced “Ballet’s Greatest Hits” – a filmed Gala performance showcasing excerpts from six of the most beloved classical ballets. Narrated by Nigel Lythgoe, the film combines live performances with exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews with dancers, historical background and rare archival footage.
