Latest news with #YouthAmericaGrandPrix
Otago Daily Times
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Top young dancers to grace stage
Wānaka dancer Isabel Martin (15) will feature in the ballet this weekend at the Lake Wānaka Centre. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Some of Aotearoa's best young dancers will be taking to the stage in Wānaka this weekend for a special, one-off tour of the inaugural Ripple showcase. Eleven dancers from the New Zealand Youth Ballet Company will perform a mix of classical ballet, neo-classical and contemporary dance, designed to highlight the dancers' technical skill with innovative choreography in collaboration with local dance school Centralpoint Dance Studios. The line-up includes Hamish Giddens, Tamison Soppet and Wānaka's Isabel Martin (pictured), who have all had successes at an international level. Hamish recently secured first place in the senior men's classical division at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) semifinals in Sydney and won the Asia-Pacific preselection of the Prix de Lausanne. At the YAGP Finals in New York, he received scholarships to several prestigious schools, and has just been accepted into London's Royal Ballet School. Tamison was the 2024 Sydney regional junior Grand Prix winner and junior overall winner at the prestigious YAGP finals in New York. Isabel, 15, began studying full-time towards a NZQA Level 4 certificate in dance in Christchurch at the start of 2025, under the tutelage of NZYBC founder and Convergence Dance Studios owner Olivia Russell. The two Ripple performances will be held tomorrow night and Sunday afternoon at the Lake Wānaka Centre. They will also include three pieces by dancers from Centralpoint Dance Studios. About 23 local dancers will perform excerpts from Centralpoint's end-of-year show, The Nutcracker Remixed and a part of Foundations, performed at this year's Festival of Colour. Ms Russell said Ripple was planned as a one-off experience. "While there are currently no tour plans, we look forward to exploring future opportunities to showcase our talented dancers. "Wānaka holds a special place in my heart; my father was a pilot who loved the arts and believed deeply in people's dreams," Russell said. "I like to think I share those qualities in his memory." Ripple
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Richard Johnson: Chelsea Clinton twins with daughter at ballet gala
NEW YORK — Chelsea Clinton arrived quietly with two of her three children, Charlotte and Aiden, at the Youth America Grand Prix ballet gala at Lincoln Center. 'The daughter looks just like her mother,' said one fan. Sitting nearby was another political dynasty: Judith Pisar and her daughter Leah, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken's mother and sister, respectively. Opening on stage was Mick Jagger's baby mama (and YAGP alumna) Melanie Hamrick. Partying later with them was Mick's son Lucas Jagger, 25, whose mother is Luciana Gimenez. Hamrick's co-host Andy Cohen told the crowd, 'Hello New York City! Hello ballet fans! I was called the Baryshnikov of Bravo tonight, I'm going to keep that! I'm changing my Instagram bio immediately.' **** Carol Leifer — the inspiration for Elaine on 'Seinfeld' — never gets credit for a joke that's become overused. On the SDR Show with Ralph Sutton, Sutton revealed that he saw Leifer live when he was 12, and still remembers her line, 'I don't have any kids … that I know of.' Leifer said how it's become so universal, no woman who uses it now has any idea that it stemmed from her comedy routine. Plugging her new book 'How to Write a Funny Speech for a Wedding, Bar Mitzvah & Every Other Event You Didn't Want to Go to in the First Place,' Leifer covered working her one weird year on 'Saturday Night Live.' **** Always dapper Mayor Eric Adams was overheard complimenting the suit of PR guru R. Couri Hay during the image maker's birthday party at the opening of the restaurant La Piazza at 20 East 49th Street. Hizzoner told Couri he was sticking to his 'plant-based' diet, so the hotspot's critically acclaimed chef Fabrizio Barretta — who was flown over by owners Juljan and Ledjo Musabelliu from their flagship restaurant in Venice, Italy — made sure the mayor got the right dishes. Ann Dexter-Jones, the wife of Foreigner's Mick Jones, designers Julia Haart and Nicole Miller, Liliana Cavendish, travel writer Joe Alexander and lighting guru Bentley Meeker were all there. So was Michael Gross, whose new tell-all will be about St. Barts and the stars and billionaires who frequent its beaches. Others in the fun mix were Liz and Todd Shapiro, NY Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright, Herb Karlitz, designer TC Chou, and plastic surgeon Dr. Tony Berlet and his podcaster wife Kerry Berlet, whose popular show, 'Once Upon a Surgery,' features in-depth interviews with her husband's patients. **** Mariah Carey, Blake Lively, Joe Rogan, Charlie Sheen, Goldie Hawn and rapper Macklemore are all collectors of contemporary pop artist DeVon. Charles Saffati and Claude Pardo, who helm Carlton Fine Arts, will host a reception for the artist on May 14 to celebrate his solo exhibition at 543 Madison Ave. Following in the artistic lineage of Andy Warhol, DeVon will show portraits of celebrities including Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. He will also feature paintings of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison well ahead of the release of the band's biopic, a four-part film series coming out in April of 2028. 'It's my way to make a difference in this world. To inspire people to live their life as if it were their own heroic story,' says DeVon. **** The volatile stock market could be preventing unhappy couples from divorcing. Top divorce lawyer Martha Cohen Stine, who has represented Laurence Fishburne and Andrew Cuomo, said, 'You may think that the strain of a bear market likely stresses marriages and leads to increased rates of divorce. 'But in fact, a bad economy may deter the spouses from pursuing a divorce because the value of their assets has decreased and there is not enough money to fund two households. Lawyers call this the 'affordability constraint.' During tough economic times, the inability to sell homes, depleted savings, and job insecurity sometimes make splitting up a financial impossibility.' So think it through before you file for a divorce you might not be able to afford. **** For lovers of all things Italian comes a three-day event, May 13-15, curated by the Italian Trade Commission at its townhouse on Madison and East 67th. A fashion show will be followed by cooking demonstrations, yoga classes and wine tastings representing 90 different brands. Check it out at **** King Charles' brother Prince Edward attended an intimate lunch at the New York Junior League to announce the league's partnership with the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award. The Duke's Award program, started by his father, Prince Philip, 69 years ago, develops skills through experience for young people ages 14 to 24. Bronze, silver and gold medals are given out to those who complete their chosen activities and adventurous journeys. Over a million medals have been given out in over 120 countries. After lunch, the prince went to Newark, New Jersey, to meet with 300 students. ________
Forbes
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Youth America Grand Prix Gala 2025 Honors Sarah Hoover
One of a kind pointe shoes designed by Alexandre Birman for YAGP Pop culture is obsessed with ballet. Look at Étoile, Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino's new Prime series about competing dance companies–which has already been renewed for a second season. Meanwhile, the balletcore fashion movement has reached peak popularity with ballet inspired looks all over fashion week runways, from JW Anderson to Ferragamo, Simone Rocha and Vaquera's latest collections. From bodysuits to wrap cardigans and tutus, not to mention Christian Louboutin's lace-up ribbon pumps, it feels like ballet is having a moment in 2025. Now, Marcella Guarino Hymowitz returns to the Youth America Grand Prix as the gala's Creative Chair, with this in mind. The YAGP Gala 2025, which is the 26th annual gala, falls on April 29 at the Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center. The main Gala Performance, called 'The Stars of Today Meets The Stars of Tomorrow' will feature the next generation of young dancers, including YAGP alumni, Max Barker, Paloma Livellara, Hannah O'Neill and Yana Peneva, among others. There will also be the world premiere of a choreography created and performed by Isaiah Day, among other performances. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 18: Marcella Guarino Hymowitz and Larissa Saveliev attend YAGP's 20th Anniversary Gala 'Stars Of Today Meets The Stars Of Tomorrow at David Koch Theatre at Lincoln Center on April 18, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images) The gala will have a 1970s disco theme, bringing the glitz and glitter with a dash of Studio 54 glam. 'For outfits, we thought, we have to go sparkly,' said Hymowitz. 'Come on, it's the 1970s. And it's so fun.' Fittingly, the leading sponsor is Oscar De La Renta, alongside others including Bucherer jewelry. Tge honorary chair is Maria Cristina Anzola, while notable YAGP committee members include Chelsea Clinton and Wes Gordon. The YAGP recently held a cocktail reception at the Manohlo Blahnik flagship store where the sale of each shoe donated a portion of proceeds to YAGP. One of a kind pointe shoes designed by Silvia Tcherassi for YAGP YAGP's massive scholarship program provides support to young ballerinas from all over the world. In addition, Hymowitz launched a new fellowship for choreography. This year, the gala will showcase custom, one-of-a-kind ballet slippers designed by artists and fashion designers, including Carolina Herrera, Theory, Helmut Lang, Attersee, Libby Klein, and Alice and Olivia, among others. 'It's a really fun way to raise money,' said Hymowitz. The ballet slippers fundraise for the YAGP through an online auction that starts today. The auction currently has 17 pairs of designer pointe shoes on sale, including a pair of black sequin shoes by TWP, a glittery silver and black pair by Michael Kors and a pink, embroidered pair by LoveShackFancy. There is also a pair of silver shoes by Herve Leger by Michelle Ochs and a pink, artsy pair by Fer da Silva that reads in the sole: 'What you call sacrafice, I call love.' Theory pointe shoes for YAGP Along with the 1970s disco theme comes the golden era of ballet. The 1970s were the golden era of ballet and this gala is partly inspired by the 1977 ballet drama, The Turning Point, starring Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine. The Academy Award-winning film also starred prima ballerina Leslie Brown, a dancer with the American Ballet Theater, and choreographer Mikhail Baryshnikov. The emcee of the night will be Melanie Hamrick, a choreographer, ballerina (who danced with the American Ballet Theatre for fifteen years before retiring in 2019) and author best known as the fiancée of Mick Jagger. She is also an alumni of Youth America Grand Prix. Actor and dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov in a scene from the movie 'Turning Point', 1977. (Photo by Stanley Bielecki) Ballet careers are driven by discipline. 'It comes down to exercise science and nutrition,' said Larissa Saveliev, the founder and artistic director of YAGP. 'When I wanted to be a ballerina, the options were so limited. But now, a lot of the dancers are getting degrees at Harvard. So, a lot of them are really educated and go on to have all sorts of interesting careers.' The daily discipline of being a ballerina is intense. 'It's something in between being a very high-end athlete and an Oscar-worthy performer combined together,' said Saveliev. One of a kind pointe shoes designed by Galvan London for YAGP 'They rehearse at least 12 hours a day. And then in their downtime, they're sewing their pointe shoes to get them ready,' she adds. 'They are doing physical therapy, going to Pilates. All the dancers I know work out. They train and do their dance. I would say the body is their strategy, so they must take care of their body. They're training like proper athletes.' The gala will honor writer Sarah Hoover, the author of The Motherload: Episodes From the Brink of Motherhood, an art historian and culture writer after working as the director of New York art gallery, Gagosian. 'Sarah was a ballerina herself growing up, and she is probably the biggest champion of ballet, who's not in the ballet world,' said Hymowitz. Hoover says: 'Ballet has always been number one for me, but it does seem like mainstream culture is catching up. It feels like ballet is becoming less elite and more accepted.'
Japan Times
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Two Japanese place first in international youth ballet competition
Two Japanese girls placed first in separate categories at the 2025 Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) international youth ballet competition finals in Tampa, Florida, it was announced Sunday. Natsuki Sugimoto, 12, a first-year junior high school student from Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, tied for first place in the junior age division for girls who were between the ages of 12 and 14 as of Jan. 1. Hana Terada, 11, a final-year elementary school student from Kawasaki, finished first in the classical dance category in the precompetitive age division for girls between the ages of 9 and 11. "I want to become a dancer who stands in the center of the stage and makes the whole audience smile," said Sugimoto, who plans to attend a ballet school abroad. Also at the competition, Leon Yusei Sai, 14, who lives in the United States, ranked second in the junior age division for boys. In the precompetitive age division for boys, Daigaku Katayama, 11, from Ueda, Nagano Prefecture, placed third in the classical dance category, and Yusei Yoshitake, 11, from Tokyo, placed second in the contemporary dance category. YAGP offers scholarships to young talents from the competition to study at dance schools around the world. Hana Terada performs at the Youth America Grand Prix international youth ballet competition on April 21. | LK Studio / via Jiji
Kyodo News
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Kyodo News
2 Japanese ballet dancers place 1st in youth competition
KYODO NEWS - 3 hours ago - 10:15 | Arts, All Two female Japanese ballet dancers placed first in their age groups at a major international youth competition in the United States, the organizer said Sunday. Natsuki Sugimoto, 12, from the central Japan city of Yokkaichi, won the junior age division for girls aged 12 to 14 at the Youth America Grand Prix. In the "pre-competition" age division for girls between 9 and 11, Hana Terada, 11, from Kawasaki, near Tokyo, ranked first in the classical dance category at the event known as the world's largest student ballet scholarship competition. For the pre-competitive age division, a distinction is made between classical and contemporary categories. The Youth America Grand Prix was established in 1999 by former members of Russia's Bolshoi Ballet, providing scholarships to young talent with diverse backgrounds to study at top ballet schools around the world.
