Those who love to dance need to dance; the impetus to move is a life force.
Dancers know what it’s like to feel the energy sparkle through their feet. They understand how it feels to extend their bodies and minds, to cross over that ocean of music and take the audience with them to a place of feeling.
Dancers know the magic that motion creates and great dancers compel even the most restrained of us to connect with them on their journey – a journey of sensation and emotion.
The renowned modern dancer and choreographer, Martha Graham said, “Dancers are the messengers of the Gods”. Here in New York City, the message I came away with was vibrant – Move. Dance. Aspire.
Stirred by my daughter’s ambition and my personal motivation to support her, as well as to write and coach, I came here to attend the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), the world’s largest ballet competition. Wearing my three hats of freelance writer, mother and aspiration coach, I gained a unique insight into the YAGP and how enormously beneficial it is to young dancers.
The appealing factor of YAGP is that it is not just a dance competition; it is a dance network and education organisation. Testament to this, over US$2.5 million has been awarded in scholarships since the competition’s inception 15 years ago and over 50,000 dancers have participated in workshops, scholarship auditions and master classes worldwide.
Approaching this assignment with curiosity, my first impression was the YAGP’s global accessibility and the informal style of communication apparent from the moment I began interacting with the YAGP team in the US. Clearly, for any group whose objective is to bring people together, a large degree of organisation and an open style of communication are required to facilitate this global connection.
Corresponding with Shelly King, the YAGP Director of Operations, and her team in the regional office, was a pleasure, as they made the process seamless. There was no formality, and it was evident that YAGP strives to provide opportunity by offering flexibility.
In the semi-final in Houston it was not a requirement to wear a costume; leotard and tights sufficed, thus removing barriers to entry; a mark of true globalisation. Talent comes from all the corners of the globe and YAGP did well in its outreach communication.
When I met with YAGP’s charismatic Director of External Affairs, Sergey Gordeev, he stressed that the YAGP is about finding young talent before it is formed – thus the competition is open to ages from nine to nineteen. To identify this talent, YAGP conducts auditions across the US and in Belgium, France, Italy, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Japan as well as accepts worldwide DVD entries.
Given Australia’s tyranny of distance, it is encouraging to hear that Australasian dancers may soon be able to compete in auditions within Australia. This move to incorporate Australia into the international mix of audition locations demonstrates the philosophy that underpins the YAGP – that this is a global network connecting students, teachers, schools and dance companies across the world.
Luca Masala, the Artistic Director of the Princess Grace Academy of Classical Dance in Monaco, reiterated this message when we met. He spoke of seeking out young talent through his involvement for five years with the YAGP and said that 60 per cent of his multinational school are derived from the YAGP alumni.
Participants attending the New York City Finals are required to indicate which schools are of interest to them, as the scholarship process is a matchmaking activity between participant and school. The directors are not obligated to take a student. They have a choice as to whom they accept; this process of collaboration between school and entrant is one of the appealing features of YAGP.
The jurors, teachers and scholarship presenters are made up of directors from some of the most prestigious dance schools in the world, such as San Francisco Ballet School, the Paris Opera Ballet School, American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, Houston Ballet Academy and the Royal Ballet School.
Patrick Armand, Associate Director of the San Francisco Ballet School, told me that, “it is an opportunity to be seen by most of the ballet world”.
Not only does YAGP offer scholarships: this year winners could partake in the “Stars of Today meet the Stars of Tomorrow” 15th Anniversary Gala, a prestigious platform on which they shared the stage with stars from around the world.
Once participants have danced in the YAGP they become lifetime alumni and privy to the advantages. Georgia Neaverson, from the Studio Tibor school in Sydney, told me that “Being here helped me understand how global the world of ballet is. It helped me realise that there are many avenues for pursuing my dream”.
In Australia the predominant international competition to which students aspire seems to be the Prix de Lausanne, with interest in the YAGP evolving over the last few years. I have heard the opinion expressed in Australia that YAGP is not about technique and artistry but more about “tricks and circus”, so I asked Luca Masala to comment:
“No, it’s a very smart way to give a chance to people to have a future,” he said. “This year I have seen about 7000 kids. It’s about how well you can promote yourself. Thanks to YAGP I have seen people who I would never have had a chance to see. I don’t believe that YAGP is a competition with tricks. We are looking for potential that we can work with. It’s important to see that a dancer has extension, a jump and coordination.
“There are more people and thus there is a greater requirement to show a student’s potential in [a very limited time] so of course there may be more turns and more extensions. Dancers are trying to sell themselves in a very short time – they are trying to show their best side. If it’s to sell a kid to become a dancer I don’t see it as a criticism, I see it as something intelligent for a teacher to do.”
This year there were 150 DVD entries from Australia and two entries through attendance at the semi-finals. A record 19 passed through to the Finals in New York City. I sought out some of our dancers to ask them what they had learnt from this experience.
Valentina Markovinovic, who dances with both Tanya Pearson Classical Coaching Academy and the WA Academy of Performing Arts, acquired the courage to dance in front of international directors. Studio Tibor’s Claire Zalunardo felt inspired to work harder while her classmate Lawrence Corbett, also from Studio Tibor, expressed how YAGP opened his eyes to opportunities overseas.
Sasha Leong, from Sydney Ballet School, learnt about the American schools and companies and appreciated dancing for international directors. Taylor Venter, from the Conlan College in Sydney, expressed her joy at dancing in New York and gaining exposure to amazing teachers, and the delightful Hayden Idrus from Sydney’s Academie Etoiles rounded it up in one word: “Opportunity”.
The lovely Bianca Scudamore from Tanya Pearson Classical Coaching, Harrison Lee from the McDonald College and Thomas Dilley from Premier Elite (all NSW schools) all progressed through to the junior finals round (ages 12 to 14).
Thomas told me that he gained insight into techniques teachers’ use. I was not able to obtain a statement from Harrison, but he mesmerised me as an audience member and, ultimately won the Youth Grand Prix.
“Some beautiful dancers come out of Australia” Patrick Armand told me, and that was evident when I watched our young dancers perform over the six days of the competition.
Luca Masala was also complimentary. “Australia has amazing talent with the courage to go for it,” he remarked. His advice is to make sure that teachers encourage their students to research and understand the schools before choosing them, rather than being impressed by a prestigious name. Students need to understand the schools they want to join.
Tadeusz Matacz, Director of the John Cranko School of the Stuttgart Ballet, Germany, was another who thought “the level was incredibly high”. He went on to say that, “Dancers need to think beyond their bodies, they need to understand culture, to be open. Go to museums, see paintings and bring this to their art form. Less focus on self.”
From an audience perspective, it was thrilling to encounter the anticipation and courage of the entrants and, as a mother, it was nerve-wracking to watch my daughter throw her heart into that pool of talent. All parents want their child to reach past their potential and here in this place of opportunity there is an eclectic mix of nations, parents and teachers, each demonstrating their culture by way of their behavior.
Some were ill-mannered and desperate, most were polite and hopeful, with the anticipation very clearly etched on each face.
Opportunity is an awesome gift to give a child but it’s a wretched task for parent and teacher alike, watching and hoping that those precious doors will open into a successful future. The daily ritual of hiring studios between attending master classes and performances is emotionally and financially draining.
For students who chose to be part of the Grand Defile on the stage of Lincoln Centre, the rehearsal times make the days very long and can be frustrating for parents trying to balance schedules, exhausted dancers and sleep.
The tension at YAGP is tangible and backstage is its own entity. Some entrants are calm and polite, others withdrawn and focused – all aware of the stakes, all pursuing an aspiration amid incredible talent. Many dancers avoided the TV screen showing the events unfolding on stage. Their turn was coming and their focus was admirable.
In the tight space of the rehearsal studio backstage, we could hear the applause for participants on stage. It serves as a reminder to the dancers warming up: your audience is waiting, and your chance is here: Move. Dance. Aspire.