Youth America Grand Prix 2006 Gala II

Youth America Grand Prix Galas 2006
www.yagp.org

City Center
www.citycenter.org

(See YAGP Gala 2005)

Larissa Saveliev: Artistic Director
Gennadi Saveliev: President and Executive Director
Susan Jaffe: Artistic Coordinator
Sergey Gordeev: Director of Public Relations and External Affairs

Featuring Renowned Guest Artists
and
Winners of YAGP Ballet and Contemporary Dance
Scholarship Competition for Students
(See YAGP Winners)

Dr. Roberta E. Zlokower
April 23, 2006

(See April 22, 2006 YAGP Gala)

Act I: The Stars of Tomorrow
Hosted by Christopher Wheeldon
(Notes by Sergey Gordeev)

Kiril Kulish, 11
(San Diego Academy of Ballet,
California/USA)
Variation from Le Corsaire
(Choreographer: Marius Petipa)

Megumi Horiuchi, 13
(Kaneta Kouno Ballet Academy, Japan)
Variation from Paquita
(Choreographer: Marius Petipa)

Students of the Washington School of Ballet
A Celebration of Rebecca:
A special tribute to Rebecca Wright
(Choreography: John Goding)

Isabella Maylart ,13
(Pavilihao d Centro De Artes, Brazil)
Variation from Harlequinade
(Choreographer: Marius Petipa)

Students of Zamuel Ballet School, Colorado/USA
Mozart Pas de Four
(Choreographer: German Zamuel)

Courtney A. Henry, 16
(Palm Beach Ballet Center, Florida/USA)
There's Only Me
(Choreographer: Stacey Downs)

Leah Burge, 14, Jeffrey Cirio, 14
(The Art of Classical Ballet, Florida/USA)
Pas de Deux from La Fille Mal GardČe
(Choreographer: A. Alonso after Jean Dauberval)

Aria Alekzander, 19
(Anaheim Ballet, California/USA)
Variation from Le Corsaire
(Choreographer: Marius Petipa)

Students of Valentina Kozlova
Dance Conservatory of New York City,
New York/USA
Jazz Samba
(Choreographer: Margo Sappington)

Kara Hanretty, 16
(The Rock School for Dance Education, Pennsylvania/USA)
Reflections
(Choreography: Natasha Bar)

Mathias Dingman, 17
(Universal Ballet Academy, Washington, D.C./USA)
Variation from La BayadËre
(Marius Petipa)

Students of the Cia De Danca
Escola Municipal De Frevo, Brazil
Recifervendo
(Choreographer: Alexandre Macedo)

Joseph Gorak, 16
(Orlando Ballet School, Florida/USA)
Variation from La Fille Mal GardČe
(Choreographer: N. Romanoff)

Ayano Tsuchiya,18
(Setsuko Ichikawa Ballet, Japan)
Carmen
(Choreographer: Ayano Tsuchiya)

Sergei Polunin, 16
(Royal Ballet School, United Kingdom)
Diana and ActČon
(Choreographer: A. Vaganova)

Grand DefilČ (piece d'occasion featuring all YAGP participants)
Choreography: Carlos dos Santos, Jr., Music: Anatol Liadov


Act II: The Stars of Today


Sarah Lane (ABT, YAGP alumna),
Joseph Philips (San Francisco Ballet, YAGP alumnus)
Diana & ActČon Pas de Deux
(See San Francisco Ballet Reviews)
Choreography: Agripina Vaganova
Music: Cesare Pugni

Denis and Anastasia Matvyenko
(Ukrainian National Opera/Bolshoi Ballet)
Radio and Juliette - NEW YORK PREMIERE
(See Bolshoi Reviews)
Choreography: Edward Clug
Music: Radiohead

Yasmine Lee (MOMIX)
Orbit
(See MOMIX Reviews)
Choreography: Moses Pendleton
Music: Murray Clerk, Chris Deverell and Rob Ellerby

Irena Veterova (Wiesbaden Ballet),
Gregor Hatala (Vienna State Opera)
La Vie en Rose - NEW YORK PREMIERE
Choreography: Ben van Cauwenbergh
Music: Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel

Veronica Part (ABT),
Artem Shpilevsky (Berlin State Opera)
Black Swan Pas de Deux
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Music: Peter Tchaikovsky

Roderick George
(Cedar Lake Dance Ensemble)
Waters of Proteus
Choreography: Kevin Wynn
Music: Traditional African

Yana Serebriakova,
Igor Zelensky (Mariinsky Theatre)
Sheherezade
Choreography: Mikhail Fokine
Music: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Sofiane Sylve (NYCB),
Marcelo Gomes (ABT)
Tempting Fate
(See NYC Ballet Reviews)
(See ABT Reviews)
Choreography: Adam Hougland

Darcey Bussell,
David Makhateli (Royal Ballet)
Manon
(See Royal Ballet Reviews)
Choreography: Sir Kenneth MacMillan
Music: Jules Massenet

Gillian Murphy (ABT), Denis Matvyenko
(Ukrainian National Opera/Bolshoi Ballet),
David Hallberg (ABT)
Le Corsaire Pas de Trois
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Music: Adolphe Adam


It is re-assuring each year to see the fresh young dance talent that flocks to New York for the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) competitions, finals, and Stars of Tomorrow portion of the YAGP Gala. It is also thrilling each year to be treated to virtuosic performances by some of the most renowned ballet principals from around the globe in the Stars of Today portion of these Galas. In fact, the YAGP Galas have become so popular over the years that, this year, Founders Larissa and Gennadi Saveliev, in addition to Sergey Gordeev, created two almost completely different Galas, accommodating more competition finalists, more international ballet principals, and twice the audience at City Center. This was no small feat, as the extensive program above exemplifies.

Among notable Stars of Tomorrow performances, eleven year-old Kiril Kulish from San Diego danced a vivacious variation from Le Corsaire, and The Washington School of Ballet paid a tribute to Rebecca Wright, choreographed by John Goding. Lovely configurations were evident. Brazilian Isabella Maylart, thirteen, in a black and white sparkling tutu, was especially poised in Harlequinade, and Mozart Pas de Four, with young students from Colorado, was quite professionally staged. Valentina Kozlova's students were sexy and sensational in the fast-paced, Jazz Samba, and sixteen year-old, Joseph Gorak, from Florida, once again appeared, in a variation from La Fille Mal GardČe. An ensemble from Brazil daringly danced Recifervendo, and Carlos dos Santos' Grand DefilČ, as usual, closed the first portion of this matinee Gala with a tribute to the hundreds of YAGP participants, onstage together.

In Stars of Today, Diana & ActČon Pas de Deux was charismatically performed by Sarah Lane and Joseph Phillips of ABT and San Francisco, and Radio and Juliette premiered in New York with two stars from the Ukrainian National Opera and the Bolshoi. Radiohead's music rocked this vocal audience. Yasmine Lee appeared again, this time with an illuminated hoop, in MOMIX' Orbit. I am more and more amazed each time I see MOMIX and each time I see Yasmine Lee, in particular. This effortless performance must take extraordinary muscle and mind control. Another New York premiere was La Vie en Rose, one of my favorite Brel/Piaf songs, and the duo from Weisbaden and Vienna kept the crowd engaged. Veronica P”rt of ABT danced the Black Swan Pas de Deux, partnered by Artem Shpilevsky, who had just partnered Ms. P”rt's colleague, Julie Kent, the night before. Ms. P”rt accomplished the 32 fouettČs with feverish frenzy.

Roderick George of Cedar Lake Dance Ensemble was another case of defying gravity in Kevin Wynn's Waters of Proteus. And, once again, Sheherezade captured our imagination, followed by Sofiane Sylve and Marcelo Gomes in a new performance, this time Tempting Fate, a stark piece to a Philip Glass score. A second viewing of Manon led into the finale, the Pas de Trois from Le Corsaire, with ABT's Principals, Gillian Murphy and the newly promoted, David Hallberg, plus the virtuosic Russian, Denis Matvyenko. This trio brought down the house, and they deserved every accolade.

Another Star of Today is Christopher Wheeldon, renowned Choreographer in Residence at NYC Ballet, who is an entertaining raconteur and resilient host. To read about Mr. Wheeldon's choreography, See NYC Ballet Reviews. Kudos to YAGP's Larissa Saveliev, Gennadi Saveliev, Susan Jaffe, and Sergey Gordeev, kudos to Christopher Wheeldon, and kudos to all the Stars of Tomorrow and Stars of Today.

Joseph Gorak
Photo courtesy of Gene Schiavone

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See more photos from YAGP 2006