On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, after the success of the 2021, 2022 and 2023 editions, and thanks to the collaboration with the Fondazione Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, the Youth America Grand Prix returns to the Parchi di Nervi with the fourth edition of a format that combines high-level training with the dimension of live artistic performance in an event of international visibility and prestige. The gala evening Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow will see soloists and prima ballet dancers from the world’s leading ballet companies (Maria Khoreva from the Mariinsky Ballet, Chloe Misseldine from the American Ballet Theatre, dancers from the New York City Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet, and many more) perform side by side with the stars of tomorrow, young talents selected from all over the world. On Saturday 27 July, there will also be the Future of Dance défilé, dedicated to the young winners of the Youth America Grand Prix 2024.
The Youth America Grand Prix is the largest competition and network dedicated to ballet worldwide, realised in collaboration with the best schools and companies, such as L’École de danse de l’Opéra de Paris, the Mariinsky Theatre Ballet Corps, the John Cranko School of the Stuttgart Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre and the San Francisco Ballet to name but a few. Every year, the organizers search for new talents in 6 continents and over 30 countries including Italy in the last five years. At the end of the search, the best talents are invited to New York together with the directors of the best schools and companies, for a final performance where they all receive scholarships; the event ends with a grand gala celebration at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. The Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow gala showcases both the winners of the finals, the brightest of the young promises, and the big stars of dance, who are often also YAGP alumni. Some of the most renowned YAGP winners are Sergei Polunin, Kimin Kim, Vadim Muntagirov and Hannah O’Neill, Roberto Bolle, Polina Semionova, Diana Vishneva and other imoprtant names of international ballet. One of the highlights of the ballet season in New York, the gala regularly sells out.
With over 100,000 masterclasses organised worldwide, over $4 billion in scholarships awarded over the past 20 years, over 500 alumni involved in 80 of the major international ballet companies, including the New York City Ballet, the corps de ballet of the Opéra de Paris, the Royal Ballet and the Stuttgart Ballet among others, the Youth America Grand Prixaims to accompany and foster the development of young dancers aged 9 to 19 from all social, ethnic and geographical backgrounds through the awarding of scholarships, to support participation in auditions and training and advanced training courses, master classes, services dedicated to alumnieducational and promotional activities, performances and audiovisual products. The organisation also offers a platform for communication and exchange between students, teachers, schools, dance companies, dancers, selectors and the public.
