Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, at 8 p.m.
Ferguson Hall at the Straz Center
Regularly priced tickets start at $35
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Tampa, Fla. — Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) – the world’s largest ballet student scholarship competition and global dance network – will begin its 19th anniversary US Regional season by co-producing its Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala performance with the Straz Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, at 8 p.m. in Ferguson Hall.
This crown jewel of dance galas features performances by international ballet stars and introduces the world’s brightest young dance talent on the same stage, such as dancers from the Straz Center’s Next Generation Ballet (NGB) and from YAGP.
This unforgettable display of dance virtuosity is described by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune as, “A rare collection of exceptional ballet talent, class and interpretation packed into a single evening” and by Dance Europe Magazine as the “Gala of Galas.”
The program will feature stars, among others, Carla Korbes, formerly of Pacific Northwest Ballet; Daniel Ulbricht, Ashley Bouder and Gonzalo Garcia of New York City Ballet; Karel Cruz from Pacific Northwest Ballet; YAGP alumna Beckanne Sisk and Chase O’Connell, both Principal Dancers at Ballet West; YAGP Alumnus Mathias Dingman, of Birmingham Royal Ballet; Patricia Delgado of Miami City Ballet and Joseph Gatti, a YAGP alumnus and the Artistic Director of the newly founded United Ballet Theatre.
A stepping stone for great dance talent, NGB prepares dancers for professional employment through instruction, coaching and performance opportunities. The company is committed to the artistic, personal and professional development of outstanding young dancers. Performers in NGB have been awarded scholarship opportunities at the leading ballet schools worldwide and have received employment with ballet companies including Boston Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet and Hamburg Ballet. They have also placed first in prestigious competitions including Youth America Grand Prix, Prix de Lausanne and the World Ballet Competition.
YAGP has provided opportunities to 80,000 dancers worldwide to participate in international workshops and auditions, earning gifted young talent more than $3 million in scholarships awarded by leading dance schools around the globe. More than 8,000 young dancers – ages nine to 19 of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds – audition each season, and over 350 alumni are currently dancing in some of the most prestigious dance companies across the globe. YAGP nurtures the next generation of dance, by providing scholarship, training and performance opportunities for classically-trained young artists. For additional information about the Youth America Grand Prix organization, please visit www.yagp.org.
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Regularly priced tickets for the Saturday, Jan. 13, 8 p.m., Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala start at $35 and may be purchased by calling 813.229.STAR (7827) or 800.955.1045 outside Tampa Bay, in person at the Straz Center Ticket Sales Office or online at www.strazcenter.org. Handling fees will apply. For more information about the Straz Center for the Performing Arts and its upcoming events, please visit the Straz Center’s website at www.strazcenter.org.
Events, days, dates, times, performers and prices are subject to change without notice.