Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019, at 8 p.m.
Ferguson Hall at the Straz Center
Regularly priced tickets start at $35
***
Tampa, Fla. — Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) – the world’s largest ballet student scholarship competition and global dance network – is kicking off its 20th Anniversary Season with the Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala performance, on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019, at 8 p.m. in Ferguson Hall, as a co-presentation with the Straz Center for the Performing Arts.
Now a thrilling staple to the Tampa area dance season, this spectacular gala features performances by international ballet stars and introduces the world’s brightest young dance talent on the same stage, such as award-winning wunderkinds from the Straz Center’s Next Generation Ballet (NGB) and 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 performances by world-class dancers, many of whom are YAGP Alumni, from some of the world’s leading dance companies. The cast includes American Ballet Theatre company artists Skylar Brandt, Melanie Hamrick, Calvin Royal, Hee Seo and Cory Stearns; Boston Ballet principal dancer Derek Dunn; New York City Ballet principal dancer Daniel Ulbricht; Pennsylvania Ballet company artist Peter Weil; San Francisco Ballet principal dancer Sasha De Sola and principal guest artists Brooklyn Mack, Joseph Gatti and Juliano Nunes. The program will also feature World Ballroom Champions Denys Drozdyuk and Antonina Skobina, performing under their “World of Dance” (NBC) alias, DNA.
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. NGB dancers 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 $3.5 million in scholarships awarded by leading dance schools around the globe. Today, more than 10,000 young dancers audition each season. Over 450 alumni currenty dance in more than 80 of the world’s leading dance companies. YAGP nurtures the next generation of dance, by providing scholarship, training and performance opportunities for dance students aged nine to 19 of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds –. For additional information about the Youth America Grand Prix organization, please visit www.yagp.org.
Regularly priced tickets for the Saturday, Jan. 5, 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.
YAGP’s 2019 season is sponsored by: Bloch, Capezio, Dance Media (Dance Magazine, Dance Spirit, Dance Teacher, Pointe), Dance Europe, Discount Dance Supply, Grishko, Harlequin Floors, Russian Pointe, Sansha, and Sylvia.
The DAVID A. STRAZ, JR. CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS and its programs are funded in part by the City of Tampa; the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners; the Tourist Development Council/Hillsborough County; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.