OUR MISSION
Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) is the world's largest dance family - and the world’s largest student ballet scholarship audition.
YAGP is a New York-based 501(C)(3) non-profit dance education organization with a MISSION to support and develop world-class dancers, ages 9-19, of all economic, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds by providing scholarship auditions, performance and education opportunities, and by serving as a global network of dance, connecting students, teachers, schools, dance companies, dancers, and audiences.
YAGP fulfills its mission through scholarship auditions, master classes, alumni services, educational and outreach activities, performances, and films.
Now in its 25th Anniversary Season, YAGP reaches over 15,000 dance students annually by holding workshops, scholarship auditions, master classes and auditions in 32 U.S cities and at 15 international locations worldwide. Each season culminates in the week-long Season Finals where more than 1,500 of the world's most promising dancers receive in-depth mentoring and greater scholarship, professional, and performance opportunities. The Season Finals closing night Gala, "Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow," features the world’s most exciting young dance talent alongside the stars of today's leading dance companies.
In 25 years of operation, YAGP has reached more than 200,000 talented young dancers worldwide with its workshops, scholarship auditions and master classes around the globe. More than $5,000,000 has been awarded at YAGP in scholarships to the world's leading dance schools. As a result, more than 500 YAGP alumni are now dancing with 100 companies around the world, including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Paris Opera Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Washington Ballet, and many others.
Some of Youth America Grand Prix’s significant
achievements include
To identify promising young dance talent, YAGP conducts auditions at 28 regional locations in the United States and around the world, including audition events in Belgium, France, Italy, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Japan, and China among others.
YAGP’s bi-annual Job Fair is a special audition program giving YAGP participants and alumni a chance to be seen and hired by the directors of the world’s leading dance companies.
YAGP’s Emerging Choreographer Series provides an opportunity for upcoming choreographers to present their work to the international dance community. The series has featured Camille A. Brown, Marcelo Gomes, Adam Hougland, Susan Jaffe, and Justin Peck, among others.
YAGP’s educational Gala series, Legends In Dance, celebrates artists who have helped shape dance history. Honorees have included the legendary Ballerina Assoluta, Natalia Makarova, master teacher Peter Pestov, Julio Bocca, and the legendary Russian dancer, Vladimir Vasiliev.
In 2005, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized YAGP’s contribution to international dance education with a membership in UNESCO’s prestigious Conseil International de la Danse (CID).
In 2007, YAGP became the first organization in the 50-year history of Italy’s prestigious Spoleto Dance Festival to present performances by dance students.
In 2011, YAGP was featured in the Guggenheim Museum’s Works & Process series. YAGP’s presentation, “How Judges Judge,” gave audiences a rare insight into professional evaluation of dance artists.
YAGP aims to develop new audiences by bringing dance into mainstream culture.
In 2010, it became the subject of First Position - an award-winning documentary which followed six YAGP participants on their journey to YAGP’s New York City Finals. In 2013, YAGP produced “Ballet’s Greatest Hits” – a filmed Gala performance showcasing excerpts from six of the most beloved classical ballets. Narrated by Nigel Lythgoe, the film combines live performances with exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews with dancers, historical background and rare archival footage.
In 2020, YAGP made history – again – by conducting the world’s largest completely virtual scholarship audition. More than $200,000 USD has been awarded in scholarships to 18 of the world’s leading dance academies; some dancers have even received professional job offers without ever leaving their homes!