BBTCD at YAGP 2018
Taking students to Youth America Grand Prix started when Nathan Bland became Owner/Director of the Conservatory in 2012. He saw it as another training tool that could be used to push dancers to the next level. Due to the added level of commitment the process requires, it’s a more selective process to engage dancers who are ready for the challenge of competing, and for the past six years attendance is invitation-only.
This year we had dancers compete in the Philadelphia Semi-Finals, as well as the Pittsburgh Semi-Finals. Each dancer rose to the occasion and owned their time on stage! Below, learn more about the dancers who competed this year.
Lorelei, 11, competed, our youngest competitor, competed in the Pre-Competitive division. She was one of fifty 9 – 11 year olds — She competed with the classical variation 3rd Odalisque from Le Corsaire, also known as the “turning variation” as there are around 15 turns in the 1.5 minute variation!
She also competed with a strong and powerful contemporary solo choreographed by Bland, “Winter Walk”. This was Lorelei’s second year competing at YAGP and we were very excited that she placed in the overall Top 12 for her age division in Philadelphia!
Christina, 13, was a first time competitor and she really rose to the occasion and handled all aspects of the competition with ease. She competed in the Junior division with The Fairy Doll variation. Christina was one of close to 80 competitors.
With it being her first year, we did not compete with a contemporary solo. We feel that the focus should be on perfecting the details of one variation during year one, so that you can truly grasp the commitment and pressure that comes with competing.
Gretchen, 14, competed in the Pittsburgh Semi-Finals with 2 classical variations and 1 contemporary. This was her last year in the Junior division, next year the ages range from 15 – 19 in the Senior division. She performed the Act 1 variation of Giselle — this is a variation that requires extreme control.
Gretchen performed this variation last year and in reprising it this year, it allowed us to refine the details even further and help her to truly embody the role.
Her second variation was the complete opposite — Flames of Paris variation — an energetic variation that doesn’t stop! It’s known for it’s many hops on pointe and quick pirouettes. Her contemporary, Vivaldi Re-imagined, was choreographed last season by Bland and really shows off Gretchen’s personality on stage.
Audra, 17, was the veteran competitor this year — This was her fourth year competing at YAGP in the Senior Division and as she is graduating this year, it was her last. To see her growth over the years has been astounding — not just from a dance perspective, but from a human perspective.
We have seen her gain confidence and maturity in how she handles herself on stage, in the studio and beyond. She competed with 2 classical variations and 1 contemporary. The first variation she competed with back in 2015 was Odette from Swan Lake — when mulling over what we should work in this year there was a pull to revisit Odette.
It was a pleasure to see her maturity add to the role — to see her embody the role of a swan queen. Another very royal role is the variation from Pharaohs Daughter — it’s a very regal variation with quick footwork and high extensions.
