During our school year, one of the many events we prepare for is the Youth America Grand Prix, a competition where we compete alongside a number of talented dancers. This year, we were again invited to compete in Tampa, Florida as finalists for the YAGP International Finals. Different from the past year, dancers from all over the world came, providing inspiration for us all. I was invited as a soloist in the Junior age division, and three of our ensembles were invited as well: Bliss, Ethos, and Bella Ci Dormi. Even though the actual competition was during our spring break, there was a lot of preparation that went into the pieces before we traveled.

During the month before finals, we ran all the pieces many times a week, working on the details and altering the choreography to make the pieces look more neat and precise. Though everything is still not “perfect,” there were many trial and errors before finding something that fit better for the group, or if it was my solo, for my body. This included different arms, heads, runs, turns, etc. Besides working on the technique, I had to work on my upper body and appearance for the stage, to improve from my performance at the last competition. I made note of it in regular technique classes and rehearsals so that I could better understand the feeling and idea of it. Specifically for my classical variation Paquita, the upper body is used in a lot of the steps, including an entire diagonal filled with port de bras. I practiced a lot by utilizing my elbows and twisting my entire back to give the effect of fluidity and grace. Something else I had to work on was my confidence. Even though we were in the studio practicing, I was definitely still anxious every time, since I felt like that determined how I was going to do on stage. Despite doing the variation frequently, not everything was always consistent. Even with the changes and improvements made since the beginning of the year, I didn’t know if the work in the studio would transfer to the stage. In any case, by the time I left for Florida, I was both nervous and excited to perform in front of the audience in Tampa and alongside my friends during the weekend.

Now, this year’s YAGP finals have officially ended and I am happy with how each performance went. Even though I know I could’ve done better, it felt great to experience the talent and environment of dancers from all over the world. Personally, I wasn’t too overwhelmed before I went on stage and felt relieved each time I came off. I enjoyed every second of each ensemble too. That day started off a little rough, but I could never forget the feeling and the connection when I performed with my group. Regardless of not receiving any award from YAGP, I know that we put in a lot of work to be there and gave a real performance for the audience, including the judges and competitors. Soon we will have another competition, the Washington DC Grand Prix, and hopefully we can do even better there!


Publish Date: 04/24/2022