Musicality, phrasing and poise - these qualities set Australian Grace Carroll apart in the Final Round of the Youth America Grand Prix held at New York’s Lincoln Centre on Wednesday. On Friday, all was revealed at a mighty awards ceremony.
Grace took out first position in the women's age 15-19 solo category with a gloriously controlled variation from Paquita. She exuded maturity and artistry and managed to suspend every movement in a picture-perfect frame. Grace, 15, is currently a student at the Tanya Pearson Academy in Sydney under teachers Lucinda Dunn and Adam Blanch. She is also a significant scholarship recipient, being offered full year places to attend Princess Grace Academy of Classical Dance in Monaco, the San Francisco Ballet School and the Joffrey Academy of Dance. She has also been invited to a private audition for the Paris Opera Ballet School.
Twelve-year-old Summer Duyvestyn took out the Shelley King Award for Excellence. Placed in the top 12 in her age division, Summer is a student of Classical Coaching Australia in Brisbane. She danced a variation from Talisman with elegance and finesse as her finals solo.
Stephanie McQuire, 13, also from Tanya Pearson Academy, was offered a full year scholarship to the John Cranko School of the Stuttgart Ballet.
The Youth Grand Prix Award went to 14-year-old Darrion Sellman of the Los Angeles Ballet Academy taught by Kiwi Andrea Paris Gutierrez. His Black Swan variation showed wonderful elegance and self-assurance.
Gabriel Figueredo (18) from the John Cranko School, Germany, took out the The Grand Prix Award.
Congratulations to all finalists and winners.
Final Round winners - full list:
Pre-Competitive Division Winners
Martha Savin (11), Dance Planet, Romania
Kseniya Kosava (11), Ballet school of Vezhnovets, Belarus
Natasha Furman (10), Not Your Ordinary Dancers, NJ, USA
Ensembles Winners
Unison Dance Academy, Israel Academia Annarella, Portugal Kurumi Dance Factory, Japan
Contemporary Pas de Deux Winners
Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy, CA, USA
Odasz Dance Theatre, NY, USA
DNA - Dance N ́Arts School, Portugal
Classical Pas De Deux Winners
Academia Annarella, Portugal & Master Ballet Academy, AZ, USA Korea National University Of Art, Korea
Bale do Teatro Escola Basileu Franca, Brazil
Junior Age Division Winners Women
Rebecca Alexandria Hadibroto (12), Marlupi Dance Academy, Indonesia
Ava Arbuckle (14), Elite Classical Coaching, TX, US
Madison Brown (13), Lents Dance Company, FL, US
Junior Age Division Winners Men
Misha Broderick (13), Master Ballet Academy, AZ, USA
Andrey Jesus (13), Bale Jovem De Sao Vicente, Brazil
Seungmin Lee (14), Sunhwa Arts Middle School, South Korea
Youth Grand Prix Award
Darrion Sellman (14), Los Angeles Ballet Academy, CA, USA
Senior Age Division Winners Women
Grace Carroll (15), Tanya Pearson Academy, Australia
Yazmin Verhage (16), Ballettschule Theater Basel, Switzerland
Arianna Crosato Neumann (16), Danzaira Escuela Professional De Ballet, Peru
Senior Age Division Winners Men
Junsu Lee (16), Korea National University Of Art, South Korea
Francisco Gomes (15), Academia Annarella, Portugal
Joaquin Gaubeca (16), Cary Ballet Conservatory, Argentina
Harold Mendez (17), The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School, Cuba
Grand Prix Award
Gabriel Figueredo (18), John Cranko School, Germany
- SUSAN BENDALL
Photos: VAM Productions.