The time has finally come for Sydney Australia; it is the day that dancers have waited for! The
Youth America Grand Prix has started its 25th-anniversary tour… two days ago Australia began its semi-finals. The judges take their seats eager to see what each dancer will do and each dancer stands backstage waiting for their chance to take the stage and shine. They placed dancers into their categories and wait to hear the number that will give them their chance to dance.
The categories for YAGP are Pre-competitive, Junior, Senior, and Ensemble. In the Pre-competitive category, we have 9-11-year-olds who have trained and can compete but companies who deeply look at them. The Junior category is 12-14, these students who perform have the chance to get school scholarships and audition opportunities. Seniors are when everything starts to truly get serious, this category is 15-20-year-olds.
In the senior category, you have the chance to be noticed by companies, and you start getting audition opportunities and offers to join companies. Ensemble is where you have the chance to compete in any group dances you have been working on! Everything you present on stage has the chance to go to New York City for the Finals. As of right now, the Youth America Grand Prix Australia has completed its awards.
They will move into the masterclasses after they have finished the whole competition. Masterclasses are where a lot of the scholarships and awards will come from. Split by category each student will take a full day of classes with teachers from many different studios allowing them to be assessed on a deeper level. The teachers spend their time watching the dancers to see where they can go based on their potential. The masterclasses may not always be live streamed but the competition is streamed so that others can watch and keep track of what is going on.
Unlike other sporting events, you won’t truly know the standings until the entire competition is finished, Dancers don’t receive their scores until after alongside any notes that the judges may have for the dancer. While the Youth America Grand Prix Australia comes to a close, there are still many countries and dancers who are waiting for their turn to compete. All of this work will lead to the 2024 Finals in New York where the best of the best will compete against each other.
YAGP has quickly become the fastest way for dancers to get noticed, and with it being made available to watch live it has also quickly become the way to watch your favorite dancers compete. The competition can become very intense especially as you watch more and more dancers take the stage, every misstep or fall can cost the dancer grave points but every balance and turn performed beautifully gives the young dancers hope.
Dancers watch YAGP to gain a better understanding of what the season will look like for them, to see where their training will take them, and to have the chance to perform with or for their dream companies.
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