TB students experience success at YAGP

While most high school students spend spring break at the beach or on the slopes, our top ballet students prove once again they are not the typical teenagers. Tulsa Ballet Center for Dance Education level 6 students spent their spring break dancing alongside the top ballet students in the world. TBCDE students and faculty traveled to New York to compete at the Youth America Grand Prix International Finals held March 17th – 22nd. And it was well worth the work!

The YAGP competition was massive and the talent was amazing. To advance to the finals, schools had to qualify by attending a semi-regional competition. Only the top few students at each regional receive the opportunity to compete in New York, so we were truly among the best of the best. Being a first time competitor in a field representing 35 countries was truly an eye-opening experience for our 11 students from TBCDE. We hoped to gain experience, gain exposure, and gain opportunities for our talented students. We received much more than we expected!

Our 10 female students competed in the ensemble category, which included 96 pieces representing 8 countries. They performed both a contemporary and a classical piece choreographed and coached by Liudmila Polonskaya and they danced both beautifully. TBCDE ensemble was named as Top 12! These talented young women include: Grace Chanslor, Joy Chen, Reagan Collins, Michaela Harrington, Brittan Jenkins, Bobbie Lynn Kandravi, Hana Lethen, Madison Pride, Calley Skalnik and Rachel Wells.

The senior women’s category hosted 121 young women from 16 different countries. Calley performed a variation from Sleeping Beauty and a contemporary piece choreographed by Liudmila Polonskaya. The top 21 made it to the final round and our Calley Skalnik was among those who advanced! The final round was held at the New York City Center and Calley performed with confidence, grace, and beauty.

In the senior men’s category there were 49 dancers and Nikolas Gaifullin was a strong contender. Nikolas performed a variation from La Fille Mal Gardee and a contemporary piece choreographed by Stephanie Murrish. While he did not advance to the final round, he was noticed by many and received two scholarship offers for summer training. Nikolas and Bobbie Lynn Kandravi also competed in the pas de deux division, coached by Daniil Gaifullin and Stephanie Murrish, and danced well.

The students were wonderful and represented Tulsa Ballet extremely well. We are very proud and already looking forward to returning next year to showcase the talent and the training we have here at Tulsa Ballet.

by Stacey Jenkins, Director of Education and Outreach