Youth America Grand Prix Finals Week Returns To Lincoln Center

World's largest student ballet scholarship audition - YOUTH AMERICA GRAND PRIX - returns to the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center to host its 2017 finals week in New York City. The week of ballet festivities will include the YAGP Final Round with performances by the world's most talented ballet students on April 12th, and the critically-acclaimed "Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow" Gala on April 13th. The pièce de résistance for this years culminating week will be "Julio Bocca: Tribute to a Dance Legend" featuring a series of performances to honor Bocca on his 50th birthday for his contributions to the ballet world by being the first Argentinian ballet dancer and paving the way for all of the Latin American dancers who we celebrate today in ballet.

YAGP FINAL ROUND (April 12, 2017 at 7pm) - This season, over 8,000 talented young dance students auditioned at semi-final rounds conducted by YAGP around the globe, and more than 1000 finalists will gather in New York in April, to audition for scholarships and contracts with the most prestigious ballet schools and companies in the world. The most promising Junior (12-14 y.o.) and Senior (15-19 y.o.) participants will perform in the FINAL ROUND, before the winners are chosen and they disperse around the world to study on scholarship at the world's leading dance academies (over $300,000 in scholarships are presented annually at YAGP) and receive contracts with some of the world's most renowned ballet companies. TICKETS: $25-$45, available at the David H. Koch Theater box office, at davidhkochtheater.com, or by 212.581.1212.

YAGP "STARS OF TODAY MEET THE STARS OF TOMORROW" GALA: (April 13, 2017 at 7pm) - The annually sold-out YAGP Gala features talented young finalists of YAGP 2017 Season onstage alongside international ballet stars. This year's performance will feature the stars of National Ballet of Canada, Svetlana Lunkina and Evan McKie, in a US Premiere by choreographer David Dawson; Renowned international ballet stars Lucia Lacarra and Marlon Dino in a US Premiere by choreographer Russell Maliphant; English National Ballet's Principal Dancer and Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, performing with the company's rising star dancer and YAGP Alum Cesar Corrales; YAGP Alumni, soloist Skylar Brandt and company artist Gabe Stone Shayer of the American Ballet Theatre. New York City Ballet's Tiler Peck and YAGP alum Zachary Catazaro will perform an excerpt from Christopher Wheeldon's "Carousel". The evening will additionally feature a World Premiere piece d'occasion by YAGP 2017 Emerging Choreographer, Boston Ballet Principal Dancer, and YAGP Alum, Paulo Arrais, performed by YAGP Alumna and Boston Ballet Principal, Hannah Bettes. TICKETS: $45-$150, available at the David H. Koch Theater box office, at davidhkochtheater.com, or by 212.581.1212. FOR PATRON TICKETS AND TABLES Please call 646.465.5933 or email Victoria Campbell, vcampbell@yagp.org

YAGP Presents: "JULIO BOCCA: TRIBUTE TO A DANCE LEGEND" (April 14th, 2017 at 7:30 PM) - As part of its "Legends in Dance" series - and in celebration of Julio Bocca's 50th Birthday - YAGP will pay special tribute to the legendary Argentinian ballet dancer. Many of Mr. Bocca's celebrated partners and personal friends, including Nina Ananiashvili, Marlon Dino, Cecilia Figaredo, Marcelo Gomes, Isaac Hernandez, Lucia Lacarra, Manuel Legris, Joaquin De Luz, Luciana Paris, Tiler Peck, Herman Piquin, Tamara Rojo, Yuan Yuan Tan and others will gather from all over the globe to honor of the Latin-American legend who "broke the mold" by becoming the first ballet dancer from Argentina to gain worldwide recognition. Mr. Bocca went on to win the hearts of audiences around the world, inspiring and influencing several generations of male dancers. TICKETS: $45-$150, available at the David H. Koch Theater box office, at davidhkochtheater.com, or by 212.581.1212.

YOUTH AMERICA GRAND PRIX (YAGP) is the world's largest global dance network, connecting classically-trained students, teachers, schools, companies, alumni, sponsors, dancers and choreographers with audiences who share a distinct passion for and love of dance. YAGP annually awards more than $500,000 in scholarships from the leading dance schools worldwide. Since its founding in 1999, over 80,000 young dancers ages 9 to 19 of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds have participated in YAGP's international workshops, audition classes, and dance awareness events. Gifted dancers have earned over $3 million in scholarships to the leading dance schools. More than 300 YAGP alumni currently dance with 80 companies around the world including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet and many others. For more information, call 646.465.5933 or visit WWW.YAGP.ORG.

YAGP is proudly sponsored by Bloch, Capezio, Chacott, Discount Dance Supply, Dance Media (publishers of Dance, Pointe, Dance Teacher and Dance Spirit magazines), Chacott by Freed of London , Gaynor Minden, Grishko, Harlequin Floors, Russian Pointe, and Sylvia Co.

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