Where Ballet Thrives: Inside YAGP’s Lincoln Center Gala with Great Performances Great Performances

Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP) Gala | David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center | Morgan Golumbuk, Senior Event Director

The pattering of pointe shoes, the rustling tulle of tutus. The score which accompanies a night in support of what some may consider a “dying art” (yes, Timothee, we still have not forgotten).

The Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP) is the world’s largest student ballet scholarship program. Founded here in New York City, the non-profit organization conducts scholarship competitions, master classes, performances, and educational activities across the globe.

Each scholarship season is concluded at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, with more than 1,500 of the most promising dancers receiving a chance to compete for greater awards, as well as a closing night Gala, “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow.”

This year, Great Performances had the privilege of being a part of this cumulative celebration. Guests were treated to a pre-show cocktail reception, following which they were welcomed into the theater proper to enjoy a performance by both YAGP students and ballet company professionals alike. Afterwards, they returned to a transformed lobby for a seated dinner, the entirety of the space illuminated pink in homage to the gala’s honoree and patron of the ballet arts, Rebecca Hansel Cohen, founder of LoveShackFancy.

Throughout the evening, there was palpable passion amongst the attendees and performers, all gathered to further the impact dance has on the New York community and the world at large. From new and reflective choreographic pieces to beloved classical excerpts, the program featured a range as diverse as its dancers, proving not only the breadth of its reach, but that ballet is far from needing a resurrection.

In fact, it’s as popular as ever, with clothing brands like Kim Kardashian’s Skims, Alo Yoga, and Urban Outfitters naming entire collections after the trending “ballet core” aesthetic. American Ballet Theatre’s July 6th showing of Don Quixote at the Metropolitan Opera featuring prima ballerina Natalia Osipova sold out within minutes of tickets going live. Internet trends featuring dancers en pointe consistently rake in millions of views.

It is evident that not only is the ballet community alive and well, but that organizations within it are actively seeking to further the opportunities of those aiming to pursue the artform as a career.

Built on the idea that artists should have the option of flexible work so that they can simultaneously attain their creative dreams, Great Performances is honored to have been involved in such an inspiring and poignant occasion.