64 replies to this topic

[Ceeszi]

Did Abrera and Radetsky not perform or did I spazz out?

[saraclara]

drb, on May 1 2007, 12:31 AM, said:

But what I assume was the men's winner came next to last.  The youth-filled audience began screaming as his intro started and they were right.  I don't think any of ABT's men could approach some of his tricks; the only man I could imagine duplicating his feats would be Ivan Vasiliev.

Was this young man Jim Nowakowski from Rochester City Ballet?  He is a fantastic performer and a very nice person who truly deserved the accolades he received.

[rg]

Abrera & Radetsky did not appear/perform, even tho' i heard no program change announced nor see any program copy noting the change to the second act's selections.

[drb]

saraclara, on May 1 2007, 03:12 PM, said:

Was this young man Jim Nowakowski from Rochester City Ballet?  He is a fantastic performer and a very nice person who truly deserved the accolades he received.

With the MC garbling a multisyllable name and his voice being covered by hysterical screams and cheers...
So I googled that name and found articles including photos.  That's the guy!

[drb]

And the winners are:
SENIOR:
Grand Prix: Melissa Hamilton
Men's Gold: Jim Nowakowski
Women's Gold: Mako Nagasaki
Honorary Grand Prix: Miles E. Perti
JUNIOR:
Grand Prix: Kiril Kulish
Men's Gold: Tomoha Terada
Women's Gold: Megumi Horiuchi

All the awards are now posted:
http://www.yagp.org/eng/nyc07.asp

[zerbinetta]

I have to agree about the pronunciation of names by Desmond R. He was a charming host, very relaxed & positive. As he'd danced the night before in Toronto, he hadn't time to ask each dancer how to pronounce his/her name so YAGP should have prepared a phonetically correct list of names for him.

I also agree wholeheartedly that YAGP needs to figure out how to keep the kids upstairs from being quite so  enthusiastic. They not only drowned out Richardson but also annoyed many of us with their screaming for "tricks" & seemingly not appreciating the more artistic entries.

As for the persistent flashes, the audience needs to be told that their cameras will be confiscated or they will be shown the door. It was more than just "rude & dangerous", it was downright infuriating to those of us who know proper audience etiquette.

[kickit101]

drb, on May 1 2007, 08:55 PM, said:

All the awards are now posted:
http://www.yagp.org/eng/nyc07.asp

Complete with errors:

Top 12 Sr Women and Mary Day Award are listed as
Kirsten Wicklund, (16) International School of Classical Ballet, Washington/USA

But she is in the San Francisco regionals 2nd Place as
Kirsten Wicklund, (16) Goh Ballet Academy (Vancouver, Canada)

The regionals are right, she's a Goh girl.

[Memo]

May I add a few things.  Sorry if it has already been said
Abrera and Radetsky did not perform

Orlando Ballet School performed and were announced as outstanding school 2007 which is incorrect they were outstanding school 2006.  The outstanding school 2007 was named as The Rock School. This performance at the Gala by Orlando Ballet School was unfortunately less than outstanding.  

The Solos were performed by the pre competitve winner
Paulina Guraieb Sbella, (10) Fomento Artistico Cordobes, Mexico

EDITED TO ADD a very small and very dinamic Japanese boy who was the Jr 1st place winner
Tomoha Terada, (12) Tanaka Ballet Art, Japan

We also saw The Junior Grand Prix winner
Kiril Kulish, (12) San Diego Academy of Ballet, California/USA
(la Corsaire)

Contemporary dance prize winner (for whom at the awards there was no "prize" given to her)  they actually called her up on stage said "we actually have nothing to give you so just stand there and have your moment" the contemporary dance prize has been awarded at several competition shame she will return to South Africa without even a certificate to show for her hard work.  
Camille Bracher, (15) Ballet Theatre Afrikan, South Africa
and Outstanding European dancer
Telmo Higino Gomes Moreira, (15) Escola de Danca do Conservatorio Nacional, Portugal
both did their contemporary solos

We also saw a young lady from the Rock School do her Contemporary I think she was
Kristie Latham, (16) The Rock School for Dance Education, Pennsylvania/USA  but I was not sure where that fit in since there were still winners that did not perform.  

MAY I ALSO ADD THAT WE SAW
Ryan Steele, (16) Dance Dynamics Performing Arts Center, Michigan/USA
he danced a contemporary piece by Carlos Dos Santos Jr

Womens Junior 1st place winner
Megumi Horiuchi, (14) Kaneta Kouno Ballet Academy, Japan
Harlequinade

Womens Senior 3rd place winner
Aurora Dickie, (18) Pavilhàod – Centro De Artes, Brazil
Don Q

Mens 2nd place (tie) winner I believe the website is incorrect he tied for 2nd not third.
Young Gyu Choi, (16) Tanz Akademie Zurich Taz, Switzerland
La Syllphide  (in my opinion of the standout performances of the competition.)

We saw Witney Jenson and Reyes Reyneris perform the pas de deuz from the Pharoh's Daughter
There participated in the pas de deux competition (him as a non competing partner) but did not place.

The young man who did the Acteons solo from  Diana and Acteon was the first place mens winner was indeed
Jim Nowakowski, (17) The Timothy M. Draper Center for Dance Education, New York/USA
Diana in Acteon
Jim and his partner also won the pas de deux competition.  Outstanding everytime he sets foot on the stage.

Then we saw the Senior Grand Prix Winner
Melissa Hamilton, (18) Greece
La Bayadere

Excuse me I do not have them in correct order but 2 large ensemble groups also performed one was
Dance World made in Takane, Japan, "Ballad - Deep in My Heart"  (that placed in second) their peice involve spinning chairs.  
and
Formento Artistico Cordobes, Mexico, "Muy Dentro De La Tierra" the First place large ensembel winner
very large group of nymphs which sent the Mexican contingent in the audience wild.  

Hope this helps.  

The second act in my opinion is the best $150 I have spent in a while.  It was inspiring and a wonderful opportunity to see some dancers I may never have the chance to see again in my lifetime.  
When mentioning Marianela Nunoz's pirouettes which were eye popping I would like to add that their artistry and port de bras held just as much impact as her amazing fouettes.  And their partnering was so smooth and elegant it really was artistry partnered with brilliance.  

Memo

Edited by Memo, 05 May 2007 - 06:52 PM.

[Rhapsody]

Memo,
Did the Honorary Grand Prix winner, Miles Pertl, perform at the Gala?  He's a tall, thin, very talented 16 year old.  We are delighted he did so well at the competition his first time out.

[Memo]

No he did not but he won a scholarship to JKO and I speculate that they want him there till the contract begins in Sept with Studio Company.  He was quite a stand out with his height and his beautiful feet but was not the strongest dancer in the competition.  ABT seems to be really going after the very tall boys at the moment and also took a very tall boy from RBS this year.  They look for potential and he definitely has it.

[cierra19]

correction:  The young girl from the Rock school who did her contemporary in the gala was Sara Michelle Murawski.  She was a top 12 senior, and it seems that they consider the entire top 12 group to be the 'winners.'

Memo, on May 2 2007, 03:46 PM, said:

We also saw a young lady from the Rock School do her Contemporary I think she was
Kristie Latham, (16) The Rock School for Dance Education, Pennsylvania/USA  but I was not sure where that fit in since there were still winners that did not perform.

[pj]

If I may be permitted....

For those long-time YAGP participants who remember Boris Shapiro when he gave the welcoming speeches at the beginning of the regional awards ceremonies, "EVERYONE is a winner."

[cierra19]

That sentiment is certainly appreciated- I was merely making a direct and specific reply to the comment that was made about the issue of the gala performers.  The post had stated that there was not enough room for all of the "winners" to perform, which clearly implied that the dancers from top 12 were not all winners.  The person writing the original post likely did not intend it this way, but the post itself simply implies that only the top 3 would be the "winners."  The question raised was about how it was possible for someone in the top 12 to perform in gala if all dancers from the top 3 in every category was not able to perform.  The post I left was merely to say that it appears that yagp labeled the "winners" as those in top 12.  Afterall, some use of labels seems logical, particularly since it was a "competition."  So I hope that my reply to that specific aspect of the post did not start the process of changing the topic to semantics and/or the use of the word "winner," as I did not mean to lead into this topic at all.

It our shared sentiment and loyalty about all dancers which allows use to view them as all being the winners in our minds, if not in ceremony.  

I hope this clarifies my reply to that post.  

Of course, getting up on a stage in NYC and doing a solo takes a lot of nerve for any youth to execute; so they are all amazing winners.   The dancers this year were talented and extraordinary beyond anything I have ever seen from amateurs anywhere.  

pj, on May 2 2007, 10:54 PM, said:

If I may be permitted....

For those long-time YAGP participants who remember Boris Shapiro when he gave the welcoming speeches at the beginning of the regional awards ceremonies, "EVERYONE is a winner."

[Memo]

cierra19, on May 3 2007, 02:35 AM, said:

correction:  The young girl from the Rock school who did her contemporary in the gala was Sara Michelle Murawski.  She was a top 12 senior, and it seems that they consider the entire top 12 group to be the 'winners.'

Memo, on May 2 2007, 03:46 PM, said:

We also saw a young lady from the Rock School do her Contemporary I think she was
Kristie Latham, (16) The Rock School for Dance Education, Pennsylvania/USA  but I was not sure where that fit in since there were still winners that did not perform.

I stand corrected.  I was not sure about that one. Thanks.

[Memo]

cierra19, on May 3 2007, 03:42 AM, said:

The person writing the original post likely did not intend it this way, but the post itself simply implies that only the top 3 would be the "winners."  The question raised was about how it was possible for someone in the top 12 to perform in gala if all dancers from the top 3 in every category was not able to perform.  The post I left was merely to say that it appears that yagp labeled the "winners" as those in top 12.  Afterall, some use of labels seems logical, particularly since it was a "competition."  So I hope that my reply to that specific aspect of the post did not start the process of changing the topic to semantics and/or the use of the word "winner," as I did not mean to lead into this topic at all.

It our shared sentiment and loyalty about all dancers which allows use to view them as all being the winners in our minds, if not in ceremony.

Well if you are refering to my post.  I was trying to report and who I saw, what they danced and a bit of editorial comment on my opinion on the performances all in one.  I think there were people at the gala who had not sat at the competition with a program and was trying to make it easier for them to figure out who was who.
I felt that the young ladies contemporary was not anything out of the ordinary and seemed out of place in the line up.  I felt the same way about Whitney Jenson and her partner doing the pas de deux I would like to have seen the first or second place pas de deux winners which I did not see at the competition.  I heard that they were really excellent.  
I have seen Larissa put up pieces that did not even make the final round that were interesting and different and worked really well.  Obviously Larissa thought differently and it is her show.  She always does an awesome job I just felt it was out of place in the line-up.