Where did they go next? ABA STUDENTS STUDYING IN MAJOR BALLET COMPANIES AROUND THE WORLD….
Keara Nichols accepted a contract for the Colorado Ballet Studio Company
Mira Larsen spent 2 years studying at the Royal Ballet School in London
Mia Benitez went on to study at San Francisco Ballet School on scholarship
Reid Bryant accepted a contract with Houston Ballet II
Heather Ludlow accepted a contract in the Studio Company at Colorado Ballet
Macie Rowe accepted a contract to dance with Eugene Ballet
ABA Dancers have also received scholarships to train at places including:
Jacquelyn Kennedy Onassis School, official school of American Ballet Theatre
School of American Ballet, official school of New York City Ballet
Princess Grace Academy in Monaco
San Francisco Ballet School
Houston Ballet School
Pacific Northwest Ballet School
Ballet West
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
Colorado Ballet
…and more!
2022 Competition Season:
YAGP Finals: Hiro Ikeda, Noe Lynds, Ava Whitehurst, Dawn of Faith ensemble
YAGP San Diego and Los Angeles:
Outstanding Teacher Award
Hope Award: Ava Whitehurst
1st Place Senior Classical: Noe Lynds
2nd Place Senior Contemporary: Carly Allyn
2nd Place Small Ensemble: Bluebird Pas de Deux (Ava and Lane Whitehurst)
2nd Place Senior Contemporary: Joshua Bean
3rd Place Junior Men: Lane Whitehurst
Senior Classical Top 12: Carly Allyn, Ivy Lanhardt
Senior Contemporary Top 12: Noe Lynds, Ivy Lanhardt
Top 12 Pre competitive: Kate Weeg
Senior Classical Top 24: Hiro Ikeda, Misae Lee
Junior Classical Top 24: Brooke Anderson, Dominika Pedras
Top 12 Large Ensemble: Dawn of Faith
Spotlight Music Awards:
Classical Dance Semi-Finalist: Noe Lynds
2020 Competition Season:
Prix de Lausanne 2020: Keara Nichols
YAGP San Diego and Los Angeles:
Outstanding Teacher Award
Grand Prix Award: Keara Nichols
Full scholarship to San Francisco Ballet: Keara Nichols
1st Place Junior Contemporary: Carly Allyn
2nd Place Junior Classical: Carly Allyn
Finals invitations: Carly Allyn, Keara Nichols, ensemble
Top 12 Senior Contemporary: Emily Porges, Catherine Ventura
YAGP SAN DIEGO 2014 & 2015
2014:
Madeline Davis, Jefferson Reid Bryant and Sleeping Beauty Pas de Deux (Jackson Pierce Bryant and Elisa D’Carpio) are qualified for New York FINALS!!!!!
Top 12 Junior Contemporary: Madeline Davis
Top 12 Junior Classical Division: Diana Gallegos, Madeline Davis
Top 24 Junior Classical Division: Audrey Cardinal, Madeline Davis, Diana Gallegos
Junior Classical Division 3rd Place: Madeline Davis
Men’s Classical Division 3rd Place: Reagan Bryant
Pre-Competitive Division Top 12: Jefferson Reid Bryant
Senior Contemporary Division Top 12: Elisa D’Carpio, Macie Rowe
Senior Contemporary Division 3rd Place: Macie Rowe
Senior Contemporary Division 1st Place: Elisa D’Carpio
Ensembles Division Top 12: Ciara Cardinal and Isabella Nguyen (Oceans and Pearls)
2015:
1st place in Junior Men’s Classical;
Reid Bryant
1st place Senior Contemporary Macie Rowe
Mira Larsen, Reid Bryant, and Marzipan (Reid Bryant, Lauren Clarke, and Catherine Ventura) qualified for New York finals;
Mia Benitez and Diana Gallegos were invited to the YAGP New York Intensive,
Mira Larsen, Diana Gallegos, and Macie Rowe for top 12 in Senior Contemporary;
Mira Larsen, Diana Gallegos, and Macie Rowe for top 12 Senior Classical;
Anaise Blazer for top 24 Senior Classical;
Audrey Cardinal for top 24 Junior Classical;
Marzipan for top 12 Ensembles
Achievements
Our full time dancers have recently won and placed in the San Diego, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and LA YAGP regionals. Many of our dancers have qualified for the New York Finals. Our dancer Mira placed top 12 in the YAGP NY Finals and is now studying at The Royal Ballet School. Our dancer Reid attended YAGP NY Finals, and is now studying year round now at Houston Ballet on Full Scholarship. Our dancers this year (2017), have been accepted to San Francisco Ballet (full scholarship), School of American Ballet (Full Scholarship), ABT/JKO School (Part scholarship), The Rock School for Dance Education, Boston Ballet (Scholarship), PNB, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater (Full Scholarship), Ballet West (Full scholarship), and many others. Many of our dancers have also received full and partial scholarships as well as offers to attend year round programs abroad. Our training is being proven by our results and the many opportunities our dancers are receiving.
2021 Competition Season:
YAGP San Diego and Los Angeles:
1st Place Senior Contemporary: Mariah Harrell
Senior Contemporary Top 12: Alyssa Nichols
Senior Classical Top 12: Mariah Harrell, Alyssa Nichols
Junior Classical Top 24: Noe Lynds
Finals Invitations: Keara Nichols, Sunset ensemble
California Dance Classics:
Classical Ensemble Gold Medal: Sunset
Classical 17+ Gold Medal: Keara Nichols
Contemporary 17+ Silver Medal: Keara Nichols
15-16 Contemporary Honorable Mention: Alyssa Nichols
13-14 Classical Honorable Mention: Noe Lynds
13-14 Contemporary Silver Medal: Ivy Lanhardt
11-12 Classical Honorable Mention: Dominika Pedras
11-12 Contemporary Honorable Mention: Maile Buschmann
8 and under Classical Gold Medal: Ava Whitehurst
8 and under Contemporary Gold Medal: Ava Whitehurst
ICON Dance Awards:
Outstanding Performance: Maile Buschmann
Music Center Spotlight Awards:
Semi-finalist in classical ballet: Keara Nichols
YAGP San Diego and Los Angeles 2019 Winners!!
YAGP San Diego:
1st Place Senior Contemporary: Keara Nichols
Top 12 Junior Classical: Carly Allyn **New York Finalist!**
Top 12 Senior Classical: Keara Nichols, Catherine Ventura
Top 12 Senior Contemporary: Keara Nichols, Heather Ludlow
Top 24 Senior Classical: Heather Ludlow, Keara Nichols, Catherine Ventura
YAGP Los Angeles:
1st Place Junior Contemporary: Carly Allyn
3rd Place Senior Contemporary: Emily Porges
Top 12 Senior Classical: Lydia Murphy, Keara Nichols
Top 12 Senior Contemporary: Angela Morton, Keara Nichols, Emily Porges
Top 24 Senior Classical: Emily Porges
Top 24 Junior Classical: Carly Allyn
California Dance Classics 2019 Winners!!
Silver Medal Age 15-16 Contemporary: Emily Porges
Bronze Medal Age 15-16 Classical Men’s: Chase Petersen
Bronze Medal Age 17+ Classical: Makayla O’Sullivan
Bronze Medal Age 15-16 Contemporary: Keara Nichols
Honorable Mention Age 13-14 Classical: Alyssa Nichols
Honorable Mention Age 13-14 Contemporary: Alyssa Nichols
Honorable Mention Age 15-16 Contemporary: Heather Ludlow, Catherine Ventura
Honorable Mention Age 15-16 Classical: Heather Ludlow, Catherine Ventura
Full Scholarship to Milwaukee Ballet Summer Intensive: Keara Nichols
Full Year Round Scholarship to Joffrey Ballet Academy: Chase Petersen
Spotlight Music Center Awards
2019: Mia Benitez was selected for the Semi-final round (Top 14)
2018: Mia Benitez was selected for the Semi-final round (Top 14)
2016: Mira Larsen and Diana Gallegos were both selected to compete in the Semi-final round! (Top 14)
CALIFORNIA DANCE CLASSICS SAN DIEGO 2018
Gold Medal Classical Solo Age 17+: Hannah Ivester
Gold Medal Contemporary Solo Age 15-16: Heather Ludlow
Gold Medal Contemporary Solo Age 13-14: Catherine Ventura
Silver Medal Classical Solo Age 15-16: Heather Ludlow
Silver Medal Contemporary Solo Age 17+: Hannah Ivester
Classical Solo Honorable Mention: Chase Petersen, Catherine Ventura, Rachel Hudson
Contemporary Solo Honorable Mention: Lydia Murphy
CDC Monetary Scholarship: Heather Ludlow
Ballet West Short Term Scholarship: Hannah Ivester
LA Ballet Summer Intensive Scholarship: Catherine Ventura
VIBE Winners 2016-2017
2017 Mia Benitez – Gold -Classical
2017 Taylor Parent – Silver – Classical
2017 Catherine Ventura – Bronze – Classical
2017 Madeleine Gardner – Silver – Contemporary
2017 Taylor Parent- Bronze – Contemporary
2016 Mira Larsen -Gold – Classical Senior
2016 Mia Benitez -Gold – Classical Junior
Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) is the world’s largest global network of dance. It fulfills its mission of dance education through scholarship auditions, master classes, alumni services, educational and outreach activities, performances, and films.
Mission Statement: To support and develop world-class dancers, ages 9-19, of all economic, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds by providing scholarship auditions, performance and education opportunities, and by serving as the global network of dance, connecting students, teachers, schools, dance companies, dancers, and audiences.
YAGP reaches over 7,000 dance students annually by holding workshops, scholarship auditions, master classes and audition classes in approximately 17 U.S cities and 6 international locations. Each season culminates in the week-long New York Finals, where more than 1,200 of the world’s most promising dancers receive in-depth mentoring and greater scholarship, professional, and performance opportunities. The New York Finals closing night “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow” Gala features the students showing the most potential alongside the stars of today’s leading dance companies.
THE VIENNA INTERNATIONAL BALLET EXPERIENCE – VIBE
brings together some of the most outstanding young dancers from around the world and serves as an introduction to an international career.
It is an auspicious occasion on which to promote cultural exchange and mutual understanding among its participating candidates and the audience, in the beautiful city of Vienna, the cultural heart of Europe. The Vienna International Ballet Experience is open to professional and amateur dancers, students and performers with and without disabilities. These include dancers with physical disabilities as well as dancers with special educational needs.
