Young dancers studying at Metropolitan Ballet in Jenkintown, PA, achieved great success in the 2024 Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), winning high honors at the annual competition’s regional Semi-Finals held in Philadelphia January 11/12. Two young dancers will continue on to compete at the prestigious YAGP Finals in New York, April 11 – 21st, 2024.
Advancing to Finals are Irina Darie and Ethan Ross. Both competed in the Pre-Competitive, 9 – 11 year old age group. Irina, will perform a Classical solo. Irina placed 2nd in the Classical division in Philadelphia.
Ethan Ross will perform both a Classical solo and a Contemporary solo. Ethan placed 1st in Classical and 2nd in Contemporary in the Philadelphia Regionals.
Both students were coached in their Classical solos by Met faculty member Natalya Zeiger. Ms. Zeiger began her training and career with the Bolshoi Ballet before coming to the US. Ms. Zeiger is a revered mentor for serious classical ballet students in the Philadelphia area. Ethan Ross’s Contemporary solo was choreographed by Met Alumnus, Micah Sell, currently a senior at SUNY Purchase Dance Conservatory. Both Micah and Ethan are part of Met’s Boys’ Scholarship Training Program, one of the largest and most successful programs in the country, with 50 boys participating each year in all-male, tuition-fee classes.
Metropolitan Founder and Artistic Director, Lisa Collins Vidnovic said, “I am so proud of our young dancers who work so hard throughout the year. Students who excel at YAGP are often offered scholarships to study with ballet companies across America, and many Met alumni, dancing professionally, received these YAGP scholarships early on.”
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