Youth America Grand Prix is held all over the world, and is the largest ballet competition and scholarship opportunity for dancers. Zoe has been wanting to attend for the last two years, but for various reasons we decided to wait until this year. Due to the craziness of her first semester in high school, and many hours of rehearsals for Nutcracker, it was hard to squeeze in extra rehearsals for this too. She managed to do some on her own at home, and then work with some of her teachers at the studio at the last minute, even adding a contemporary piece only 5 days before the competition.
We headed down to San Diego on Friday after school. We picked up Lindsay and Sonia on the way. I can't tell you how thankful we were to have these girls with us. They helped keep my nerves in check and kept Zoe happy and full of laughs!
The competition was held at the beautiful campus of Mater Dei High School. Zoe put on her contemporary costume and we waited for her chance to get on stage. This competition is fierce, and many of these dancers are incredible. They work all year for this, and it is a huge part of their training. It is a pretty intimidating environment to be in!
We watched some of the other contemporary numbers while waiting. Zoe was performing a piece that was very different from the other dancers. She wasn't sure if they would love it or hate it, but she was convinced it was the right one for her. I was getting so nervous...I don't do well with this kind of pressure. Thankfully, she does! It was time for her to go back stage. They wouldn't let me go back with her, only her teacher, and Nicole wasn't able to make it. I knew she was getting nervous so it was hard to let her go on her own.
I sat in the audience with Sonia and Lindsay and we watched her perform Avalanche beautifully! I could not have been more proud. She smiled and performed with her heart wide open, expressing her joy and faith through dance. We were all relieved when she came off smiling. It was time to head back to the room to eat and rest before her next piece.
These girls were perfect company to keep Zoe positive! She warmed up...
and got changed in the corner!
Time to get ready to go...
This time, I used the teacher badge to get backstage. I really wanted to be able to see what it was like back there and provide her with some calming words and support before she performed. She warmed up on stage...
and the director went over the procedures...
She performed the classical variation of Princess Florentine from Sleeping Beauty. It was stunning...
I love this girl!
What a relief to be done for the night. We made a stop for boba smoothies on our late night drive home!
Lindsay's brother sent us a video of everyone gathered around at the studio to watch Zoe on the live video feed. Joe and Cooper were home doing the same thing! It made Zoe so happy to know that everyone was supporting her and praying for her.
We headed back down to San Diego the next evening to attend the awards ceremony. We got there early, so we picked up some yogurt before heading in. I love this time with my girl!
The ceremony started and the judges presented all of the dancers.
The dancers were called up by studio. Most studios send several, or even large groups of dancers. Zoe was one of the few that were on their own!
They presented the top 3 from each category, who will move on to the finals in New York in April. Zoe knew she wouldn't make that cut, but it really was incredible to see how talented these dancers are.
Sunday was spent in classical technique, contemporary technique and variations classes taught by the judges. It was a great learning experience and neat to be taught by these distinguished dancers. I could only snap one quick picture before I fully embarrassed her!
At the end of the day, she received her individual scores from each of the judges. She was very happy with her results. She did well, got great feedback and critiques, and learned a ton. She was officially done with her YAGP weekend, and what better way to celebrate than more treats!
When we got home, she found that her room had been decorated by her good friend Savannah. Zoe was so surprised, and it really meant the world to her!
It was definitely an intense and long weekend, but we are so proud of her. She gave it her all, stood against the grain, and performed beautifully. It was a great experience for her, and she is looking forward to trying to attend again next year!
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