YAGP to Host Annual Gala at Lincoln Center

World's largest dance network and international student ballet scholarship audition - YOUTH AMERICA GRAND PRIX - will present its signature "Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow" annual Gala at the David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center. The Gala will feature the finalists of the international ballet competition performing alongside today's most celebrated ballet stars - many of whom are alumni of YAGP.

THE FINAL ROUND OF THE COMPETITION (April 15, 2015 at 7pm) - Each year, over 5,000 talented young dance students audition worldwide at semi-final rounds conducted by YAGP around the globe. Only 300 of the most promising young dancers representing 30 countries on 5 continents are chosen for the New York City Finals. Open to general public, the FINAL ROUND will give New York audiences a unique opportunity to see 60 of the world's best young dancers before they disperse around the world to study on scholarship at the world's leading dance academies (over $300,000 in scholarships are presented annually at YAGP).

TICKETS: $45 for all seat locations, available at the David H. Koch Theater box office, at davidhkochtheater.com, or by calling 212-496-0600.

"STARS OF TODAY MEET THE STARS OF TOMORROW": YAGP 2015 GALA (April 16, 2015 at 6:30pm) - This year's program will feature Paloma Herrera, one of the most beloved dancers performing today, in Mauricio Wainrot's Verano Porten?o with partner Juan Pablo Ledo of Teatro Colo?n, Argentina. The piece will

be performed to live accompaniment by the Toomai Quintet with violinist Dmitri Berlinsky. A World Premiere of Artistic Director Alexei Kremnev's choreography Windy Sand will feature dancers from the Joffrey Ballet. The piece features original music by composer Karen LeFrak performed by pianist Tatiana Goncharova, and costumes by internationally renowned fashion designer and YAGP board member, B Michael. YAGP's "Emerging Choreographer Series" will present the World Premiere of a ballet by Anton Pimonov (Mariinsky Ballet), which will feature the rising star of Mariinsky Ballet, Kristina Shapran, and YAGP Alum, Calvin Royal III (American Ballet Theatre). New York City Ballet's Teresa Reichlen and Zachary Catazaro (YAGP Alum) will perform in a World Premiere by Guggenheim artist, Emery LeCrone, set to Mozart's Menuet from String Quartet No. 15 that will be performed live by the musicians from the Toomai Quintet, with costumes by B Michael. The program will also feature a World Premiere of Ballet 101 by Eric Gauthier.

The program will feature the New York professional debut of two YAGP alumni, the Royal Ballet's Melissa Hamilton ("Grand Prix" Award winner, YAGP 2007) - who, together with Edward Watson will perform Wayne McGregor's Qualia - and The Mariinsky Ballet's Kimin Kim ("Grand Prix" Award winner, YAGP 2012), who will perform the classic Pas de Deux from Le Corsaire with a fellow YAGP Alumna, Isabella Boylston (American Ballet Theatre).

"Youth America Grand Prix is all about creating opportunities for dancers to further themselves professionally, and we are always especially proud to feature our alumni in any performance we organize - they are our true success stories," says Larissa Saveliev, founder of YAGP. "Dancers like The Royal Ballet's Melissa Hamilton are a perfect example of what YAGP does best: unnoticed at the audition, Melissa was not even admitted to the Royal Ballet School; but - she did not give up, she worked very hard to improve - and, after her success at the competition, she was discovered and invited to join the Royal Ballet company."

The Gala, which is underwritten by Bulgari, will also include performances by Xander Parish (Mariisnky Ballet), Semyon Chudin and Ekaterina Krysanova (Bolshoi Ballet), as well as international ballroom champions Denys Drozdyuk and Antonina Skobina.

TICKETS: $45-$150, available at the David H. Koch Theater box office, at davidhkochtheater.com, or by 212- 496-0600. PATRON TICKETS AND TABLES include prime performance seats: $1,000, $1,500, $2,500 for patron tickets; and $15,000, $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000 for tables of ten. Corporate and Artistic Sponsorship packages are available by calling 646.791.9500 or through the YAGP website, www.yagp.org.

YOUTH AMERICA GRAND PRIX (YAGP) is a global dance network, connecting dance students, teachers, schools, companies, choreographers, professional dancers and audiences all over the world. YAGP annually conducts the world's largest student ballet scholarship audition, giving promising young dance students over $300,000 in scholarships to the leading dance schools worldwide. Since its founding in 1999, over 70,000 young dancers ages 9 to 19 of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds have participated in YAGP's international workshops, audition classes, and dance awareness events. Gifted dancers have earned over $3 million in scholarships to the leading dance schools. More than 300 YAGP alumni currently dance with 80 companies around the world including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg, and many others. For more information, call 646-791-9500 or visit WWW.YAGP.ORG.

YAGP's 2015 season is sponsored by Aleksandra/Russian Pointe, Bloch, Capezio, Discount Dance Supply, Dance Magazine, Dance Teacher Magazine, Dance Spirit Magazine, Grishko, Harlequin, Pointe Magazine, Sansha, and Sylvia Co.