Nunnbetter Dance Theatre Advances to Youth America Grand Prix Dance Finals in NYC

Nunnbetter Dance Theatre (NDT), one of Bergen County, New Jersey's premier dance schools, is proud to announce that all three ensemble pieces entered into the Youth America Grand Prix competition earlier this year were awarded a spot in the NYC Finals taking place April 8 and 9, 2017 in New York City.

It is an honor for any dance studio to have one piece make it through to the finals, but an absolutely amazing achievement that the NDT dancers will have the chance to compete with all three of the beautifully choreographed pieces! Awarded a spot in the finals are a classical piece (from Haydn), a contemporary piece (entitled Sand), and a high spirited boys' contemporary piece (from Broadway's "Five Guys Named Moe").

"Everyone at NDT is beyond proud of all of our dancers for this incredible accomplishment," said Ernie Prinz, NDT Company Director. "The dedication and work that the NDT dancers, teachers, and choreographers have put into creating and perfecting these pieces is truly wonderful."

Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) is the world's largest global network of dance. By the time the YAGP finalists arrive in NYC for the April finals, there will have been preliminary competitions in over two dozen cities worldwide featuring thousands of dance pieces. To date, over 50,000 dancers have participated in YAGP's workshops, scholarship auditions and master classes worldwide.

In addition to the accolades the NDT ensemble pieces received at the regional YAGP competition, three NDT dancers who entered as soloists in the competition were recognized with scholarships and other awards. Erin Aslami, a native of Tenafly, placed in the top 12 in both the Senior Classical Soloist and Senior Contemporary Soloist categories and was offered a scholarship to the UNCSA summer program with an invitation to the UNCSA undergraduate program. Cecilia Hernandez placed in the top 12 in the Junior Classical Soloist division and LillIan Smith was invited to the NCSA Summer and Full Year program. Both young women are residents of Teaneck.

NDT is proud of the students who have worked so hard in their classes and the accomplished teachers who have helped shape these beautiful young dancers.

Classes for the 2016/2017 school year continue at Nunnbetter Dance Theatre. NDT also offers an exciting and fun dance intensive summer camp for students ages 7 and up. Information on NDT Dance Camp 2017 can be found at nunnbetterdance.com/camp or by calling 201-385-9638. Class schedule and registration for the 2017/2018 school year will be available soon.

Nunnbetter Dance Theatre (NDT), located in Bergenfield, N.J. has been teaching and shaping young dancers since 1997. NDT is known for excellence in dance instruction, emphasizing proper technique and strong fundamentals which in turn has helped many of its students grow into beautiful and professional dancers.

Nunnbetter Dance Theatre boasts an impressive list of alumni, including members of the Ballet Theatre of Maryland, The Washington Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, and Tulsa Ballet to name a few.

While Nunnbetter is known for excellence in ballet, the school also provides professional dance training in many other dance disciplines including Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Cotemporary, Modern, and Theater Dance. Current and former students have been seen on Broadway in "Once," "Matilda," "The Lion King," "The King and I," "School of Rock," and in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

For information regarding classes and camps, visit nunnbetterdance.com or call 201-385-9638. Follow on Facebook.

Pictured: NDT dancer Erin Aslami

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