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Apr. 19, 2019 03:37PM EST

Congratulations to the 2019 Youth America Grand Prix Winners

Gabriel Figueredo in a variation from Raymonda. VAM Productions, Courtesy YAGP.

This week, over 1,000 young hopefuls gathered in New York City for the Youth America Grand Prix finals, giving them the chance to compete for scholarships and contracts to some of the world's top ballet schools and companies. Roughly 85 dancers made it to the final round at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater on Wednesday. Today, the 20th anniversary of YAGP came to a close at the competition's awards ceremony. Read on to find out who won!

Grand Prix Award Winner

Gabriel Figueredo in a variation from Raymonda

VAM Productions, Courtesy YAGP

Gabriel Figueredo (18), John Cranko School, Germany

Senior Women

Grace Carroll in a variation from Paquita

VAM Productions, Courtesy YAGP

1st Place: Grace Carroll (15), Tanya Pearson Academy, Australia

2nd Place: Yazmin Verhage (16), Ballettschule Theater Basel, Switzerland

3rd Place: Arianna Crosato Neumann (16), Danzaira Escuela Profesional de Ballet, Peru

Senior Men

Junsu Lee in a variation from Grand Pas Classique

VAM Productions, Courtesy YAGP

1st Place: Junsu Lee (16), Korea National University of Art, South Korea

2nd Place: Francisco Gomes (15), Academia Annarella, Portugal

3rd Place: Joaquin Gaubeca (16), Cary Ballet Conservatory, Argentina

3rd Place: Harold Mendez (17), The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School, Cuba

Youth Grand Prix Winner

Darrion Sellman in a variation from Swan Lake

VAM Productions, Courtesy YAGP

Darrion Sellman (14), Los Angeles Ballet Academy, CA, USA

Junior Women

Rebecca Alexandria Hadibroto in a variation from Harlequinade

VAM Productions, Courtesy YAGP

1st Place: Rebecca Alexandria Hadibroto (12), Malrupi Dance Academy, Indonesia

2nd Place: Ava Arbuckle (14), Elite Classical Coaching, TX, USA

3rd Place: Madison Brown (13), Lents Dance Company, FL, USA

Junior Men

Misha Broderick in a variation from Diana and Acteon

VAM Productions, Courtesy YAGP

1st Place: Misha Broderick (13), Master Ballet Academy, AZ, USA

2nd Place: Andrey Jesus (13), Bale Jovem de Sao Vicente, Brazil

3rd Place: Seungmin Lee (14), Sunhwa Arts Middle School, South Korea

Pre-Competitive Age Division Grand Prix

Corbin Halloway

VAM Productions, Courtesy YAGP

Corbin Halloway (11), CityDance School and Conservatory, MD, USA

Pre-Competitive Age Division Women

Martha Savin

VAM Productions, Courtesy YAGP

1st Place: Martha Savin (11), Dance Planet, Romania

2nd Place: Kseniya Koasva (11), Ballet School of Vezhnovets, Belarus

3rd Place: Natasha Furman (10), Not Your Ordinary Dancers, NJ, USA

Pre-Competitive Age Division Men

Matthis Laevens

VAM Productions, Courtesy YAGP

1st Place: Matthis Laevens (10), Balletschool Raymonda, Belgium

2nd Place: Kai Sato (11), Y Ballet Academy, Japan

3rd Place: Aiden Johns (11), Indiana Ballet Conservatory, IN, USA

Special Awards

Joao Vitor da Silva in a variation from Coppélia

VAM Productions, Courtesy YAGP

Shelley King Award for Excellence: Summer Duvyestyn (12), Classical Coaching Australia, Australia

Grishko Model Search Award: Ava Arbuckle (14), Elite Classical Coaching, TX, USA

Natalia Makarova Award for Artistry: Anastasia Poltnikova (17), Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Russia

Dance Europe Award: Gabriel Figueredo (18), John Cranko School, Germany

Mary Day Award for Artistry: Joao Vitor da Silva (15), Ballet Vortice, Brazil

Outstanding Choreographer Award: Maiko Miyauchi and Christina Bucci, Yarita Yu Ballet Studio, Japan

Outstanding Teacher Award: Mariaelena Ruiz, Cary Ballet Conservatory, NC, USA

For the full list of winners and the schools they represented, click here. Congratulations to all!

“Les Petits Rats”: Inside the Lives of Two Students at the Illustrious Paris Opéra Ballet School

Hortense Millet-Maurin (third from left) and her classmates perform August Bournonville's La Conservatoire. Svetlana Loboff, Courtesy POB.

As a little girl, Hortense Millet-Maurin fell in love with the wide spiral staircase that dominates the center of the Paris Opéra Ballet School. Today, as a focused 15-year-old POB student, she and her classmate Vincent Vivet navigate the school's spacious architecture on a daily basis. In a hallway strewn with foam rollers and tennis balls, their faces are laced with concentration as they prepare alongside their peers for afternoon ballet class. Color-coded uniforms reflect Vivet's and Millet-Maurin's third division; with only two advanced divisions remaining, they are increasingly close to realizing their professional aspirations: joining the Paris Opéra Ballet. Pointe spoke with these two young dancers to see what it's like studying inside the world's oldest ballet academy.

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The Case for Attending a Well-Rounded Summer Intensive Program

Tzu Chia Huang, Courtesy Ballet Arizona

These days, ballet dancers are asked to do more than they ever have—whether that's tackling versatile rep, taking on intense cross-training regimens or managing everything from their Instagram pages to their summer layoff gigs.

Without proper training, these demands can take a toll on both the mind and the body. But students can start preparing for them early—with the right summer intensive program.

The School of Ballet Arizona's summer intensive takes a well-rounded approach to training—not just focusing on technique and facility but nurturing overall dancer growth. "You cannot make a dancer just by screaming at them like they used to," says master ballet teacher Roberto Muñoz, who guests at the program every summer. "You have to take care of the person as well."

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Feeling Wobbly? Try These Four Exercises for Longer, Stronger Balances

Emily Giacalone, modeled by Elizabeth Steele of The School at Steps.

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Why It's Never Too Early to Start Prepping for Your Summer Intensive

Courtesy School of Pennsylvania Ballet

While many of us are deep in Nutcracker duties, The School of Pennsylvania Ballet director James Payne has been looking further ahead, finalizing preparations for the school's summer intensive programs. In January, he and his staff will embark on a 24-city audition tour to scour the country for the best young dancers, deciding whether or not to offer them a spot—maybe even a scholarship—in the school's rigorous 5-week intensive focused on high-caliber ballet instruction. Though he'll be evaluating aspirants, he urges that as a student, you should be equally selective in choosing programs that could galvanize your training—and possibly even your career.

We got Payne's advice on strategizing your summer intensive plan before the audition cycle kicks in:

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