PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The next global ballet star could be in the Philadelphia area. The Youth America Grand Prix regional semifinals competition is coming next weekend.
Noe Lynds, 16, a dancer with The Rock School for Dance Education, has lofty goals.
“My ultimate dream role has to be Juliet. The story is beautiful. The music.”
Lynds has been working tirelessly toward being a professional dancer since she was just 11 years old. She says the Youth America Grand Prix could get her closer to that dream.
She competed in the Youth America Grand Prix to win her position at The Rock School.
“It dramatically changed my dance journey. I came from a very small school, and because of YAGP, I was given an offer to train here at the Rock School for Dance Education, and I’m forever grateful for it.”
And now, through the school, she’s competing again in the hope of taking that next big step. She says she could go on to any major dance company around the world.
If she wins.
“I think coming to a professional school allowed me to really believe that I really can pursue dance as a career,” Lynds said.
At the competition, hundreds of aspiring ballet dancers, ages 9 to 19, will compete for several top-tier scholarships — and global recognition.
Peter Stark, director of The Rock School, says the competition has democratized the dance world.
“Now any young dancer training anywhere in the world, through this competition, has access to any major ballet school and company worldwide,” Stark said.
Stark explains, YAPG can build a dancers’ career. It’s like the Olympics of ballet, where the next big talent is scouted.
“I’m very proud that I have students dancing in Germany, Sweden and England. And it’s all because of this competition.”
The competition allows dancers from any background an equal chance to compete with hundreds of Pennsylvania's most talented ballet students.
Judges come from top companies and schools from around the world.
From here, winners go on to dance professionally for American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, New York City Ballet.
As a result of an overwhelming number of contestants, this is the first year the semi finals will be broken up into two competitions: one in October and the next in January.