If you've been around the dance world for any length of time, you might have heard about YAGP. Social Media is often flooded with studios and competitors posting about their time at this event. But what exactly is YAGP and what do you need to know as a parent or student to be informed about making the right decisions to participate. Below are my explanations of what YAGP is and my thoughts on how to approach it correctly.
YAGP Overview
YAGP stands for Youth America Grand Prix and is the largest international ballet competition for pre-professional ballet dancers. The competition is open to dancers from ages 9 to 20. The age ranges are further broken down to Pre-Competitive (ages 9-11), Junior (ages 12-14), and Senior (ages 15-20). Students may choose to compete in a ballet solo, open/contemporary solo, duet/trio, or small/large ensembles. Students can compete in more than one category.
The competition is held in two phases. The first phase is the regional phase. Regionals are held in over 30 locations across the U.S. and in cities internationally all across the world. Regionals usually last 3-4 days over a set weekend, and hundreds of competitors will show up to each regional location. During regionals, competitors will have an assigned time to perform their prepared piece (a solo, duet, whatever they have signed up to compete as.) After all of the competitors have finished, an awards ceremony will be held on the last day of the competition. The awards range from top 24 (if the city featured a lot of competitors), top 12, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place in each age category for each competition category.
During the competition weekend, there are also workshop classes hosted by YAGP featuring the judges who are usually well-renowned in their field of expertise. Overall it's a very busy weekend for the competitors, especially if they have registered for more than one category to perform in.
Expectations for Competitors
When choosing to participate in YAGP, it is usually expected that the dancer competes with 2 ballet variations and 1 contemporary variation. Competing with any additional ensemble or duet/trio numbers is up to the studio and what the studio is ready to prepare for YAGP.
Although a ballet costume is not required, 99% of the competitors wear one. Competitors should have a costume that matches their variation (a blue pancake tutu for Bluebird or a peasant-style dress for Giselle Act 1 variations for example.) The contemporary piece should also have a costume that showcases the lines of the performer and the style of the dance created.
All competitors are expected to attend all of the workshops hosted by YAGP. The workshops are a large part of what makes the competition weekend so special and can be a great place to network and meet other dancers.
Commitment to Training
Studios will have different opinions on what is the best time to train and for how long, but this is what I have used that works best to properly prepare students.
Expect to train for 10-12 weeks out before the competition for an extra 2-3 hours weekly in addition to regular ballet and pointe classes. Dancers who train longer than this tend to get burnt out from the process, and dancers who train shorter than this are not prepared in the areas of strength or stamina.
Pointe shoes must be ready for each rehearsal, and dancers/families need to be properly prepared to keep up with the increased demands with pointe shoes. Our competitors during the training season rotated about 3 to 4 pairs of shoes to let each shoe dry out in between rehearsals and classes.
In my opinion, the best benefit to participating in YAGP is access to additional private lessons for rehearsals and the workshops during the competition weekend. Both will allow a dancer to really grow as an artist and propel their training forward. The performance aspect of the competition is really great as well, but can feel a bit anti-climatic after all of the preparation work.
Financial Responsibilities
YAGP is expensive and a family with a participating dancer needs to take the following into consideration.
Pointe shoes- Expect the amount of pointe shoes your dancer uses to double or even triple.
Costumes and headpieces- Depending on which variations are picked for your dancer, costumes can range between $150 US to $900 US. Yes, you can find more for $3000-$5000 US, but please don't spend that much on a tutu that will only be worn a few times. Facebook is a great place to shop around for pre-owned costumes.
Private lessons with an instructor- Some studios will provide packaged deals while others will charge by the hour. Private lessons usually average around $150 US/per hour.
Flights, hotels, and car rentals X2- Unless the competition is nearby your location, you will need to consider the cost of flights, hotels, and any car rentals you might need while there. Additionally, the same costs will apply for the coach. If traveling as a studio, the coach's expenses should be spread out among all of the participating dancers.
Registration fees and all the extra little things- Of course there's all of the extra things that need to be considered like extra tights, appropriate clothes for the weather, updating makeup and bobby pins if need, etc. Build into the budge extra room for things you will need on the trip.
Total price? This largely depends on how much you have to travel. Our studio offered a YAGP package that covered private lessons and coach's traveling fees for $4,500 US. For my families traveling from Alaska to Salt Lake City, it was reported that they spent between $6,000 US to $10,000 US on YAGP, including the YAGP package.
Aspects to Consider Before Signing Up
The appeal to participate in YAGP can be very big for dancers, especially as they see their favorite Instagram teen stars posing onstage and hearing from their peers/teachers that YAGP is a must. There are however, many things to consider before committing to this competition.
It's best to be at the top of the age range to maximize the benefits of competing. A nine year old student will be at a significant disadvantage to an eleven year old student. The strength, discipline, and maturity of two years at that age are vastly different and will always give the older students in the bracket the advantage.
This competition benefits the crème de la crème of the pre-professional ballet dancers who will be scouted by the crème de la crème of the ballet world. Students should focus on the large amount of experience they gain through the training and being onstage performing. Students should not sign up to compete with the goal of being "discovered" but rather as an opportunity to grow as a dancer. The goal should never be to get noticed/become famous/get hired by a company. There are other ways to become a professional ballet dancer. Many dancers have had a long and wonderful professional ballet career without receiving any recognition at YAGP.
The training is intense and long. Dancers who participate need to be in top health to succeed well through the process. A student who is recovering from a broken foot in May, and did not take many ballet classes in the summer would not be a good fit to start intensive training in October. Students who are also prone to injury a lot might not be the best fit.
Having the coach attend is a must as they get access to the backstage area that parents are not allowed in. Additionally, they will help warm dancers up, guide them through the competition process, provide assistance to what scores mean, and everything else in between. If you can't afford to bring the coach, then don't sign up.
Many dancers become professionals without competing or winning at YAGP, and many YAGP winners burn out before their career takes off. Find balance and the right fit for what your goals are in life.