Among the many ways to experience performance are dance competitions.  These range from local informal events that encourage all dancers to participate in categories from beginners to advanced, to highly competitive, intense ballet specialties that take on international significance.

Southland Ballet Academy supports attending competitions, while keeping in mind that each is an opportunity to perform and grow. Attendance builds team spirit and gives us a chance to enjoy the creativity that all dancers bring to the stage.

Competitions should encourage the participants to work hard to prepare for each event, and they should give all dancers, regardless of their goals for attending, inspiration to keep dancing.

Youth America Grand Prix

Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) is the world’s largest student ballet scholarship competition that awards over $250,000 annually in scholarships to leading dance schools worldwide. The competition is held annually around the world and in New York City, and is open to dance students of all nationalities 9-19 years old.

Launched in 1999 by two former dancers of the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet, Larissa and Gennadi Saveliev, YAGP is also a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization created with a mission to provide extraordinary educational and professional opportunities to young dancers, acting as a stepping stone to a professional dance career. It aims to fulfill its mission by offering:

• Educational opportunities for dance students around the world
• Opportunity to receive contracts to dance companies worldwide
• Scholarships to leading dance schools in the U.S. and abroad
• Invaluable professional exposure to world-renowned dance professionals
• Performance opportunities on some of the world’s most prestigious stages and at dance festivals around the world
• Workshops with the renowned master teachers and judges of the competition

LA Music Center Spotlight Awards

The Music Center’s Spotlight program is a wonderful learning opportunity for high school students in the performing and visual arts.

Each year, Southland Ballet Academy students compete in ballet and non-classical dance categories in the Los Angeles Music Center’s Spotlight Awards Program.  This event, a nationally-acclaimed scholarship and arts training program for high school students in the performing and visual arts, includes preliminary rounds, where everyone competes, semi-finals and a grand final round before a full audience at the music center.

Throughout the years, SBA students have excelled in the competition, and we are very proud to participate in this prestigious event.  Please see student and alumni accomplishments for SBA achievements at the Spotlight Awards.