STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Our students’ accomplishments testify to the success of our program. Dancers have been accepted and awarded scholarships to attend the summer programs at the schools of major ballet companies, and many have gone on to professional careers in dance.
Southland Ballet Academy students have participated in prestigious ballet competitions and exhibitions around the world, bringing home many awards and acknowledgements. These include annual representation at regional and national finals of Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), the Spotlight Awards at the Los Angeles Music Center, and Southland Ballet Dancers have represented the United States in the Prix de Lausanne Ballet Competition in Switzerland, and the First International Ballet Competition in Nagoya, Japan.
2024-2025 Student Accomplishments
YAGP Finals:
Afina Gosla – invitation to compete in Junior Final Round
Leon Sai – 2nd Place Junior Men
Silvia Snow – invitation to compete in Junior Final Round
YAGP Regionals:
Los Angeles (October)
Mia Frederick – 1st Place Contemporary, Senior & Top 12 Classical, Senior
Daria Podolsky – Top 12 Contemporary, Senior
Leon Sai – 1st Place Classical, Junior & 1st Place Contemporary, Junior
Silvia Snow – 2nd Place Classical, Junior & Top 12 Contemporary, Junior
Emily Holder – Top 24 Classical, Junior
Julia Kent – Top 24 Classical, Junior
Ginevra Liu – Top 24 Classical, Junior
Maya Villaneuva – Top 24 Classical, Junior
Madeline Chang – 3rd Place Classical, Pre-Competitive
Sean Sai – Top 12 Classical, Pre-Competitive
San Diego (November)
Julia Prevost – Top 12 Classical, Senior
Katarina Carney – 3rd Place Classical, Junior & Top 12 Contemporary, Junior
Amelie Hoang – Top 24 Classical, Junior
Brynn Oh – Top 24 Classical, Junior
Mandy Hur – Top 24 Classical, Junior
Las Vegas
Brielle Aucoin – 3rd Place Classical Senior Division
Mari Kinouchi – Top 12 Classical Senior Division
Los Angeles/Huntington Beach February
Felicity Rae Gunderson – Top 12 Classical, Senior
Clara Attlesey – Top 24 Classical & Top 12 Contemporary, Senior
Keira Kuennemann – Top 24 Classical, Senior
Katerina Carney – 1st Place Classical, Junior & 2nd Place Contemporary, Junior
Amelie Hong – Top 12 Classical, Junior
Lena Lee – Top 12 Classical, Junior
Anya Rich – Top 24 Classical, Junior
Riley Hendricks – Top 24 Classical, Junior
Zoe Zixuan Zeng – Top 24 Classical, Junior
Sara Nyman – Top 24 Contemporary, Junior
Sara Takeuchi – Top 12 Classical, Pre-Competitive
Madeline Chang – Top 12 Contemporary, Pre-Competitive
San Diego February
Johanna Malmskov – Top 24 Classical, Senior
Emily Holder – Top 12 Classical, Junior
Julia Kent – Top 12 Classical, Junior
Audrey Schneider – Top 24 Classical, Junior
Sean Sai – 2nd Place Classical, Pre-Competitive
Los Angeles/Irvine March
Madeline Chang – 2nd Place Classical & Top 12 contemporary, Pre-Competitive
Anya Rich – Top 24 Contemporary, Junior
Ginevra Liu – 3rd Place Classical & Top 24 Contemporary, Junior
Chloe Chang – Top 24 Classical, Junior
Wendy Rasmussen – Top 24 Classical, Junior
Mari Kinouchi – Top 24 Classical, Senior
Mia Frederick – 3rd Place Classical, Senior
Gemina – Ginevra & Magnolia Liu – Top 12 Small Ensemble
San Diego March
Minyang Gong – 2nd Place Classical, Junior
Mandy Hur – Top 12 Classical & Top 24 Contemporary, Junior
Daria Podolsky – Top 24 Classical, Senior
Sunhoo Kang – Top 24 Classical, Senior
Universal Ballet Competition
Los Angeles Semi-Finals – March 2024
Cecelia Gundersen – 5th Place Junior Intermediate Classical
Mae Liu – 9th Place Junior Intermediate Classical
Minyang Gong – 3rd Place Junior Competitive Classical & 100% Scholarship to Joffrey
Ginvera Liu – 9th Place Junior Competitive Classical
Lena Lee – 12th Place Junior Competitive Classical & 50% Scholarship to Joffrey New York Summer Program
Mandy Hur – 14th Place Junior Competitive Classical & 50% Scholarship to Joffrey New York Summer Program
Julia Kent – 9th Place Junior Contemporary
Sarah Nyman – 12th Place Junior Contemporary
Clara Attlesey – 9th Place Senior Competitive Contemporary
Marlie Jean-Baptiste – 6th Place Senior Intermediate Classical & 9th Place Senior Intermediate Contemporary
Zeraphine Jaeckel – 6th Place Senior Competitive Classical Solo
Felicity Gundersen –13th Place Senior Competitive Classical Solo & 50% Scholarship to Houston Ballet
Gemina – Magnolia & Ginevra Liu – 3rd Place Junior Competitive Duo/Trio
Breaths of Roma – 3rd Place Junior Competitive Ensemble
Scottsdale Semi-Finals – March 2024
Amelie Hoang – 5th Place Junior Competitive Classical & 7th Place Junior Competitive Contemporary
Audrey Schneider – 10th Place Junior Competitive Contemporary
LA Music Center Spotlight Awards
Mia Frederick – Semifinalist, Ballet Category
Afina Gosla – Semifinalist, Ballet Category
Michelle Lu – Semifinalist, Ballet Category
Brielle Aucoin – Merit Awardee, Ballet Category
Julia Prevost – Merit Awardee, Ballet Category
Silvia Snow – Merit Awardee, Ballet Category
California Dance Classics
San Diego Regionals
Mandy Hur – Honorable Mention Classical, Ages 13-14
Julia Kent – Special Honorable Mention Classical, Ages 11-12 & Special Honorable Mention Contemporary, Ages 11-12
Wendy Rasmussen – Gold Medal Neo-Classical, Ages 13-14
Downey Regionals
Mia Frederick – Silver Medal Classical & Silver Medal Contemporary, Ages 15 & older
Julia Prevost – Bronze Medal Classical & Special Honorable Mention (4th Place) Contemporary, Ages 15 & older
Brielle Aucoin – Special Honorable Mention, Classical, Ages 15 & older
Pas de Deux from Le Corsaire – Mia Frederick & Ryan Robinson – Gold Medal Classical Pas de Deux, ages 14 and older
Ginevra Liu – Silver Medal Classical & Bronze Medal Contemporary, Ages 13-14
Anya Rich – Honorable Mention Classical & Honorable Mention Contemporary, Ages 13-14
Magnolia Liu – Honorable Mention Classical & Honorable Mention Contemporary, Ages 13-14
Amelie Hoang – Honorable Mention Classical & Honorable Mention Contemporary, Ages 13-14
Sara Takeuchi – Bronze Medal Classical, Ages 8-10
Veronica Chen – Honorable Mention Classical, Ages under 8
ADC|IBC – Los Angeles
Julia Prevost, 4th Place Classical, Senior and 4th Place Contemporary, Senior