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.

2023-2024 Student Accomplishments

YAGP Regionals:

Los Angeles (October)
Mia Frederick, 2nd Place Classical, Senior and Top 12 Contemporary, Senior
Stephanie Suh, 1st Place Contemporary, Senior and Top 12 Classical, Senior
Leon Sai, 2nd Place Classical, Junior and 1st Place Contemporary, Junior
Alisa Xu, 3rd Place Classical, Junior and Top 12 Contemporary, Junior
Afina Gosla, 3rd Place Classical, Junior

San Diego (November)
Towako Wunsch, Top 12 Classical, Senior
Catherine Gibson, Top 24 Classical, Senior
Michelle Lu, Top 24 Classical, Senior
Silvia Snow, 2nd Place Classical, Junior
Ellie Palka, Top 12 Classical, Junior
Julia Prevost, Top 12 Classical, Junior
Ginevra Liu, Top 24 Classical, Junior
Alisa Xu & Leon Sai, 1st Place, Pas de Deux

Seattle
Amy Guo, Top 12 Classical, Junior and Top 12 Contemporary, Junior

Las Vegas
Brielle Aucoin, 3rd Place Classical, Senior
Charlotte Lind, Top 24 Classical, Senior
Zeraphine Jaeckel, Top 24 Contemporary, Senior

Los Angeles/Huntington Beach February
Michelle Lu, Top 12 Classical, Senior
Keira Kuennemann, Top 24 Classical, Senior and Top 12 Contemporary, Senior
Madison Chen, Top 24 Classical, Senior
Hailey Van, Top 24 Classical, Senior
Katarina Carney, 3rd Place Classical, Junior and 2nd Place Contemporary, Junior
Afina Gosla, 1st Place Classical, Junior and Top 12 Contemporary, Junior
Clara Lee, Top 24 Classical, Junior
Maya Villanueva, Top 24 Classical, Junior
Wendy Rasmussen, Top 24 Classical, Junior
Amy Guo, Top 12 Contemporary, Junior
Kate Palka, Top 12 Classical, Pre-Competitive
Thoughts (Large Ensemble) – Top 12 Large Ensembles

Kansas City
Charlotte Bengfort, Top 12 Classical, Senior and Top 12 Contemporary, Senior

San Francisco February
Amy Guo, 3rd Place Classical, Junior and 1st Place Contemporary, Junior

San Diego February
Michelle Lu, 3rd Place Classical, Senior
Madison Chen, Top 24 Classical, Senior
Julia Prevost, 3rd Place Classical, Junior
Brynn Oh, Top 12 Classical, Junior
Felicity Gundersen, Top 12 Classical, Junior
Julia Kent, Top 12 Classical, Pre-Competitive and Top 12 Contemporary, Pre-Competitive

Los Angeles/Irvine March
Natalie Ho, Top 12 Classical, Senior
Halle Chan, Top 24 Classical, Senior
Hailey Van, Top 24 Classical, Senior
Katarina Carney, 1st Place Contemporary, Junior
Felicity Gundersen, 2nd Place Classical, Junior
Max Ellersiek, Top 24 Classical, Junior
Silvia Snow, Top 24 Contemporary, Junior
Brynn Oh, Top 24 Contemporary, Junior
Noelle Keefe, Top 24 Classical, Pre-Competitive
Petit Pas (Small Ensemble) – Top 12 Small Ensembles

San Diego March
Leon Sai, Youth Grand Prix, Junior
Amy Guo, 2nd Place Classical, Junior
Emily Holder, Top 24 Classical, Junior

California Dance Classics

San Diego Regionals

Towako Wunsch, Silver Medal Classical, Ages 17 & older and Special Honorable Mention Contemporary, Ages 17 & older
Stephanie Suh, Gold Medal Classical, Ages 17 & older
Michelle Lu, Bronze Medal Classical, Ages 15-16
Mia Frederick, Special Honorable Mention Classical, Ages 15-16 and Honorable Mention Contemporary, Ages 15-16
Brynn Oh, Bronze Medal Classical, Ages 13-14
Zoe Zeng, Honorable Mention Classical, Ages 11-12 and Honorable Mention Contemporary, Ages 11-12
Julia Kent, Honorable Mention Contemporary, Ages 11-12

Downey Regionals

Natalie Ho – Gold Medal Classical, Ages 15-16
Brielle Aucoin – Special Honorable Mention Neo-Classical, Ages 15-16 & Honorable Mention Classical, Ages 15-16
Charlotte Bengfort – Honorable Mention Classical, Ages 15-16
Julia Prevost – Gold Medal Neo-Classical, Ages 13-14 & Honorable Mention Classical, Ages 13-14
Anya Rich – Honorable Mention Contemporary, Ages 11-12
Sean Sai – Gold Medal Classical, Ages 8 & under
Petit Pas – Emery Tuano & Max Ellersiek – Silver Medal Classical Duet/Trio, Ages 11-12

ADC|IBC – San Diego

Katarina Carney, 2nd Place Classical, Junior and 2nd Place Contemporary, Junior 
Silvia Snow, 15th Place Classical, Junior
Michelle Lu, 13th Place Classical, Senior

Past Student Accomplishments