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The throng of tulle and pink satin that descended on Lincoln Center\u2019s David H. Koch Theater could only mean one thing: a night at the ballet was in order. After searching the globe for standout talent ages nine to nineteen, the Youth America Grand Prix returned to New York with dance prot\u00e9g\u00e9s from leading companies around the world, welcoming them to share the stage with the \u201cstars of today.\u201d Watching on in admiration, the audience was a mix of familiar faces, patrons, and newly converted admirers of the centuries-old discipline.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see a lot of people who look like they care about ballet,\u201d laughed Misty Copeland, making the night\u2019s first\u2014but definitely not the last\u2014lighthearted reference to Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet\u2019s recent commentary. Copeland has danced onstage at the YAGP gala and served as a judge for the competition for many years\u2014but this time around, she was back as the evening\u2019s host.<\/p>\n
The trailblazing ballerina expounded upon the rigorous auditions, workshops, and master classes that led up to this moment; the culmination of more than 1,500 young dancers traveling from across the globe to captivate the audience at Lincoln Center. And captivate, they did. One moment, a solo by an eight-year-old from Brazil\u2014tambourine in tow\u2014disarmed the room with each pli\u00e9. The next, a rendition of the Dance of the Little Swans<\/em> was performed entirely by male dancers in YAGP\u2019s signature subversive style.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe Caravaggio was beautiful,\u201d praised Mindhunter<\/em> actor Holt McCallany, pointing to its sensuousness and elegance. \u201cIt reminded me why I\u2019ve always loved ballet\u2014there are no shortcuts. You just have to put in the work.\u201d Sex And The City\u2019s<\/em> Chris Noth concurred: \u201cIf you\u2019re doing film or TV, you can edit things out\u2014but in ballet, you don\u2019t get another take. It\u2019s so exacting. That discipline\u2026\u201d They landed on the same conclusion at once: \u201cIt\u2019s awe-inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n On the subject of inspiring a room of different artists, American Ballet Theater principal dancer Christine Shevchenko gushed with gratitude. \u201cBallet is a way of bringing people together\u2014because in that moment, everyone\u2019s connected,\u201d she beamed. \u201cYou experience lots of emotions all together in the same room. It\u2019s a bonding experience.\u201d Shevchenko\u2019s performance was one of the most revered of the night: Rainbow<\/em>, which was choreographed by YAGP\u2019s own Melanie Hamrick and arranged by her fianc\u00e9e Mick Jagger exclusively for this performance. \u201cTo be dancing to the Rolling Stones while wearing LoveShackFancy was pretty awesome,\u201d laughed Shevchenko.\u00a0<\/p>\n A seated dinner followed inside the resplendent promenade, where everything was washed in a ballet-slipper pink hue, from the florals and the table linens to the upholstered seating. Even the Champagne flutes shimmered with sparkling ros\u00e9. At the center of the room, onlookers gathered around an array of embellished dancing shoes created for The Pointe Project\u2014which invites designers to transform shoes into one-of-a-kind works of art for a silent auction. All proceeds help young dancers access the training needed to pursue professional careers through the YAGP, regardless of geography or means. Designers from Michael Kors\u2014whose slipper nodded to the Black Swan\u2014to Carolina Herrera\u2019s Wes Gordon brought their own distinct flair.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n