Alameda Ballerinas Compete with Grace and Guts at Youth America Grand Prix

Shino Kawazu, Anna Leong, and Lilia Brack at YAGP Semi-Finals/Images courtesy of YAGP, Compilation by Sven Jensen

Over the weekend of March 26-28th, three Alameda Ballet Academy (ABA) dancers, Shino Kawazu, Anna Leong, and Lilia Brack, competed in the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) Semi-Finals in San Francisco along with hundreds of other dancers from around the greater Bay Area in the hope of winning a coveted spot at the Tampa, Florida finals in May.

YAGP is the premier ballet competition in the United States, reaching over 12,000 students annually in 25 U.S. Cities and eight international locations. Each season culminates in the week-long finals, where more than 1,200 of the world’s most promising dancers receive in-depth mentoring, and scholarship, performance, and professional opportunities.

The competition was the subject of the award-winning documentary, “First Position,” which followed young dancers as they intensively trained and prepared for what could be the turning point of their lives, the chance to be placed in an elite ballet school or company.

Making the Commitment

Usually, a larger team of ABA dancers compete at YAGP, but with the pandemic, the competition’s fate was unclear. Many dancers decided to skip this year, not wishing to undertake the extensive preparation, only to learn that they would not perform on stage.

Shino, Anna, and Lilia decided to commit. In the end, they were able to compete on the stage of the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco in front of judges only, without an audience.

Shino Kawazu gets costume assistance from her mother Setsuko Kawazu during rehearsal at ABA/Photo by Karin Jensen

The Artistic Director’s Perspective

“I didn’t grow up in a competition environment,” says ABA Artistic Director, Abra Rudisill. “I had an attitude that a real artist doesn’t compete for trophies. But when I became a professional, I found that the ballet world is highly competitive. My attitude shifted.

“Still, as a studio owner, I was hesitant to enter my students in competition. It can open a negative can of worms of self-criticism and losing sight of the art in pursuit of winning. Artistry gets diminished when your focus is on leg height or the number of turns you do rather than on what you’re expressing.

“In the end, I decided to dip a toe into YAGP because it is the premier ballet competition, and I wanted to open opportunities for my students. I only do it with my advanced, committed students because I want it to be a positive experience, and I don’t want them to feel torn down or minimalized.

“I’ve learned that there really is healthy peer pressure and competition that can inspire students to reach higher. At the YAGP, the students get to see other dancers and teachers and make friends. They return with a spark and inspiration. That’s helpful. It raises the bar for the whole school.”

Anna Leong

Anna Leong at YAGP Semi-Finals/Image Courtesy of YAGP

Anna Leong is a senior at Alameda High School who has been taking ballet at ABA for over thirteen years. She has also trained at the summer programs of the San Francisco Ballet and American Ballet Theatre for the past four years.

She says, “I love ballet because it is the perfect balance of athleticism and artistry that I need in my life. I always strive to improve, and I love being able to express myself and embody different characters.”

For this year’s competition, Anna presented classical variations from the ballets Giselle and Laurencia and contemporary dance solos, Toshiro and Conundrum, both choreographed by Tatiana Melendez.

Anna says, “YAGP is an amazing opportunity to perform on stage, learn, and be critiqued by a diverse panel of judges, and to meet other dancers from around the world.”

In both the contemporary and classical categories, Anna finished as a Top 12 Finalist in the Senior Division. At last year’s competition, her scores qualified her to attend the finals week of training in New York, where she caught the attention of a recruiter from North Carolina School of the Arts. Unfortunately, there is no in-person training this year.

Anna says, “I hope to continue dancing through college and find new opportunities to perform. My competition experience was super exciting because I love to perform on stage, meet new people, and reconnect with old friends. I think I put my best performances on the stage, and I’m glad I was able to have this opportunity.”

Lilia Brack

Lilia Brack at YAGP Semi-Finals/Image Courtesy of YAGP

Fourteen-year-old Lilia Brack is a freshman at Alameda High School who has been taking ballet for over ten years. She trains at ABA and has participated in the San Francisco Ballet and American Ballet Theatre summer programs. This summer, she will go to Boston Ballet.

She says, “I love ballet because you can express your emotions without words. I first started ballet after watching San Francisco Ballet perform The Nutcracker, and I loved all the moves and choreography they did.

“ABA has helped me improve a lot, and I have fun. I’ve met some of my closest friends, who are all supportive and also amazing dancers.”

For this year’s competition, Lilia presented classical variations from the ballets La Bayadere and Giselle and a contemporary dance called Had I, choreographed by Lindsay Leonard. Of Lilia’s performance in Had I, YAGP judge Ashleigh Wilson said, “You danced from the heart.”

Lilia says, “YAGP is one of the many things related to ballet that inspires me. I love watching other people dance and trying to incorporate (their qualities) into my dancing. I think it is amazing you can tell a whole story without speaking a word.

“Competing is very different from doing a regular class in the studio. I had not been on a stage for over a year, and I got really nervous this time. It was so weird to be on a huge stage with no mask, no audience, and no one I knew.” (Anna and Shino competed on a different day.)

“Something I learned this year is not letting one mistake feel like the end of the world. In my first variation, I slipped a tiny bit. After that, I got more nervous and stumbled again.

“The rest of the variation, I had thoughts running through my head – one side telling me that I should’ve practiced more, the other telling me my mind needs to be quiet and focus on the next thing. That distracted me for the next variation, making me scared I would mess up again.

“When I watched the video afterward, the first stumble wasn’t even a huge deal, but it translated into the next things I did. In the end, I think a mistake will be as big as you make it. If you move on and keep going, you get stronger and learn not to do the same thing. It already happened, so you can’t go back and fix it.”

Shino Kawazu

Shino Kawazu at YAGP Semi-Finals/Image courtesy of YAGP

Shino is a senior at the Nea Community Learning Center who first took ballet at age four. Starting in middle school, she began classes in other genres, including contemporary, jazz, and modern. She has trained at ABA and the summer intensives of American Ballet Theatre, School of American Ballet, and Houston Ballet Academy.

She says, “My mother brought me to my first class when I barely knew any English. I’m not sure how, but I managed to keep up and perform in Alameda Civic Ballet’s Nutcracker that year.

“While I did not play even a remotely significant role, I remember how exhilarating performing was. I consider performing one of the most enjoyable parts of ballet – the magic of storytelling and expressing things I normally wouldn’t say in words.

“ABA allows us to experience things in a progressive manner. Not only are we able to perform in the Nutcracker and annual Spring Recital, but we are encouraged to explore dance outside our school.

“With YAGP, it has been an amazing opportunity to perform and compete, but we were not introduced to it until we were ready technically and artistically and for the significant commitment. We aren't overwhelmed.

“I have been involved with community service at ABA since fourth grade, such as helping younger dancers backstage, assisting with costume organization, and participating in fundraising events. Witnessing all the staff’s efforts brought me new awareness and appreciation. It humbles me to understand how so many people come together to allow you to do what you love.”

At this year’s competition, Shino presented classical variations from the ballets La Bayadere and Raymonda and a contemporary dance called Gracious Grit, choreographed by Laura O’Malley.

Shino took third place in the Contemporary Dance category and was a Top 12 Finalist in the Classical category in the Senior Division. Her scores qualify her to progress to the finals in Tampa, Florida.

She says, “YAGP is a chance to improve. We focus intensely, concentrate on consistency and fixing habits, and improving expression. We push ourselves to apply what we have learned not just in the solos but in class and all other dances we work on.

“I find it remarkable that we were able to compete. I absolutely enjoyed seeing the other dancers perform. I am very glad we had some semblance of normalcy.”

Final Thoughts from the Artistic Director

Abra Rudisill says, “I get a little choked up watching them compete, especially the seniors. They’ve been with me since they were four. When I first started, I knew I would teach, but I didn’t foresee the mentorship role.

“I see this as a culminating event. We have been so much a part of each other’s lives. Now it is time to let go.”

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