Ballet Stars Shine at YAGP’s Lincoln Center Gala

Apr 21

Apr 21 Ballet Stars Shine at YAGP’s Lincoln Center Gala

Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), the world’s largest ballet scholarship organization, returned to Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater for its annual Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala, drawing an elegant crowd for an evening that celebrated both the brilliance of today’s ballet icons and the promise of the next generation.

Hosted by former American Ballet Theatre principal Misty Copeland alongside Tamar Greene, best known for his role as George Washington in Hamilton, the gala spotlighted YAGP’s ongoing mission to expand access, opportunity, and diversity in dance. Copeland reflected on her long history with the organization, sharing how meaningful it has been to remain part of the YAGP family over the years, from performing on that very stage to now supporting its mission in a broader way. Greene added to the emotion of the evening with a stirring excerpt from Hamilton, reminding the young dancers in the room that “history has its eyes on you.”

The evening honored LoveShackFancy founder and creative director Rebecca Hessel Cohen and former American Ballet Theatre dancer Melanie Hamrick, two women whose creative influence shaped the spirit of the event both onstage and off. Under the direction of YAGP founder and artistic director Larissa Saveliev, the gala delivered a starry and international program that showcased the extraordinary level of artistry YAGP helps foster through its global auditions and education initiatives.

Among the standout performances were the New York debuts of Nicoletta Manni and Timofej Andrijashenko of La Scala Ballet, who performed a pas de deux from Mauro Bigonzetti’s Caravaggio in its New York premiere, along with the dazzling Grand Pas Classique. Polina Semionova of Berlin State Ballet made her anticipated return to the YAGP stage with a pas de deux from Manon by Sir Kenneth MacMillan alongside Martin ten Kortenaar, and also appeared in a piece set to The Dying Swan with Braylon Browner of So You Think You Can Dance.

The stage continued to brim with power and elegance as Christine Shevchenko of American Ballet Theatre, Reece Clarke of The Royal Ballet, and Roman Mejia of New York City Ballet joined forces for Le Corsaire. Later in the evening, Shevchenko and Calvin Royal III performed Rainbow, an original choreography by Hamrick set to Like a Rainbow by The Rolling Stones in a special arrangement by Hamrick’s partner, Mick Jagger. For the piece, the dancers wore all-black LoveShackFancy designs featuring flowing chiffon, lace details, and tiered skirts, styled to stand out against a vivid rainbow backdrop.

The performance also included New York premieres of works by choreographers Sharon Eyal and Itzik Galili, adding a contemporary edge to the classically rich evening. As is tradition, the gala closed with a Piece d’Occasion featuring 120 YAGP finalists from this year’s international competition, bringing the organization’s young artists center stage in a powerful finale that embodied the very heart of the night.

After the performance, the celebration continued upstairs on the Promenade at the David H. Koch Theater, where more than 300 guests gathered for a dramatic dinner in one of New York’s most striking interior spaces. In a memorable moment, ballerinas appeared along the surrounding balconies, creating a breathtaking live performance that transformed the room into an immersive extension of the stage.

The dinner, led by Gala Creative Chair Marcella Guarino Hymowitz and an extensive roster of co-chairs, leaned fully into a romantic pink palette courtesy of LoveShackFancy. The space was dressed corner-to-corner in the brand’s signature style, with both dancers and guests embracing the fashion-forward theme. Cohen, whose connection to ballet runs deep, spoke to the emotional resonance of supporting an art form that has long inspired her, noting the natural relationship between movement and fashion.

The guest list reflected the gala’s cultural reach, with notable attendees including Chelsea Clinton, F. Murray Abraham, Tony Shalhoub, Chris Noth, Mara Hoffman, Dylan Lauren, Lucas Jagger, Skylar Brandt, Irina Dvorovenko, Ashley Bouder, Susan Jaffe, and many more from across the worlds of dance, fashion, theater, and philanthropy.

For the third year in a row, gala guests were also invited to bid on custom designer pointe shoes through YAGP’s Pointe Project, with proceeds benefiting young dancers pursuing professional careers. This year’s designers included Michael Kors, Carolina Herrera, Alice + Olivia, Lapointe, Monse, LoveShackFancy, Renna Jewels, and others. The auction remains open to the public online through noon on Wednesday, April 22.

In one of the evening’s most meaningful gestures, 1,000 tickets were donated to local students from organizations including Harlem School for the Arts, Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education, and The Misty Copeland Foundation, reinforcing YAGP’s larger commitment not only to training dancers, but also to cultivating future audiences by opening the doors of ballet to more young people.

The celebration continues with the YAGP International Dance School Festival on April 18 at the David H. Koch Theater, bringing together elite ballet students from institutions around the world, including The Royal Ballet School, La Scala Ballet Academy, Princess Grace Academy, Beijing Dance Academy, Houston Ballet II, and more.

Looking ahead, the YAGP 2026 Season Finals in Houston will take place from May 10 through May 18, hosted by Houston Ballet, with finalists gathering at the Wortham Theater Center for a week of classes, competition, and performances.

At Lincoln Center, the message of the evening was already clear: YAGP continues to be one of the most important pipelines in the ballet world, connecting young talent with mentorship, visibility, and the kind of opportunities that can change the course of a career. In a city that knows how to celebrate the arts, this gala felt like a beautiful reminder of why dance still matters — and why the future of ballet looks exceptionally bright.