Sarasota Ballet's school wins numerous honors in Atlanta

By Nick Reichert
| 11:00 p.m. January 25, 2015

Alexis Acree, Ashlynn Rutherford, Caitlin Gish, Yamil Maldonado, Nikki Jennings and Rachel Silverman, students at the Margaret Barbieri Conservatory of Dance, in Atlanta.

Arts + Culture

The Ferst Center for the Arts hosted the Youth America Grand Prix 2015 semi-finals from Jan. 23 to 25. More than 80 dance and ballet schools and organizations competed, and the Sarasota Ballet and its Margaret Barbieri Conservatory of Dance won several awards in various performances and competitions.

The Youth America Grand Prix is a global networking and competition organization that offers dance scholarships, master classes, educational opportunities and performances. More importantly, the YAGP nurtures dancers age 9 through 19 from all over the world with yearlong workshops and open competitions in various dance forms and events. Approximately 50,000 dancers have been involved in YAGP since it formed in 1999. More than $3 million in scholarships have been awarded to dancing schools in the past 15 years with alumni going on to dance in the most prestigious dance companies in the world, including the American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, the Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Students from the Margaret Barbieri Conservatory of Dance earned numerous awards over the weekend in Georgia. Olivia Ratner earned top 12 honors in the Junior Division; Gabriele Pacca and Caitlin Gish earned first place in the Pas de Deux; Gish, Nikki Jennings and Indiana Cote earned top 12 honors in the Classical Senior division; Yamil Maldonado earned second place in contemporary dance; Gish earned first place honors in the Classical category; Maldonado earned first place honors in Classical; and Pacca was awarded third place honors in Classical.

Gish and Pacca both received a score of 95 out of 100 or higher in their respective semi-final events. The two will go on to represent the conservatory, and the Sarasota Ballet at the YAGP’s New York City finals at the Jack H. Skirball Center for Performing Arts April 15.

In addition, for the group of students’ collective achievements that weekend, the Margaret Barbieri Conservatory of Dance was awarded the Best School Overall in the competition.