Ballet Stars Showering Down on Us
In addition to the opportunities it gives to talented young dancers, Youth America Grand Prix puts on two slam-dunk shows every spring. Time and again, they’ve brought foreign superstars that we’ve only seen on YouTube or DVDs.
In the “Stars of Today Meet Stars of Tomorrow” program this Friday, April 27, guest artists include Sergei Polunin, bad boy formerly of The Royal Ballet who has talent to burn but who, it would seem, prefers to hang out at his tattoo shop. He’s dancing with the ravishing Tamara Rojo, newly named as the incoming artistic director of English National Ballet. Other intriguing stars include the Maryinsky’s fabulous Ekaterina Kondaurova and Yonah Acosta, Carlos Acosta’s gorgeous nephew (and a 2012 “25 to Watch”). From a company closer to home come ABT’s beloved Herman Cornejo and Misty Copeland.
On Saturday YAGP pays tribute to Natalia Makarova with a lineup that includes Diana Vishneva, Yuan Yuan Tan, Marcelo Gomes, and Natalia Osipova. Enough star power for two nights? Dizzying, I would say. This year the festivities take place at the David H. Koch Theater. —Wendy Perron
