As we all remember, Los Angeles County was recently hit with devastating fires that literally wiped out much of Pacific Palisades and the city of Altadena. Just the property damage alone was estimated to be between 28 and 53.8 billion dollars. The cost to the people who lived there is unfathomable. Since that time, numerous county, city, state, and other organizations have begun to distribute funds to help those affected. Friends and families have also raised millions through Crowd Funding.
Tiler Peck – Photo courtesy of YAGP.
On Monday, March 3, 2025 at 7:00 pm, the world’s largest ballet scholarship organization, Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), will do its part in raising money by presenting DANCERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. This amazing show of community support for those affected by the fires will include an evening of ballet performed by California’s young aspiring dancers sharing the stage with ballet stars Tiler Peck (Principal Dancer, New York City Ballet), Elisabeth Beyer (American Ballet Theatre, YAGP Alumna), Joseph Markey (American Ballet Theatre, YAGP Alumnus), Isaac Mueller (Boston Ballet, YAGP Alumnus), Adrian Blake Mitchell (Former Soloist, Mikhailovsky Ballet, YAGP Alumnus), and Andrea Laššáková (Former First Soloist, Mikhailovsky Ballet).
“100% of the proceeds from this event will be donated to assist members of the California dance community affected by the wildfires. Many of these families will be attendees in the audience. DANCERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE will show the transformative healing power of dance.” Irvine Barclay Theatre press release.
WHAT: DANCERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE
WHEN: March 3, 2025 at 7:00 pm
WHERE: Irvine Barclay Theatre located at 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, California, adjacent to UC Irvine.
For more information and to purchase tickets or donate, visit www.thebarclay.org or call (949) 854-4646.
Elisabeth Beyer with Crystal Huang, YAGP Alumna and 2024 Senior Silver Medalist, scholarship recipient to ABT JKO School – Photo by LK Studio.
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Youth America Grand Prix is the largest global network of dance, officially recognized by the U.S. Senate as America’s National Youth Dance Competition. YAGP fulfills its mission of dance education through scholarship auditions, master classes, alumni services, and performances. Over the past 25 years, $5 million has been awarded in scholarships to the world’s leading dance schools, with up to $450,000 now awarded annually. Since YAGP’s founding in 1999, over 200,000 young dancers – ages 9 to 19 – of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds have participated in YAGP’s international workshops, audition classes, and dance awareness events. Today, more than 12,000 young dancers audition annually. 450 YAGP alumni are now dancing with 80 professional companies around the world, including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet and many others. Over 100 of these alumni are soloists and principal dancers.
To learn more about Youth America Grand Prix, please visit their website.
For more information about the Irvine Barclay Theatre, please visit their website.
Written and compiled by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle with information (in part) provided by YAGP.
Featured image: Chloe Helimets performing Grand Pas Classique – YAGP CLASS of 2018 – Photo by LK Studio.
