Pre-professional dancers from the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School (SCBS) won top honors at recent Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) competitions in Salt Lake City, Denver, Indianapolis, and Toronto. Winners in the past have gone to the finals of the YAGP International Competition in New York (cancelled 2020), where leading artistic directors attend to identify potential candidates for their schools and companies.

Past YAGP winners from the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School have gone on to careers at companies such as the Royal Ballet in London, the San Francisco Ballet and Boston Ballet.

“Our school is now recognized internationally as one of the pre-eminent training grounds for children who aspire to careers in ballet,” said Michael J. Shelton, Chairman of the Board of the SCBS. “We couldn’t be more proud of these young dancers for their outstanding accomplishments. We are committed to the school’s continuing role in not only training dancers but strengthening our community outreach to underserved children.” Ariel Serrano, co-founder an Artistic Director of SCBS said, “Our students are so deserving of these honors. The life of a ballet dancer is not easy. But our students have demonstrated they are willing and eager do the hard work that it takes to achieve their dreams.”

The SCBS winners are: Salt Lake City — FIRST PLACE, Classical Dance Category, Junior Age Division: Saela Rivera-Martinez. FIRST PLACE, Pas de Deux Category: Saela[JP1] Rivera-Martinez and Brian Guerrero. TOP 12, Classical Dance Category, Senior Age Division: Brian Guerrero. TOP 12, Contemporary Dance Division: Saela Rivera-Martinez. OUTSTANDING TEACHER: Ariel Serrano, Artistic Director SCBS. Indianapolis — FIRST PLACE, Classical Dance Category, Senior Age Division: Natalia Chersia. FIRST PLACE, Pas de Deux Category: Natalia[JP2] Chersia and Sean Miller. Top 12, Contemporary Dance, Senior Division: Natalia Chersia. Top 12, Classical Dance Category, Senior Division: Nanami Hiyamizu. Top 12, Contemporary Dance, Junior Division: Nia Townsend. Denver — Top 12, Classical Dance Category, Senior Age Division: Chloe Exline. Top 24, Classical Dance Category, Junior Age Division: Charlotte Blake. Toronto—GRAND PRIX - Sean Miller. Second Place – Classical Dance Category, Junior Division: Isabella Iannuzzi. Top 24, Classical Dance Category, Marianna Rodriguez.