Local Dancer Attends International Ballet Competition

Local dancer, Grace Petzoldt, will be competing at the Nashville regional of Youth America Grand Prix International Ballet Competition March 9-10, 2024. Grace is a junior at Saxony Lutheran High School and studies dance at Encore Dance Academy in Cape Girardeau. Grace has been studying dance since she was young and began seriously training in ballet at age 11. Since then, Grace has trained consistently to prepare for this competition.

As Grace has matured, her time training in the dance studio increased as well as her technical skill. She began traveling for summer intensive training at age 12, spending up to 5 weeks in the summers training with top U.S. ballet companies including Colorado Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet Austin, Ballet Met and Ballet West. Each opportunity pushed her training further and gave her the confidence she needed to attend YAGP this year. “I am excited about competing at YAGP and glad that my hard work has gotten me to this moment,” said Grace. “I’m looking forward to the master classes and competition as well as meeting new people and making important connections for my future career in dance.”

Grace will be competing in the 16 year old category performing both a classical ballet variation and a contemporary dance solo. The classical ballet variation is Nikiya’s Variation from the ballet La Bayadere and was restaged by Encore Dance Academy instructor, Alyssa Alger. Alyssa has been teaching Grace ballet and pointe for over 5 years and has enjoyed working with her. “Grace is a wonderful student and a talented dancer. I am excited to see her perform at YAGP.”

The contemporary solo Grace will perform was choreographed by Encore instructor Philip Edgecombe and is titled “Exile”. The solo is extremely physical and demonstrates the strength, coordination, and technical skill that Grace possess. “The solo is hard but I enjoy dancing it. Philip is an awesome choreographer and teacher and I’ve loved working with him on this solo.”

Grace Petzoldt performing a first arabesque.

Now in its 25th Anniversary Season, Youth America Grand Prix reaches over 15,000 dance students annually while holding workshops, scholarship auditions, master classes, and auditions in 32 U.S. cities and 15 international locations worldwide. Each season culminates in the week-long season finals where more than 1500 of the world’s most promising dancers receive in-depth mentoring and greater scholarship, professional, and performance opportunities.

Hedy Wess of the Chicago Sun Times calls Youth America Grand Prix the “Olympics of classical ballet”, and Robert Johnson of The Star-Ledger describes the competition as “a glamorous platform where newcomers can share the stage with stars from around the world.”