Teen dancers descend on Massachusetts to compete in the 'American Idol' of ballet

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — Some might call it the “American Idol” of ballet dancing.

More than 400 hundred young ballet dancers from the Northeast gathered in Massachusetts with the hopes of winning a prestigious scholarship at the Youth America Grand Prix auditions. The four-day competition at a historic theater in Worcester, Massachusetts, is also one of the places where future ballet stars are scouted and go on to perform at the American Ballet Theatre, the Paris Opera Ballet and the New York City Ballet.

“I love performing for people and becoming like a character when I dance,” said Karli Wilkinson, a 15-year-old from Dighton, Massachusetts, who was warming up under the watchful eye of her mother, Ashley Wilkinson. Her makeup and brown costume was meant to evoke a desert theme from another planet since her performance would be to the music from the movie “Dune.”

“I don’t really think about how many people are in the audience,” she added. “I don’t get too nervous. I mostly get excited.”

Dressed in colorful outfits and their hair often tied in buns, the dancers ages 9 to 19 mingled about as they waited to take the stage. One after another in rapid-fire succession, they were called out by their number and performed solos lasting several minutes.

“It’s amazing to see all the hard work that these kids do. Dance is often thought of as a sport that maybe is light. But these kids work so, so hard each and every day, putting in 20, 30 hours a week,"said Ana Canelos, of North Falmouth. She called it a “magnificent” opportunity to see her 16-year-old and 10-year-old daughters perform along with others.

“To compete with just the caliber of individuals who are here, it’s amazing,” she added.

Organizers said about 1,200 dancers will be chosen from the 32 auditions held in the U.S. and the 14 worldwide to compete in the finals in April in Tampa, Florida. Thousands of scholarships will be offered at the auditions and also the finals. The scholarships provide opportunities for short-term, summer, or year-round study at leading dance schools and programs worldwide.

“It's an incredible opportunity for these dancers to be seen by the directors of schools and companies in the U.S and abroad,” said Racheal Nye, the director of school and studio company at the Oklahoma City Ballet.

Over the past 25 years, Youth America Grand Prix has awarded $5 million in scholarships to the world’s leading dance schools, with about $450,000 now given out each year.