Several students from the Central NJ Ballet Theatre will be competing at the Youth American Grand Prix, Jan 4-7 in Philadelphia. “YAGP is an opportunity for my students to showcase their talents,” said. CNJBT director Alisha Cardenas. “YAGP attracts the best and brightest young dancers from all over the world.”
This year Caitlyn Yang, 16, of Roosevelt, will be competing in both the senior classical and contemporary categories. This is Yang’s first year at YAGP. Samantha MacFarlane, 15, of Bordentown will be competing in the senior contemporary division. This is her third year competing at YAGP, and she will be dancing the title role of Alice in Alice in Wonderland in the spring. Yang will play the Queen of Hearts. Both Yang and MacFarlane will also be competing a duet in the ensemble category.
Tanner Hutchinson, 13, of Hightstown, Mollie Ward, 13, of Princeton and Kayla Miller-Keister, 12, of Hamilton will compete in the junior division. Hutchinson and Miller-Keister will be competing both classical and contemporary variations as a soloist. Ward will be competing a classical solo. All three will be competing together a classical trio in the ensemble category, as well.
Kennedy Wolfe, 11, of Wrightstown and Sophia Szabo, 9, of Florence will compete in the pre-competitive division as a soloist. This is both Wolfe’s and Szabo’s first year competing at YAGP. Szabo is the youngest female competitor at the Philadelphia YAGP and will be representing the CNJBT in the classical division. Wolfe will be representing the CNJBT in the contemporary division.
