The Raydean Acevedo Colorado Ballet Academy Wins Outstanding School Award for Third Year at Youth America Grand Prix
DENVER, CO (March 17, 2022) – Colorado Ballet Academy (CBA) received the Youth America Grand Prix Outstanding School Award for the third year in the Denver Regional Competition, which took place February 25–27, 2022. CBA students claimed first place in the Large Ensemble, Senior Men Classical and Senior Women Contemporary Solo categories, as well as second place in the Senior Men Contemporary category and third place in the Pre-Competitive Contemporary, Junior and Senior Classical Solo categories.
Colorado Ballet Academy Awards in the Denver Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP):
Outstanding School
Colorado Ballet Academy
1st Place Large Ensemble
Carmen Suite
Top 12 Pre-Competitive Classical Solo
• Emma Boggs
3rd Place Pre-Competitive Contemporary
• Emma Boggs
3rd Place Junior Classical Solo
• Annalise Palmieri
1st Place Senior Men Classical Solo
• Axel Rickard
3rd Place Senior Men Classical Solo
• Ryder Rickard
3rd Place Senior Women Classical Solo
• Keara Nichols
• Caroline Sowers
Top 12 Senior Women Classical Solo
• Ryan Smallwood
Top 24 Senior Women Classical Solo
• Mia Hanflig
• Jordan Henry
• Brooke Janney
• Lilly Lieber
2nd Place Senior Men Contemporary Solo
• Axel Rickard
1st Place Senior Women Contemporary Solo
• Keara Nichols
Top 12 Senior Women Contemporary Solo
• Caroline Sowers
In spite of the challenges presented by COVID-19, Colorado Ballet Academy’s YAGP program has continued to grow over the past two pandemic years. This year, 53 total solos, duets, trios and ensembles were performed by Colorado Ballet Academy at the Denver semi-finals competition, with 40 students invited to compete at the finals in Tampa next month. In addition, Colorado Ballet Academy hosted all of YAGP’s master classes at the Colorado Ballet studios, which were attended by over 300 students and featured instruction by YAGP judges as well as Colorado Ballet Artistic Director Gil Boggs and Ballet Master Maria Mosina.
For more information about Colorado Ballet Academy’s programs or classes, please call 303-339-1623 or email academy@coloradoballet.org. For press inquiries regarding Colorado Ballet Academy, please contact the company’s communications staff listed at the top of this release.
ABOUT COLORADO BALLET ACADEMY
Founded in 1951 by Lillian Covillo and Freidann Parker, Colorado Ballet Academy is the official school of the Colorado Ballet. Under the leadership of Colorado Ballet Artistic Director Gil Boggs and Academy Director Erica Fischbach, the Raydean Acevedo Colorado Ballet Academy (CBA), is the region’s premier source for ballet training. CBA’s unique relationship with the professional company and artistic staff of Colorado Ballet provides superior faculty who are dedicated to developing and inspiring each child to reach their full potential. Aspiring pre-professional students along with those who simply enjoy dance and wish to gain the benefits of studying this classical art form receive the highest caliber ballet instruction in an environment that fosters excellence, individuality and creativity. CBA’s curriculum is grounded in formal classical ballet technique and follows the traditional classical sequence of training intended to increase each student’s technical skill, stamina and artistry. Elements of the Russian, French and Italian schools are taught according to age and physical development, resulting in finished dancers with clean and virtuosic technique, brilliant artistry, stylistic versatility and the prowess to thrive in the diverse choreographic demands of today.
