Our Town Inagi 2017: 5 Ballet Dancers

A Step to Professionalism: 5 Ballet Dancers Compete in the Youth America Grand Prix

The "Youth America Grand Prix" is the largest ballet competition in the world, held annually in New York for finalists aged 9 to 19 who have advanced through preliminary rounds in approximately 30 cities worldwide. This competition serves as a stepping stone to becoming a professional ballet dancer, and participating in the finals is considered a significant dream for students learning ballet.
This time, five students from the ballet school in Wakabadai achieved top rankings in the Japan qualifiers held in October 2016 in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, and will proudly participate in the New York finals in April 2017.
Sakura Matsutani (3rd grader at Nagamine Elementary School) and Shunsuke Nomura (3rd grader at Minamiyama Elementary School) will participate in the "Pre-competitive Division" where individuals aged 9 to 11 perform.
In addition, Hinata Maeda (resident of Wakabadai), Misuzu Konishi (1st year student at Inagi Dai 6 Junior High School), and Mana Ichino (1st year student at Inagi Dai 5 Junior High School) will participate in the "Ensemble Division" where groups perform.
When I spoke with the oldest member, Mr. Maeda, he mentioned that he attends school six times a week and also does stretching and strength training at home, leading a life dedicated to ballet. He strongly expressed, "I can continue because dancing is fun. I definitely want to take first place in the New York finals."
Instructor Yuta Yamata was very surprised to learn that nine students (including four from outside the city) could participate in the finals at once. He said, "Being able to dance on such a wonderful stage is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I hope you enjoy dancing on the day of the event."
In April 2017, let's all support the beautiful dance polished through daily practice to bear fruit on the splendid stage.