Photo Album 1: photos of Youth Grand Prix Europe Gala in Milan with 160 students and guest stars – part 1
In the main courtyard of Milan’s Castello Sforzesco, where Leonardo da Vinci once prepared banquets and theatrical events, Youth America Grand Prix prepared its own event, the YGP Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala. The ‘A’ for America in YAGP is removed for the Youth Grand Prix Europe branch of the organisation. YGPE has its offices in the Netherlands, and is the twin sister of YAGP, “the world’s largest dance family – and the world’s largest student ballet scholarship audition”.
The Gala was the culmination of an international summer workshop, featuring 160 young dancers from 31 countries across 5 continents worldwide. Gramilano reviewed the evening.
Below are more than 100 photos of the gala, featuring 9-year-old prodigies, teenage aspiring talents, and established names from international companies.
SEE : Youth Grand Prix Europe Gala 2025 – PART ONE
Youth Grand Prix Europe Gala 2025
PART ONE
GRAND DEFILE – DANCERS OF THE YGP INTERNATIONAL SUMMER WORKSHOP
DIAMOND – HECTOR JAIN (USA / MONACO), PALOMA DINELI CHESKY (USA)
RAYMONDA – ELISA FILIPETTA and ELIA COLOMBO | TAM Ballet (ITALY)
LE CORSAIRE ACT II PAS DE DEUX – ÀUREA GÓMIZ, 10 and NICO BORRERO, 14 (SPAIN)
AMORE – ATHENA HU, 12 (USA)
PAQUITA – ANJALI DYEN, 14 (USA)
OUR LAST TIME – DYLAN CUSTODIO, 14, (USA)
DANCE OF PEACE FROM COPPELIA – DIANA LEVINE, 15, MILEY LIU, 14, SYDNEY QIAN, 13 (USA)
WHO? ME? – MARIA-ANASTASIA BURADA, 11 (ROMANIA)
DON QUIXOTE ACT III PAS DE DEUX – PALOMA LIVELLARA and MAX BARKER | American Ballet Theatre Studio Company
THE DYING SWAN – MARIA KHOREVA | Mariinsky Ballet
MAESTRO – DANCERS OF THE YGP INTERNATIONAL SUMMER WORKSHOP
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Italian ballerina Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
