Paige Radford stepped onstage Friday at the Pittsburgh Playhouse for her first-ever dance competition — a moment she’s been preparing for since she was 2.
Radford, 10, of Marshall, was a contestant in the Youth America Grand Prix semifinals, which began Friday at the Pittsburgh Playhouse.
The YAGP is the world’s largest student ballet scholarship competition, with multiple competitions held annually across the U.S. and around the world. The competition runs through Sunday.
Dancers between ages 9 and 20 can compete, according to Rebecca Koltun, who works for the YAGP in marketing and social media.
Paige’s sister, Drew Radford, 13, also competed this year. Both study at Pittsburgh Ballet House in Cranberry.
Their mother, Nicol Radford, 43, said she was “beyond proud” to watch her daughters dance on Friday.
“It is an out-of-body experience to be able to see my daughters have the whole entire stage to themselves,” the Marshall mom said. “It’s all worth it once we get here.”
A rigorous commitment
Once Paige and Drew finish their days at Marshall Elementary and Middle schools, they head to Pittsbugh Ballet House to train.
“I feel like we live there ... it’s an intense schedule,” their mom said. She credited a “nice, welcoming environment” at PBH.
“It’s a lot of hard work and determination and sewing and pricking needles in my fingers, but it’s all worth it — fixing costumes and doing hair.”
She said her daughters aren’t competitive at ballet or school, so to be able to experience a competition environment enabled them to grow.
“To get to see them shine on stage even for just two minutes is such an amazing experience,” she said.
“It’s good because we really don’t have a lot of competition in our life … so to have this opportunity to be in a competitive situation, and then actually learn what failure is like … I think that’s a really important life lesson for kids to learn.”
Paige said she’s been practicing her two competition dances since August. She performed a routine called “Flight of Fancy” in the contemporary category and fairy variation from Sleeping Beauty in the classical category.
“It’s been really fun,” she told TribLive after her performance. “I think getting the experience is really fun, too.”
‘Full-circle moment’
Alison Stroming grew up going to watch YAGP competitions as a kid, and now, she’s become a judge.
“Now, to be on the jury is kind of like a dream come true,” said Stroming, who has been a professional dancer for 12 years and is an American Ballet Theatre alumna. “Like a full-circle moment.”
She was in Seattle last weekend judging another YAGP semifinal competition, and this weekend, she’s in Pittsburgh.
“One of the best things about YAGP is the scholarships and our esteemed panel of judges,” Stroming said. “It’s just a great chance for them to be seen, and also, of course, for them to just get on stage. I think any time you can get on stage is just awesome — just a great opportunity.”
The judging process is “kind of tough,” she said, but once she gets started, she gets “into the groove.”
While in Pittsburgh she’s judging the classical and contemporary categories.
“It’s cool to be able to see the kids in both categories,” Stroming said.
Depending on the ballet school, Stroming said preparation for the competition can take at least four months, with many schools taking even longer to ready their students.
Coaches, she said, will try different variations — or a solo dance, according to dance professionals — in a trial-and-error approach.
“They’ll rehearse every week and try to perfect (the) variation,” Stroming said.
High aspirations
Many competitors at the YAGP are wanting to pursue dance professionally, according to Stroming.
“To be at this level — all of that dedication and all of the hours they put into the studio — I think most of them want a career out of this,” she said.
Paige is one of them.
Paige said when she grows up she wants to major in dance and perform professionally.
“You get nervous whenever you’re waiting for your part to go, but whenever you actually do it, it’s actually really fun,” she said of her first competition. “I think it’s really cool to be onstage.”
