On April 16th the Youth America Grand Prix will have its World’s Largest Ballet Scholarship Competition for their 2026 Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala which is hosted by Misty Copeland. Rebecca Hessel Cohen, Founder and Creative Director of LoveShackFancy, as well as Melanie Hamrick, choreographer, author and ballerina will be honored at David H. Koch Theater in NYC. The event’s Gala Creative Chair is Marcella Guarino Hymowitz. There will be performances by Christine Shevchenko and Calvin Royal III of the American Ballet Theatre, Polina Semionova of the Berlin State Ballet, Roman Mejia of New York City Ballet, Reece Clarke of The Royal Ballet, and Nicoletta Manni and Timofej Andrijashenko of La Scala Ballet.
In addition to seeing phenomenal performances and enjoying a dinner at the gala, The Pointe Project shoes will be available for all to bid on via Givebutter.com starting on April 16th - April 23rd at 12pm ET.
You can still purchase tickets to YAGP Gala. We had the chance to talk to a few people ahead of this event. We had the pleasure of interviewing Misty Copeland a few years ago for our OCT ISSUE #94 and as this year’s host, we wanted to catch up with her on what she has been up to, why YAGP is important to her, and upcoming projects she is involved in.
ATHLEISURE MAG: We had the pleasure of interviewing you a few years ago and it’s great that we connected with you again! What do you love about ballet?
MISTY COPELAND: I love that ballet is a language beyond words. It’s discipline, imagination, and storytelling through the body. It gave me purpose and a way to connect with people across cultures and generations.
AM: What did it mean to you to be a Prima Ballerina for the ABT?
MC: It was deeply meaningful both personally and historically. It meant honoring the path that came before me while helping expand what audiences believe is possible in ballet.
AM: You retired from the ABT, and we know you just performed at the Oscars with Sinners, what are the kinds of projects that you will be taking on that we can keep an eye out for?
MC: I have a new middle-grade novel, Firebird Waltz, coming soon, along with future performances and creative projects across stage, film, and producing. I’m also continuing to grow the work of my foundation.
AM: You are hosting the YAGP Gala. Why did you want to be involved in this year’s event and what are you looking forward to?
MC: YAGP plays such an important role in nurturing young dancers. I wanted to support and celebrate the next generation of artists.
AM: Why is the Youth America Grand Prix important for dancers?
MC: YAGP creates access to training, mentorship, scholarships, and global visibility. For many dancers, it’s a life-changing opportunity.
We wanted to know more about the importance of YAGP and sat down with Marcella Guarino Hymowitz, who is the YAGP Gala Creative Chair.
AM: Before we delve into YAGP and the upcoming gala, can you tell me a bit about your background?
MARCELLA GUARINO HYMOWITZ: I’ve been dancing for as long as I can remember—I started at three, was assisting classes by twelve, and performing professionally as a teenager. Dance was my first language. It taught me discipline, expression, and how to connect with an audience without saying a word.
Over time, my path evolved beyond performing into choreography, creative direction, and experience design. Today, I run The Pearl in New York City, a dance and wellness studio built around confidence, community, and self-expression, and I also create immersive entertainment for events through Studio MGH.
Everything I do still stems from that same foundation—using movement and storytelling to make people feel something.
AM: When did you first fall in love with dance and why do you love it?
MGH: I fell in love with dance very young, but I think I understood WHY I loved it as I got older. It’s one of the only art forms where your body becomes the medium.
Dance gives you a way to process emotion, to tell stories, and to transform—not just how others see you, but how you see yourself. It builds confidence in a very real, physical way.
There’s also something magical about the shared experience of it. Whether you’re on stage or in a class, you’re connecting with the people around you. That energy is addictive.
AM: Why is YAGP so important for those that are in the ballet community?
MGH: YAGP is incredibly important because it creates access and opportunity in a way that is truly life-changing for young dancers.
For many students, traveling around the world to audition for top schools and companies simply isn’t financially possible. What YAGP does is bring those opportunities to them. With regional competitions in many countries, dancers are able to be seen by panels of judges representing some of the most prestigious institutions in the world—Stuttgart Ballet, Princess Grace Academy, The Royal Ballet School, Paris Opera Ballet School, John Cranko School, La Scala, ABT, Miami City Ballet, and many more of the top companies across the United States.
It’s not just exposure—it’s a direct pathway. Through the support of donors, YAGP is able to help bring students to these competitions and award scholarships that can completely change the trajectory of a dancer’s life.
Beyond that, it creates a global community. Young dancers from different backgrounds, countries, and training styles come together, learn from one another, and feel part of something much bigger than themselves.
YAGP isn’t just shaping careers - it’s shaping the future of ballet.
AM: You are serving as the gala’s Creative Chair this year for the 2026 Stars of Today Meets the Stars of Tomorrow Gala. What does this role involve?
MGH: As Creative Chair, my role is to shape the overall experience of the evening - how it feels, how it flows, and how the audience connects to what they’re seeing.
That includes working closely with YAGP’s founder, Larissa Saveliev, on performance curation, pacing, transitions, and the emotional arc of the night. I’m thinking about everything from the energy in the room to how each moment builds on to the next.
And beyond that, my goal is to help make the night one of the most exciting ballet programs in New York this season - to bring in new audiences and create more fans of the art form by exposing them to different interpretations of ballet, and showing how expansive and relevant it can be today.
The party after the performance is also exciting and fun because we will have all of the performers with us. It gives guests a chance to meet the performers and understand how Youth America Grand Prix helped to make their dreams come true.
AM: What are you looking forward to for this year’s performance as well as the gala?
MGH: I’m most looking forward to that moment when everything comes together - the dancers, the music, the audience - and you can feel the energy shift in the room.
This gala is such a beautiful intersection of emerging talent and established artists, and there’s something really powerful about witnessing that exchange in real time.
I’m also especially excited to debut the pointe shoes that will be auctioned off for The Pointe Project. They’ll be on display for the first time at the gala, with designs from Carolina Herrera, Michael Kors, Alice + Olivia, Monse, and more. It’s such a unique fusion of fashion and ballet, and a really special way to celebrate creativity across disciplines. These pointe shoes will be available for all to bid on via Givebutter.com starting April 16 and closing one week later at 12pm EST on April 23rd.
AM: Are there any upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for from you?
MGH: We have a lot of exciting things happening at The Pearl right now. We’re continuing to expand our collaborations and host pop-up wellness and fitness events for adults that feel both elevated and community-driven.
We’re also really focused on building meaningful programming for teens - from workout classes to “teen talks” featuring inspiring voices speaking on topics that matter to them. Creating a space where they feel strong, seen, and supported is incredibly important to me.
And starting this fall, we’ll be launching both a competitive cheer team and a dance team, led by top-tier instructors. It’s a natural extension of what The Pearl stands for - confidence, discipline, and community - just taken to the next level.
We wanted to talk with performers who will be part of YAGP Gala and caught up with ABT’s Christine Shevchenko and Calvin Royal III.
AM: When did you first fall in love with ballet?
CHRISTINE SHEVCHENKO: I vividly remember falling in love with ballet at the age of four. My mother took me backstage to see “The Sleeping Beauty.” A friend of hers was performing as a prima ballerina in Ukraine, and the show was quite lengthy - about three hours. I stood mesmerized in the wings, captivated by the music, costumes, lighting, and the enchanting story unfolding before me.
CALVIN ROYAL III: I came to ballet a bit later than most, at fourteen. At first, it was a curiosity more than anything, but I fell in love with the discipline, the music, and the feeling of discovering something I didn’t know I was capable of.
AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be a ballerina and to do it as a career?
CS: I realized I wanted to be a professional ballerina when I was around eleven. That was when things started to click for me, and I began truly enjoying my dance journey. Ballet consumed my thoughts; even in school, my mind would wander to ballet classes and rehearsals.
CR III: When I started training seriously and saw how much growth was possible, I realized this could be more than just a hobby. Being introduced to opportunities like YAGP, summer intensives, and eventually a scholarship to the ABT School made it that much more real. That this could actually be a path forward.
AM: What does it mean to you to dance for ABT and is there a specific performance that you are excited about that you will do this Spring or Summer season?
CS: Dancing for ABT means the world to me. This has been my dream company ever since I admired legends like Baryshnikov and Makarova, as well as the extensive classical repertoire they offer. I’m particularly thrilled to perform “Don Quixote” again this season; it’s one of my beloved ballets. Additionally, I’m eagerly anticipating my role in “Onegin.”
CR III: Dancing with ABT has been one of the defining chapters of my life. It’s where I grew up, both as an artist and as a person from student to Principal dancer over the years. There’s a deep sense of responsibility in carrying forward the company’s legacy while also finding my own voice within it. This season, I’m looking forward to exploring roles that challenge me both technically and emotionally, and allow me to deepen my artistry. I’m constantly searching for ways to bring meaning and sincerity to the stage every time the curtain goes up.
AM: Why is YAGP so important to ballet?
CS: YAGP plays a crucial role in the ballet world because it offers life-changing opportunities for young dancers to be noticed by some of the most influential figures in the industry. It fosters resilience and confidence, provides invaluable stage experience, and creates lasting friendships.
CR III: YAGP creates access. It’s a platform that opened doors for myself and thousands of young dancers, for decades, who may not otherwise have a clear path into the professional world. I see it as a program that continues to shape the next generation by connecting talent with opportunity on a global scale.
AM: What are you looking forward to for this year’s 2026 Stars of Today Meets the Stars of Tomorrow Gala?
CS: I am excited to perform alongside world-class dancers who are also friends, and to inspire a new generation of dancers to chase their dreams.
CR III: There’s something really special about bringing together established artists and young dancers on the same stage. I’ll never forget being an aspiring dancer looking up to the pros. Returning this year feels full circle, and a reminder of the continuum of this art form. I’m looking forward to that exchange of energy and inspiration when the curtain rises at Lincoln Center next month.
This year’s auctioned pointe shoe designs are those that we are excited about as mentioned by Marcella. Libby Klein is also contributing a design at this year’s Gala. We wanted to know more about her aesthetic and why she wanted to participate.
AM: How would you describe your work’s aesthetic?
LIBBY KLEIN: My work is rooted in beauty, but not surface-level beauty. It is layered, intentional, and deeply symbolic.
I am a mother of six, and that shapes everything I create. Every day I am balancing two worlds, art and home. Being a mother is not something separate from my work. It is part of it.
I lost my father at a young age, and that gave me a different relationship with life early on. I learned to notice what is fragile, what is meaningful, and what truly lasts. I also come from a family built on tradition and entrepreneurship, the Reichmans, where creating and building something lasting was always part of our foundation.
Alongside that, I was deeply influenced by my great-grandmother. She carried a quiet strength and an understanding that being a woman is not only about what you give to others, but also what you create from within yourself. That stayed with me.
So I built a life where both could exist. I am raising a family, and I am also an artist. I never saw those as separate roles.
My work reflects that balance. It holds beauty and responsibility, softness and strength, tradition and growth. It is not about escaping life, it is about taking everything life gives you and turning it into something meaningful.
I am drawn to blending old and new, preserving tradition while allowing it to evolve. You will see that in my work through delicate, timeless compositions, florals, birds, and natural elements, each one placed with intention.
So the aesthetic is beauty, but beauty with depth, with story, and with purpose.
AM: Where do you look for inspiration when it comes to creating new pieces?
LK: I look at my life.
My children, my home, and the way I choose to see the world, even when it is not simple, especially when it is not simple.
I have always believed that you can either focus on what is broken, or you can choose to find the beauty within it. That choice is where my work comes from.
I create from that perspective. I want to bring into the world the beauty that I see. I want people to feel something when they look at my work, to see light, to see hope, to see something good.
A lot of that is rooted in the power of women. In motherhood, in creation, in the quiet strength that women carry every single day. There is something incredibly powerful about being a woman, about holding so much, building so much, and still choosing softness. That balance inspires me constantly.
If someone can walk away from a piece and feel even a little more grounded, a little more inspired, or simply reminded that there is still beauty in the world, then I have done what I set out to do.
At the end of the day, it is about making the world feel a little brighter, a little softer, and a little more whole.
AM: Why did you want to be involved in the 2026 Stars of Today Meets the Stars of Tomorrow Gala?
LK: As a mother of six, this felt deeply personal to me.
I understand how important it is to nurture talent and to give children a space to grow, to express themselves, and to believe in what they are capable of. Life is not always easy, but when a child is given the opportunity to create, to move, and to be seen, it can shape everything.
This gala represents that. It is not just about performance, it is about possibility.
Being part of something that uplifts the next generation, that gives young dancers a platform and a sense of belief in themselves, is incredibly meaningful to me.
It aligns with everything I value, family, growth, resilience, and the ability to create something beautiful even through challenge.
AM: Tell us about the pointe shoes that you designed that will be auctioned off on this night?
LK: I chose to center the design around the poppy flower because its symbolism really spoke to me. There is something about the poppy. It represents hope, renewal, and resilience how something can grow and bloom even after difficulty. The more I thought about it, the more it felt so connected to ballet.
I also felt a personal connection to it. I grew up in Israel, and this kind of flower is deeply tied to the land. It carries a quiet message of strength, of healing, and of the idea that even in places that have seen so much, beauty can still grow.
What you see on stage is beautiful, but what it takes to get there is not easy. It is repetition, pressure, setbacks, and still choosing to get back up and keep going. That is the poppy to me.
The red carries that strength. It is soft, but it is not weak. That duality feels very feminine to me, the idea that softness and strength exist together.
I added a young bambi into the design because it felt like these dancers, at the beginning of something, still growing, still stepping into who they are becoming.
The butterflies bring a sense of transformation, that everything is constantly unfolding.
And the bees are something very personal to me. There is this idea that a bee should not be able to fly, but because it does not know its limitations, it does anyway. That reflects how I see life as a mother and as an artist, and it is something I see in these dancers as well.
So the shoes are not just decorative. They are a reflection of that whole journey, of becoming, of pushing through, and of finding beauty in it all, and a quiet hope for more unity, peace, and beauty in the world.
AM: Are there any upcoming projects or things we should keep an eye out for?
LK: Lately, I’ve been working on a collection that feels very close to me, the Glow Collection. It really comes from the idea that light doesn’t always come easily, sometimes it’s something you find after moving through darker moments. That kind of beauty, the kind that is built, not given, is something I’ve come to appreciate more over time.
I’ve also been involved in different fundraising efforts and creating pieces that support women, including work around breast cancer awareness. That part of what I do is very important to me, making sure the art gives back and reaches beyond itself.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | YAGP
Read the MAR ISSUE #123 of Athleisure Mag and see YOUTH ON POINTE | YAGP Gala in mag.
