Vitacca Dance Wins Big at Houston Youth International Ballet Competition

Vitacca Vocational School for Dance, Houston and The Woodlands, and Artistic Director + Founder Kelly Ann Vitacca are proud to share their prestigious awards from The American Dance Competition | Youth International Ballet Competition Houston Semi-Final held January 13-15, 2023 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.  

In the Primary Classical Ballet Division, Melody Zhang placed 2^nd for “Graduation Ball”. 

In the Junior Classical Ballet Division, a Vitacca student was awarded first place overall, and seven students were placed in the Top 25. Kinley Brewer was awarded 1^st place for “La Esmeralda”; Aubrey Daniels placed 4^th for “Awakening of Flora; Sarah Prewitt placed 8^th for “The Talisman”; Rachael Beal placed 11^th for “Paquita Mazurka Variation”; Abby Lenker placed 14^th for “Harlequinade”; Gianna Wahl placed 21^st for “Kitri, Act 3 Variation”; and Lyla Rogers placed 22^nd for “La Fille Mal Gardee”.

Ten Vitacca students placed in the Top 25 of the Junior Contemporary Dance Division. Kinley Brewer placed 3^rd for “Unbound”; Aubrey Daniels placed 5^th for “Broken Sparrow”; Abby Lenker placed 6^th for “Spell on You”; Sarah Prewitt placed 10^th for “In the 2^nd Chair”; Lyla Rogers placed 11^th for “Cherry Blossom”; Julian Gomez placed 16^th for “Serenade”; Irene Paredes placed 17^th for “Frost”; Gianna Wahl placed 18^th for “Habanera”; Rachael Beal placed 19^th for “Moving Along”; and Amaris Ponder placed 21^st for “Lineindicke”.

In the Female Senior Classical Ballet Division, a Vitacca student was awarded first place overall, and ten students placed in the Top 25. Isabella Shook placed 1^st for “Grand Pas Classique”; Amira Hogan placed 4^th for “Gamzatti Variation from La Bayadere”; Ashleigh Abel placed 8^th for “Paquita Principle Variation”; Kyra Wentzlaff placed 9^th for “Paquita Act 3 Variation”; Katya Cassidy placed 10^th for “Walpurgis Nacht”; Alana Benton placed 13^th for “Variation from Raymonda”; Sophia Sparrow placed 20^th for “Le Corsaire Medora Variation”; Ava Marcinkovich placed 20^th for “Pas D’Sclave Variation from Le Corsaire”; Corina Wilson placed 24^th for “Swanhilda from Coppelia Act 1”; and Ivy Watts placed 25^th for “Variation from Paquita”.

A Vitacca student was awarded first place overall and six students placed in the Top 25 of the Female Senior Contemporary Dance Division. Amira Hogan placed 1^st for “Dancing Edith Piaf”; Alana Benton placed 2^nd for “Distant Waters”; Isabella Shook placed 3^rd for “Entwined Sonnet”; Kyra Wentzlaff placed 13^th for “Ampersand”; Larissa Yakunovich placed 14^th for “Longitudinal Vibration”; and Katya Cassidy placed 15^th for “Nearing”.

In the Male Senior Classical Ballet Division, Vitacca student Cristian Ponder was awarded first place overall for his performance of “Albrecht from Giselle.”

Vitacca Men’s program dancers were awarded the Top 3 overall in the Senior Contemporary Dance Division.  Cristian Ponder placed 1^st for “Penance”; Shawn Pearson placed 2^nd for “Passing” and Connor Blank placed 3^rd for “My Old West”.

Isabella Shook and Cristian Ponder were awarded first place overall in the Pas de Deux for their “Grand pas Classique.”  

Vitacca Studio Company was awarded first place overall and five student groups placed in the Top 7 in the Groups division under Rehearsal Director Sean Aaron Carmon.

For more information on Vitacca School for Dance visit www.VitaccaDance.com.