G2C Young Artists Showcase! Check it out!

[choreographer:)]

Grassroots To Champions (Audrey Weisiger's coaches education company) is hosting an Online Choreography Competition. You can find it on you tube here:http://www.youtube.com/G2CYAS
The contestants range in age from 8 to 28 and have to complete a series of choreographic "challenges"!
The first one is up and each number gets a short evaluation by the judge: KURT BROWNING!!!!!

This is totally fun and has feel and look of a reality show! Check it out!!!!!

There are also "tip" videos and interviews with famous choreographers, judges, skaters, etc! What and AWESOME channel!

choreographer (No I am not in it)!

[shan]

I watched some of these videos yesterday.

[Quintuple]

Very cool. Challenge #3 is "Return to the Classics".

Hope I have time to see them all! I loved the one with Peter Liebers.

[choreographer:)]

WOW! I was sooooo impressed with 2A and 2B! Yah! Rumor has it Liebers will keep his 2B number for exhibition program this season! These kids are very creative. Who will be the next David Wilson!

[nashvilledancer]

Kathryn McSwain's Challenge 3 is skated by the wonderful Jeremy Abbott. It's gorgeous!

[choreographer:)]

WOW!!!!! He is SOOOOOOOO GOOD! Very nice choreo! Just watched the rest of the 2 B challenges! The quality of the skating and choreo is getting better and better! So many world competitors are popping up! THIS IS SOOOOO COOL!

[choreographer:)]

. . .and I'm so happy to be watching skating without calculating!

There needs to be a return to freedom in the artistry of our sport.

Without so many jump passes skaters can experiment and create!
I'm not saying that this is what needs to happen with competition, but I would like to see more freedom in the free program!

Too many jumps look all the same to the layperson. . . so refreshing and inspiring to see a new generation of choreographers developing such EXTREME passion for what is possible on the ice!

Thank you Audrey for sharing your creative idea with the skating community!

Happy Independence Day Everyone!

Choreographer

[Lanie]

This is fantastic!

[centerpt1]

I've been following it- I've voted for a different young choreographer each time. Well, except the proper seating one ...I just couldn't decide when it came to that one.

I also enjoy the videos of the various judges awarding stars to the works and giving feedback.

Well, back to watch the rest of the 3's.

[centerpt1]

Nanoha Sato is great to watch. Joyful skating.

[Sylvia]

Hope I have time to see them all! I loved the one with Peter Liebers.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCZVoBxAuco

Kathryn McSwain's Challenge 3 is skated by the wonderful Jeremy Abbott. It's gorgeous!

Link (Giselle): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQHqNOAe_Zc

Nanoha Sato is great to watch. Joyful skating.

Link (Coppelia): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6507YsHIfk

Tommy Steenberg's choreography as performed by Ana Draovitch (novice level skater) to "La Bayadère": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlZfOfSthms

For more information on this inaugural choreography competition: http://www.grassrootstochampions.com...tsShowcase.htm

From the Announcement:

The highest ranked contestants will be invited to particpate in a live show in Blaine, Minnesota on August 1, 2010 [1-3 pm at the National Sports Center] where they will compete in the finals. The show will be webcast, dates pending.

[BittyBug]

I've really been enjoying Joel Dear's work.

His piece for Challenge 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rA4y9Nlsuw,set to Giselle.

[centerpt1]

I loved Joel's first piece:

J Dear (really looked like he was “carving space”)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUxjC...eature=related

N. Sato (be sure and watch the bloopers at the end)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58biv...eature=related

N. Sato beautiful skating
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI_-f...eature=related

[centerpt1]

It's really getting hard to find all the entries on that site.

[choreographer:)]

centerpart: You can search by name in the upper left of the channel, or select all uploads.

[manleywoman]

I think it's reassuring to know that good choreography seems to not be dead.

I will say though I wish it were easier to vote for people. Ideally there would be a dedicated website for this so we could all see current rankings (without having to watch a video to find out), bios on each of the competitors (and judges), an easier way to read the rules and FAQs without having to download the pdf links from a separate website, etc. But I'm assuming it was a budget/time issue. Or perhaps since this was the first year it's something that will be dealt with in the future.

Just my constructive criticism, FWIW. I love the concept behind this and would love to see this succeed.

[Sylvia]

Here's a compilation of links to all the YAS Finalist bio/profile videos.

Champions Division:

Courtney Baga (age 20)

Adam Blake (age 21)

Joel Dear (age 28)

Shannon Lenihan (age 26)

Kathryn McSwain (age 23)

Elisa Siegmund (age 27)

Tommy Steenberg (age 21)

Amber Van Wyk (age 28)

Grassroots Division:

Victoria Beebout (age 15)

Amanda Hofmann (age 14)

Jade Esposito (age 8)

Nanoha Sato (age 17)

Ilana Sedaka (age 9)

[kwanfan1818]

I think Abbott should use that program as an exhibition.

Natalia Zaitseva is to die for.

Hoffmann reminded me of Czisny. I really liked the way Ilana Sedaka got the story and the character down.

PML that "Adams" wrote the music to "Giselle". Minkus is probably rolling in his grave now that Petipa wrote the music to "La Bayadere", too.

[choreographer:)]

Hey Manleywoman! Audrey just put up a "how to vote video with the challenge 3 intro" On the site here: http://www.youtube.com/user/G2CYAS
Thanks 4 the input.

[shan]

I really enjoyed watching the 3rd challenge and found the judges reviews very informative. I can't wait for the next one.