80: The Birth of the Youth America Grand Prix — Larissa Saveliev and Sergey Gordeev

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Larissa Saveliev — Founder and Artistic Director at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) — and Sergey Gordeev, who is the Founding Director of Communications and External Affairs at the Youth America Grand Prix. Larissa, who was trained at the Bolshoi Ballet, has received a mountain of accolades, including being named one of</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Dance Magazine</span></em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">’s top 25 most influential people in dance. Sergey is an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, actor, writer, jazz pianist, journalist, translator, and composer. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Youth America Grand Prix has literally changed the dance industry since its founding in 1999 and has allowed young dancers from all areas of the globe to be celebrated for their talents, regardless of economic status. On the podcast, Larissa and Sergey dive deep into the fascinating (and funny) story of how the competition was born, discuss how coming up with “the big idea” is the easiest part of the process, and explain how life’s real winners are the ones who are willing to put in the work to make their ideas a reality.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Moving Quotes:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We didn’t want to have a competition for the sake of competition. We wanted to have a competition with a purpose where the kids can receive something more than just a trophy."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“[YAGP] has created a different paradigm that dancers grow up in. The world is literally their oyster. They can go anywhere if they’re good enough."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The fact that Youth America Grand Prix is still here after 21 years shows that this is needed, this will go on. Whatever form this takes, this is here because people need it to be here."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s not enough to just have a good idea. It’s the cen