YAGP On, YAGP Off

Julian continues auditioning for summer intensives despite the fact that we had to let the School of American Ballet know our decision a few weeks ago. That means the ABT results came if after, as well the San Francisco Ballet School and Juilliard results. ABT offered Julian a full scholarship this year, but it just can’t compare with the full housing and food–plus money toward airfare–offered by SAB. Not only that, Julian is read to try something different.

He really wanted to go to Juilliard, but it’s only three weeks. That would have thrown a wrench in the summer, especially since it also conflicted for one week with the Complexions intensive.

I’ve still got to sign him up for that and find an apartment for four weeks.The five weeks of SAB are handled. He’ll fly there (hopefully) with a girl from SFB and they’ll share a ride to Juilliard, where they will be housed. I’ll meet up with him five weeks later. How nice is that?

We’ll hear from SFB in a week and he auditions with Juilliard on Friday. I’m so curious about the latter. They only take 48 kids. I feel like Juilliard’s decision will be some sort of indication of his chances of getting in there for college, but maybe I’m wrong.

As for YAGP, we are on again, off again. Julian’s one partner has had a stress fracture and been in a boot for almost four weeks. Supposedly she will be up for competing, but I’ve got serious doubts. They’ll have just over two weeks to get it together. This is the same pax they got together for the Nutcracker–the Grand Pax, but her muscle tone will be next to nothing after not using her foot at all for a month. I guess we’ll see later this week.

Julian’s other partner bailed on him after she got a job with the Joffrey. After all, the pax was just one more way for her to get seen at YAGP and possibly get a job. Now that she has one…well…no need for that. That was great since he had to go to LA to compete since she was going to be in Europe auditioning. I was freaking out about that, since I couldn’t go along. Julian was going to be there 2 days in a hotel without me. I wasn’t happy. So, I was understandably relieved when she said she would just do her solo.

(Plus, Julian was needed at the studio for the RDA adjudication. He had a stand in, but that person possibly could get called away leaving two numbers without a dancer. It’s tough being the only boy in a studio…)

Anyway, we were all set to bag that pax…told the seamstress to stop working on the costume–a blue unitard (for Bluebird), and then we got the word today that the pax was back on–this time in the San Francisco area. Well, no traveling anyway! The girl decided not to continue auditioning in Europe since she had that job with the Joffrey, so she could compete locally. That meant she could do the pax with Julian–and they’d have more time to rehearse.

Long story short…well, not really…YAGP is back on. The costume now needs to be sewn, much to the dismay of the seamstress. We still don’t know about Julian’s other partner, but at least he gets to compete. I get to die ballet shoes. Lovely.

At least all that work doesn’t go to waste.

Oh, the other good news about not traveling to LA for YAGP is that Julian will be here when the RDA adjudicator sees his piece of choreography. He has set a piece on about 14 girls. He’ll get to hear the feedback himself, which is very important. He has worked on the piece for two weeks now. It’s four and a half or more minutes long. He has 30 seconds yet to go.

That’s it here…for now.