In New York’s Plaza Hotel, hundreds of young dancers gathered on Wednesday to attempt to break the world record for dancing on pointe in one place. The event was organized by Youth America Grand Prix, a ballet scholarship program celebrating its 25th anniversary with three nights of performances at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
The dancers in attendance ranged from students aged 9 to 19 competing for scholarships to professional dancers who were alumni of the program. To the tune of Tchaikovsky’s music, they gracefully stood on tiptoes and shifted their weight rapidly from one foot to the other, performing a step called bourrée for a full minute. Excitement filled the room as Tina Shi, an adjudicator for Guinness World Records, announced that they had achieved a new record of 353 ballerinas dancing on pointe en masse.
Youth America Grand Prix has been operating the world’s largest student ballet scholarship competition since 1999. Their previous record for ballerinas on pointe en masse was 306. This achievement marked a significant milestone in the program’s history, showcasing the dedication and talent of the dancers who participated in this record-breaking event.
