YAGP 2022 Finals Gold Medalist and Prix De Lausanne Prize Winner Maya Schonbrun - Don Quixote

YAGP 2022 Tampa Finals Senior Gold Medalist and Prix De Lausanne 2022 Prize Winner Maya Schonbrun, Age 17, from Master Ballet Academy performs Queens of the Dryads variation from Don Quixote.
Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) is the world's largest student ballet scholarship competition and global dance network, connecting students, teachers, schools, dance companies, and audiences worldwide. Now in its 22nd season, YAGP has reached more than 150,000 participants worldwide through its international ballet workshops, ballet auditions, ballet competitions, and ballet master classes.
To date, over $4 million has been awarded to young dancers in scholarships to leading dance schools worldwide, including The Ailey School, American Ballet Theatre JKO School, The Australian Ballet School, Ballet West Academy, Berlin State Ballet School, Bolshoi Ballet Academy Summer Intensive, Boston Ballet School, Canada’s National Ballet School, Dutch National Ballet Academy, English National Ballet School, European School of Ballet, Houston Ballet Academy, John Cranko School of The Stuttgart Ballet, The Juilliard School, Paris Opera Ballet School, Princess Grace Academy, The Rock School for Dance Education, The Royal Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet School, The Washington School of Ballet, and Zurich Dance Academy, among other preeminent institutions in the U.S. and abroad.
More than 450 YAGP alumni are now dancing in over 80 leading companies around the world - American Ballet Theatre, The Australian Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Boston Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Dresden Semperoper Ballett, Finnish National Ballet, Houston Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet, Miami City Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, The Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin, and The Stuttgart Ballet, among others - with more than 100 of them in soloist or principal dancer positions.
The annual YAGP Gala at Lincoln Center, Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow, features the biggest stars of the world’s leading dance companies, many of whom had their NYC debuts* at the YAGP Gala, alongside the rising ballerinas and male dancers of tomorrow.
Past guest artists have included such luminaries as Nina Ananiashvili, Roberto Bolle, Ashley Bouder, Darcey Bussell, José Manuel Carreño, Misty Copeland, Robert Fairchild, Marcelo Gomes, David Hallberg, Maria Kochetkova, Ekaterina Kondaurova, Isabelle Guerin, Lucia Lacarra, Manuel Legris, Vladimir Malakhov, Gillian Murphy, Marianela Nunez, Evgenia Obraztsova, Natalia Osipova*, Xander Parish, Tiler Peck, Tamara Rojo, Daniil Simkin, Polina Semionova*, Olga Smirnova, Yuan Yuan Tan, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, Daniel Ulbricht, Ivan Vasiliev*, Diana Vishneva, Wendy Whelan, and many other dance legends.
YAGP was the subject of the 2011 award-winning First Position documentary, which followed six participants on their journey to compete at YAGP’s annual NYC Finals.
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[@PatriciaBarlowTO]

All while wearing the world's most raggedy and decrepit toe pads 😍

[@Becky.Ray14]

I mean, maybe this is why they're her lucky toe pads. YAGP Gold and Prix de Lausanne Winner, thats impressive.

[@karenbiondi1628]

What toe pads? Maya doesn’t wear toe pads. 😂

[@addiely0]

@@karenbiondi1628her shrivelled up toe pads 😂

[@_Harry_Potter_Fan_333]

Yass I was about to mention that lol that’s why I came here hahahahahahahahahhahahah lollll😂😂😂😂😂

[@ashie827]

You mean threads? 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@_heythatsmypizza_]

I knew that her toepads were not that bad! Jokes apart, she's an amazing and stunning ballerina and she always makes everything look effortless, I admire her so much!

[@sabinamaria]

INSANITY. The control, artistry, strength, technique. The CLEAN triple and quadrouple. Reversing the Russian fouettes. Also, the effortless a la seconde leaps after the ecarte developes are INSANE to me- so so beautiful.

[@melodys9188]

ikr like holy bajeezus. she made this variation evEN harDER and nailed it!!!!

[@kballet2001]

@@melodys9188 crazy thing is she could have done so much more difficulty wise but it would have messed the phrasing up

[@sweetmarasme]

her leaps were absolute insanity how is miss girl FLYING for so long that's just mental

[@ddazuulada]

Recognized her from TikTok, what a beautiful dancer she is 🥺💙

[@YAGP]

We agree. She is so delicate and precise! If you enjoyed watching her, you might want to watch our pre-competitive hope award winner, Asuka Hara, age 10! kzbin.info/www/bejne/nneXnpmBrZ53r9U

[@ILuV-eDiTs13]

She is the best at this varoation

[@BallerinaBabe]

I'm so glad she got all that applause, she is a beautiful dancer and did AMAZINGLY!

[@YAGP]

Maya is a beautiful dancer! You might like this other video on our channel of her dancing Etudes and Esmeralda: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZWxf3emaJWVrNk

[@minissa2009]

OMG stunning! I've never seen anyone reverse course in Russian fouettes. She carries herself like a polished, seasoned professional. Anyone know where she ended up?

[@reedperry1972]

I think she’s still at Master Ballet Academy right now but I’m not sure

[@jarretschonbrun9390]

Master ballet academy until mid summer, then will be a part of Sweden's ballet

[@minissa2009]

@@jarretschonbrun9390 If this is typical of the quality of her dancing, she deserves the fas track to principal in Sweden {assuming she's not just a student taking a summer intensive}. Thanks for the info!

[@jarretschonbrun9390]

I think it's pretty typical of her abilities (but, I am both admittedly biased and not knowledgeable about ballet)

[@louiselins]

@@minissa2009 She really fits the company in Stockholm, specially with the new dancers who came to the company efter Le Riche became AD. Excited to see her here in Sweden.😍😁

[@sarahcorbo3659]

She deserved every second of that insane applause 👏

[@YAGP]

She really did! Here is a video of Juyoon Park, our 3rd place senior women winner from the 2021 Korea semi-finals performing this variation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYTMi31poNx0rpo check it out!

[@autisticdancer]

She's so graceful and makes it look so effortless! It looks like she was floating this entire variation!

[@YAGP]

She really does. We are so proud of her performance and incredibly excited for what her future holds! If you enjoyed Maya, you might also want to check out Yerin Ok, our junior silver medalist: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3iodKiagr5mn5I

[@kolibri7712]

it’s easy to think ballet doesn’t take extreme athletic skill when people like Maya make it look effortless 😍 bravo

[@ballerinafromtheblock]

I just also wanted to say that she is an INSANELY talented turner and when it comes to turning sections she probably times things a certain way as to be able to have enough to time to achieve the amount of turns she wants.

[@cf8595]

Ballet has never made my jaw drop/gasp until she reversed those fouettes. I've never seen it before and it was MASTERFUL. All those gorgeous floating jumping men have been my "stunning" bar until now. That applause gave me chills!

[@sweetmarasme]

oh Maya 😭😭😭😭 i feel like watching my child becoming an adult, look at her she's prefect she's made for this she is incredible

[@lisak745]

as I watch her literally FLY through the air I can’t take my eyes of of her. She’s such a breath taking dancer and definitely deserved to win the prize. She’s so graceful even with the smallest move. So impressed!

[@jessicasopolis3904]

That fouette reversal is cray!!

[@jackson5802]

It's also in one of the Raymonda variations I'm pretty sure

[@Christina_320]

Absolutely unbelievable, If ones never danced before they have NO idea the level of difficultly this is. Wow.

[@keckm88]

She is ethereal. You can feel her love for ballet. And such joy on her stunning face. Oy Maya fan for life lol

[@Valentine_leca]

the power of rotten pointe shoes ❤😂

[@viertouchdownsineinemspiel]

Off topic from me, a german girl: her beautyful last name is originated in Austria and was written „Schönbrunn“, a district with the beautyful castle in Vienna. ❤

[@anaheehee2784]

when she was spinning she reminded me of the ballerina would spin every time I opened my sister's music box

[@jayneterry8701]

Always good to see the rising dancers of tomorrow! I already picture her playing Giselle, a fairy queen, Juliette!🥰👍🩷🙏

[@user-mp1hv2ng4z]

I pass it around, in curls, it is so airy, fluid, supple, graceful and beautiful. Net, clear, precise. Just amazing. So many difficulties mastered without effort. Evanescent and so present. Aerial, luminous, light. High Virtuosity. Ecstatic. A mind of steel in a fluid body. Best wishes to the Royal Swedish Ballet and compliments once again, never too much from Lausanne, Switzerland

[@tmac-zy8ry]

I’ve seen her on tik tok before and when i saw this i was so excited and she is an amazing dancer

[@YAGP]

Maya is amazing. Her technique is stunning! Check out Asuka Hara, our pre-competitive hope award winner! She is only age 10 and has amazing technique for her age! kzbin.info/www/bejne/nneXnpmBrZ53r9U

[@DeemoandPuff]

Her artistry put this performance over the top, i love it

[@bluestarr2009]

She gave me chills.

[@ad8397]

That’s Maya, from Eva’s videos and photos! I feel like I know her. So graceful and beautiful!!

[@lilibetp]

I can't stop watching this.

[@hanakoakamoto8919]

Maya is something else, one of that kind in generation. I wish to see her in Prague

[@rachaelpanda]

Maya is an incredible dancer. She looks like an angel ❤ so much joy and light in her dancing! Congrats on the gold, she absolutely deserves this

[@snabeyratne]

I'm a great admirer of MS. She has amazing talent.

[@YAGP]

We agree. Her talent is exceptional! If you enjoyed watching Maya, you might also like to watch our pre-competitive hope award winner, Asuka Hara, performing graduation ball: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nneXnpmBrZ53r9U check her out!

[@bloopscorner6016]

how do you even critique that??? its amazing the control she had and he extensions are to die for

[@YAGP]

Her control is stunning. She is unbelievable! Juyoon Park, our 3rd place winner from the 2021 Korea semi-finals performed Queen of the Dryads variation too: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYTMi31poNx0rpo check her out!

[@michelleheadley2911]

Victoria Carillo from Master Ballet academy did the same variation in flats. First place also. They have some amazing artists

[@jan4222]

Incredibly beautiful! It's like gravity doesn't even exist for Maya!

[@YAGP]

😍 If you enjoyed this video, we think you may also like these performances on our channel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpurpqB9drKbfcU , kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHixlWSXjNKAgpo

[@myahm8817]

wow the control in those leaps and fouttes is incredible!!

[@andromeda8rose]

She positively floats! She's incredible

[@shania_]

absolutely gorgeous as always!!! i love how effortlessly Maya executes everything 😍

[@YAGP]

Maya is stunning! Impressive to watch! If you liked this video, you might enjoy watching our pre-competitive hope award winner, Asuka Hara performing Graduation Ball! She is so cute and effortless for her age: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nneXnpmBrZ53r9U

[@BlancBellamy-yy8wo]

Oh my goodness Maya made it look so easy. Well deserved!

[@sarahallal7165]

C'est absolument incroyable !!!!!!!!! Je suis estomaquée !!! Quel talent extraordinaire cette Maya!!!

[@MaraCares]

omg it's MAYA! With the toe pads! Gosh, she's beyond talented 🤯

[@dove.9833]

She’s incredible well deserved gold medal ❤❤

[@joliannebaum7206]

So beautiful. Silken control. Lovely. Evenrelaxing to watch perform this variation which can be very nerve-wracking. Even to watch. Also, the split in second jumps were quiet. That was moraculous.

[@miami.wrld1625]

literally in love with maya and ambers control and consistency alsoooo maya in this variation>>>>>

[@athenawu8425]

She...she is light like air... If this is not perfection I don't know what is.

[@lizb853]

I am not surprised that this lady won the gold medal. That was platinum standard, never mind gold. A superb performance second to none. Unbelievable. Prima ballerina assoluta, without doubt. Absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.

[@vanillacakes]

Absolutely jaw dropping! I can’t believe she started ballet “late” - she is clearly a prodigy and a virtuoso at that! 🤩🙌🏽

[@ileanamuntean7338]

My Goodness! Those pure lines are unbelievable!!!

[@YAGP]

We agree. She is unbelievable! If you enjoyed Maya, you might also enjoy watching Juyoon Park, our 3rd place winner from the 2021 Korea semi-finals performing Queen of the Dryads variation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYTMi31poNx0rpo

[@egshigbatsukh8030]

YES MAYUHH

[@belle99]

The control of the varation and the strength you need, Maya excelled it ❤

[@merryweathersleftcheek]

her toepads 😭 but yet with such strength, showing her real love and passion for ballet.

[@claireh6494]

This is beautiful. I remember learning this variation before, and it was so hard! She makes it look so effortless!!! ❤❤❤

[@YAGP]

Yes, she does!❤ If you like this video, we think you might also enjoy these videos on our channel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJqUpWWVm7t0i7M , kzbin.info/www/bejne/poOkf2OZpM2ksNk

[@OMGGaya]

i have never seen something so slow yet so graceful at the same time.....wonderful preformance maya!

[@Ubertechgirl66]

What a beautiful, graceful dancer. ❤

[@evoandy]

This is some of the most fundamentally sound and poised ballet I have ever seen.

[@qtipp9224]

Absolutely Stunning!!

[@TinyDancer888]

Yes, MBA really trains some stunning dancers. Maya is a beautiful dancer.

[@teddx_bear8647]

Those Italian fouettés are absolutely gorgeous, Maya!

[@minissa2009]

And she reversed them!

[@challloyd215]

Wow, 17 huh, incredible. When I was young, decades and decades and decades and....I sang and danced professionally. My dance teacher gave me free lessons because she thought I was uncanny and everyone wanted to take lessons where I took lessons. I even got to dance with my STILL idol, Joyce Cuoco. But I've been watching these young ladies dance in these competitions, and two stand out as extra great, Maria Tian and this young lady. Absolutely fantastic and it makes me wonder how anyone thought I was a good dancer, well, at least in ballet!!!! Lol. All these girls are fabulous. Wow, just beautiful these girls dance. The flexibility, the turns, the points, the balance, the true grace which you can't really teach, these girls have "it". Just wonderful. What brilliant careers they will have.

[@YAGP]

Wow! What you described sounds like fun! If you enjoyed watching Maya, you might also like watching our junior silver medalist, Yerin Ok, performing Raymonda: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3iodKiagr5mn5I she is absolutely stunning as well!

[@challloyd215]

@@YAGP Great, thanks!!!

[@dot8209]

What's crazy is she had danced as a kid but only started ballet at the age of 13!

[@minissa2009]

I was thinking Master Ballet Academy really turns out great dancers then wondered if they go recruiting so they bring young, talented dancers *to* them. Either way... As I'm writing, Royal Swedish just gave her her first Swan Lake *while she was still in the corps* and promoted her.

[@CamilasFootprints]

Wow! She is amazing 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@roza9813]

So effortless & light in her movement

[@user-jk3jn4kq4z]

she is really really good!!! i looove how "suspended" she looked in her side leap(?) if i had one gripe, it'd be it that it seemed like she wasn't exactly on beat. i knew where she wanted to "hit" each move, but some control issues that didn't let her. but regardless of that, she is so graceful and it was a wonderful perofrmance

[@lydiamarzluf7908]

Timing for variations is very nuanced and may seem off to some. A lot of dancers will dance "through" the music or experiment with subtle timing and musicality changes since there aren't many ways you can really put your mark on a variation. In the case for this specific variation the beginning sorta depends on how long you can balance in the extensions.

[@stephaniesuh1271]

@@lydiamarzluf7908 yeah for sure. noticed it mostly in the beginning as well. but she can only get better from here! and i guess it's up to the dancer on how to interpret the music and timing

[@YAGP]

This truly was a wonderful performance. She makes everything look effortless! If you had a good time watching Maya, you might also enjoy watching Yerin Ok, our Junior silver medalist: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3iodKiagr5mn5I

[@shireads2954]

It's actually almost impossible to know if she's actually off beat unless you know the variation really well. Every time I watch a ballet class or rehearsal, I'm surprised by the timing of some part or another. Sometimes the part of the move that supposed to be on the downbeat is the start or end of the move rather than what looks like the "peak" to me. Or sometimes the beat they're hitting isn't the downbeat, but a more subtle part of the music. It isn't until you hear the teacher counting it out that it all makes sense. I believe Maya was on beat here, but I don't know the variation, so I can't say for sure.

[@nataliaandrews1659]

She is so insanely talented. She can do turns, legs and jumps all amazingly well whereas many dancers can only do one well. Wow

[@nicolef.peniston-bird5031]

Well done Maya, that was fantastic!

[@MeganMcIntosh]

So nice to hear the crowd going wild and seeing her respond to that in her dancing. 🫶

[@karunadd]

Amazing talent! 👏🙌

[@megpashley803]

Absolutely perfect

[@timothyleighton5486]

Absolutely stunning ! Such artistry ! 👏❤️

[@YAGP]

Maya's artistry is admirable! Talking about artistry, check out Asuka Hara our hope award pre-competitive winner performing graduation ball: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nneXnpmBrZ53r9U her artistry is so impressive for her age!

[@j3s333]

that was amazing!

[@madisonp5987]

She does it all with such ease

[@jaydeguzman3048]

BRAVO!!! BRAVO!!!

[@Parisxx]

YES MAYA!!❤

[@aoky9179]

i never did ballet and im not super knowledgeable but i nanny for someone who does ballet so ive become so interested in it and its technical and artistic difficulty. To my amateur eye, Maya is my favourite. she is enchanting, i cant look away and even with my untrained eye, I can tell that she is very technically impressive. I am very good judging women artistic gymnastic- and while they are so different, they share a couple of the same components; unique artistic flare to highly technical elements while making it look easy- making something that we know is extremely hard look effortless. Maya does this spectacularly. its even more impressive knowing she was 12 when she started ballet. just insanity!

[@joshcrittendon9416]

Her lines are so stunning omg 😭🤍

[@YAGP]

Yes they are! Check out Maya at age 16 performing Etudes and Esmeralda! kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZWxf3emaJWVrNk we hop you enjoy this video!

[@Morimegami]

Maya is simply the best!! ❤

[@fairymusic230]

Congratulations Maya ❤

[@rediscoverNewark]

YOU GO MAIA AND 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@spooktoken]

Shes such a gorgeous dancer

[@marialuizasouza1210]

Mesmerizing 🥺😍😍

[@galekelsey224]

Indescribably lovely, Maya. Superb…💝

[@mariadjordjevic9146]

Brilliant. An effortless performance of skill and fluidity.

[@monivas2520]

Muito difícil de executar. Está de parabéns! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🥇

[@astire007]

Wow fab ! She is beautiful ,congrats on a well deserved win 😊

[@YAGP]

We agree! Check out our 3rd place winner Juyoon Park from the 2021 Korea semi-finals performing this variation! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYTMi31poNx0rpo

[@Mezzie1957]

Amazing fantastic. she makes it look effortless and the thing is her dancing is very difficult and she executed it flawlessly

[@almaroman8690]

She is Amazing!!!!! So beautifull💞

[@MadelinCruz-ym5ge]

Muy bonito Maya, ¡felicidades!

[@patriciachaullet7055]

Superbe, vive la danse

[@LH23232]

Wonderful! 💟👏

[@pedrogarciarias129]

YOU ARE THE QUEEN FOR EVER!🥰🌹🌹🌹🌟🎶🎶🎶

[@viktoriakhmelevsky5553]

Bravo !!!!!!

[@kabardinka1]

Stunning!

[@winterabla8264]

y’all be admiring her ballet while all i can think of is her dancing in her broken toe pads. i cant lmao

[@evangelinapancoteelias3591]

Maravilhosa 😍

[@florenceblaison2173]

Maya you're are so good and talented 💓

[@94hoi97]

Baby hairs did so good ❤️😭

[@YAGP]

❤️ If you enjoyed this video, we think you might also like these videos on our channel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6bMoKxnoa6VnLc , kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqGYnWygqauhfbs

[@zoea2737]

absolutely stunning dancer

[@mdt6176]

Bravisimo!!! 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏

[@FireflyBakerySweets]

I find it crazy that she started ballet when she was 13 years old. She's an incredible dancer and I am so glad that she got into the swedish ballet

[@coochiedestroyer5_]

literal goosebumps

[@hsongea0916]

she is one of the my favorite ballerina...great technic ٩(๑>ꇴ< ๑)و

[@YAGP]

She is one of our favorites too! Check out another of our favorite ballerinas, Yerin Ok, second place junior winner: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3iodKiagr5mn5I

[@iraklem5619]

Браво!!! Фуэте потрясающе!!❤

[@danutahull9319]

WOW 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 You were born to be a ballerina 🩰⭐️ Beautiful and gorgeous presentation 💖 An excellent and outstanding beautiful graceful captivating stunning performance⭐️ 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💐💐💐💐 A wonderful future ahead for you A joy to watch 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@romeoandsusandial5340]

Beautiful & graceful😊