Special Episode- Company Secrets with Larissa Saveliev: Directing Youth America Grand Prix

In this special episode of Company Secrets: Ballet Unfiltered, Jared sits down with Larissa Saveliev, Founder and Artistic Director of Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), the world’s largest international student ballet competition. This special episode is a must-listen for students, dancers, teachers, and parents who are competing or considering competing in Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP). 

Larissa shares candid insights on what dancers need to know to stand out, YAGP's origins and global impact, what makes YAGP unique, the role competitions play in a dancer’s growth, and how opportunities created on this stage have shaped countless careers. 

Whether you’re preparing to compete, guiding and/ or coaching students, supporting your child as they prepare for the competition, or simply curious about how YAGP became such a powerful force in the ballet world, this conversation offers a valuable perspective you won’t want to miss.

Transcript

Jared Redick (00:04)
 Welcome to Company Secrets Ballet Unfiltered, the podcast where we pull back the curtain on the professional dance world. Each week, I sit down with artistic directors and industry leaders to have candid conversations about how dance companies really work, what they're looking for, how decisions get made, and what it takes to thrive. I'm your host, Jared Redick.
 
 Today, on this special episode of Company Secrets, I'm thrilled to welcome a person who needs no introduction in the dance world, Larisa Savaliev, artistic director and founder of Youth America Grand Prix. Born in Moscow, Larisa trained at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy and went on to dance with the Bolshoi before immigrating to the U.S. In 1999, together with her husband Gennady, former soloist with ABT, they founded YAGP. Now in its 26th year,
 
 YAGP has supported more than 200,000 young dancers, awarded over $5 million in scholarships, and connected students directly with schools, companies, and artistic directors worldwide. She received the Dance Magazine Award in 2014, was named one of Dance Magazine's top 25 most influential people in dance in 2017 and continues to serve on the magazine's advisory board. Her impact extends into production and media.
 
 playing a key role in the award-winning documentary titled First Position. ⁓ She also consults on dance projects around the world. Larissa is often called the most prominent matchmaker in the dance world. Her commitment to discovering, mentoring, and developing the next generation of dance artists helped her launch countless careers. I'm so excited to have her here today to explore her journey, vision, and the incredible impact of YAGP.
 
 Welcome Larissa.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (02:01)
 Well, thank you for having me. I'm very excited to join you and I'm very excited to join you like new venture and well, cannot wait for a new chapter because we know each other for quite some time.
 
 Jared Redick (02:15)
 Yeah, it's been a minute since I joined YGP over 10 years ago now.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (02:20)
 Yeah, you've been in Boston, then you've been in North Carolina, and like you've been on the road with us gazillion times and probably gazillion more to come. And I'm very excited for this new chapter of your artistic journey.
 
 Jared Redick (02:33)
 Thanks so much. I really appreciate that. It's so much fun to be with YAGP and talking with you today. Why don't we start way back at the beginning and I think about 1999 and I wonder what was the catalyst that compelled you to create YAGP?
 
 Larissa Saveliev (02:49)
 We go back to actually 1998 because it took us at least a year to get ready and kind of understand what's happening because you have to remember it's no YouTube, no Instagram, no Google most important. So, it was a library. That was our main source of information. And the reason why I started so because Gennady was at ABT, and he was traveling like a lot. So, I was staying home with our...
 
 like oldest son, he was young then, and I start teaching in a local studio. And it was a very, very commercial competition studio. And I remember one time the students, like I prepared for this competition, came back and brought score sheet back. And in the score sheet, was written, the routine was not entertaining enough. And I was like, it's not a routine, it's variation, and it's petty pie.
 
 How dare you are you talking about Petty Pot this way? Came to director of the school and just like say, look at this, how disgusting it is and how horrible it is and how bad it is. And she was like, just stop complaining and I'll bring you kids somewhere else where I appreciate ballet. was like, okay, tell me where can I bring them? And she say, well, let me think about it. And I was like, well, it's not really, we don't have any place. I was like, what do you mean? America is so big and it's so many dance schools and we don't have a place? And she was like, not really.
 
 She was like, stop complaining, just create one. And I literally, I did it for very selfishly for myself as a young and starting teacher because I was looking for the place I can see other bunheads in a way, like me and my students at the time. Just like to see what's happening in Ballet Award because like again, it's right now everything is so.
 
 Easy. can just click the button and see anything you wish to see and everything that's happening in US and abroad. But we're talking about them. And so I was looking for outlet where I can find this information and where I can meet the people, the same teachers. I was looking for outlet where I can meet my colleagues or the, you know, same of the kind.
 
 Jared Redick (05:06)
 Sounds like you're trying to find a place where you could build a community or be part of a community of with like-minded individuals.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (05:13)
 Yeah,
 
 I was not looking for building community, to all fairness, I was just trying to find the community to join. In a way to looking for this community, I figured out apparently does not exist. And for me, was like very, very big surprise.
 
 because we came from Russia at the moment and it was so many different events where all the schools come together, know, Bolshoi and Vaganova came together and Bolshoi and Pern and Vaganova came together. And we always see these festivals and of course, Moscow international competitions. So we've been exposed to this event and I thought as the young dance student, it was important for me to be part of it. And it was a big surprise for me.
 
 to find out it's in America was nothing like this exists. It was regional dance America, but it was mostly concentrated on the group and big ensemble pieces. and it was more like concentrated as a school, but anything was the individual students, nothing like that. And like I say, it was extreme big eye-opening for me to find out it's not there. And it seems for me at the time, it was logical.
 
 to have something like that, then I find out among ballet schools, competition has a very, very negative and questionable reputation. And what I find out, if the parents looking for serious ballet schools, they call the school and ask, do you do the competition? And if answer was yes, that's mean it was not serious ballet school. And that's mean ballet students will not join this particular school.
 
 And what I've been told like numerous times is, my God, it's such a bad idea. Ballet school will never do this. Like don't even try. It's just like, know, low scores. I was, I guess, young and ignorant and stubborn. So I decided to try. Then somehow it started.
 
 Jared Redick (07:10)
 And so here you are 26 years later and I mean the competition goes to over 30 cities in the US and over 15 internationally. So you've created this incredible industry and competition.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (07:23)
 And I think Peter Star said this like, so we are democratized art of ballet in the United States. We make it more accessible to the general public and to general population. I guess that's the one thing I'm the most proud.
 
 Jared Redick (07:30)
 Yeah, absolutely.
 
 Just thinking about all the opportunities that these young dancers have been able to partake in because of the competition, connecting so many dancers to so many schools and companies, that's something to be incredibly proud about.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (07:55)
 The worst part when we start now going back and we can laugh about this, but then all I was doing just crying because it was just every step on the road was the bump road. Because in a way we were the pioneers. We create whole industry of the ballet competition in the United States, which I'm very, very happy because it's mean more and more kids get the opportunity. But when we started, it was nobody to follow.
 
 All this competition, now they kind of follow our footsteps. We were the first one and we pretty much, way we find out if things work or not, it's by trying and making mistakes and figure out, no, no, no, no, no. We're going the wrong way. It doesn't work. Let's try this way. And it was a lot of bump in my forehead. So, because we bumped to lot of closed doors, but.
 
 Then little by little we figure out like the way. And I think the key to the success was when teacher understand the benefits of bringing students to the ballet competition. And when they understand it's a process, then minute like the teacher understand what this process like do for the young dancers. And I think we were born. That's when I...
 
 kind of start counting our journey.
 
 Jared Redick (09:20)
 I would think that would absolutely be a turning point. From my perspective, see why JP is obviously you have this support of these young dancers, but also these schools who are preparing them. And you see the investment in the dancers to understand how beneficial the process is to their training and to their growth as young artists.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (09:42)
 I really think the most important thing is not the competition. most important thing is the process preparing for going on stage. I really think it's the most important things in a young dancer's dance journey.
 
 Jared Redick (09:57)
 That is something to continue to message to these young dancers who want to be perhaps Insta-famous, right? They post their variations or pictures from their variations and they get lots of likes, but really to be a professional dancer, you have to invest in that process deeply to become an artist.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (10:15)
 have a love-hate relationship with social media. We all do. can talk hours about that. So personally as individual, I don't have any social media platform, not one. So if anybody find me on Instagram, just know it's fake. So I don't have anything. And like we as YGP, we're now the biggest organization and the biggest dance organization on social media, but.
 
 I want to send the message to the young dancers if they're listening. Please, please remember, you are not preparing to be Instagram personality. You're preparing to be live performing. You're preparing to be dancer who go on stage. And Instagram really will not help you on stage. Will not. It's maybe help you bring few people in the audience to watch you, but you still going to be the one who do all the threats. You still going to be the one who do all the...
 
 dramatic scene. You still have to be the one who performed with your partners. You still have to be the one who keep line in the Swan Lake corps de ballet because guess what? The first role you come join the company probably will be corps de ballet of Swan Lake or corps de ballet of Nutcracker. Instagram will not help you there. And that's what they have to remember. So I wish just remember this a little more often because they think more likes, you know, important.
 
 Yes, it's important for certain things, but if you see yourself as the artist being on stage, then remember you have to deliver on stage, not on social media.
 
 Jared Redick (11:50)
 Because we to be and in person. This is real life.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (11:54)
 But it doesn't mean if you have your platforms, it doesn't mean you can be creative and post something and come up with some interesting idea. Absolutely. You know, so please do, but just keep in mind this in addition to your training, not instead.
 
 Jared Redick (12:09)
 You can utilize platforms, but it is not the end all be all.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (12:13)
 And also for dancers to remember, the directors does not hire you based on your social media following. They hire you based on your audition.
 
 Jared Redick (12:23)
 Yes, that's for other industries who might look at the following, right? I know in film that has been a conversation, you know, what's your following look like? But we're not that. Thinking about these dancers who are, getting close to the competition season. I'm sure they would love to know that how do you suggest dancer go about selecting a variation when they're looking through all the lists that you do provide?
 
 Larissa Saveliev (12:47)
 what I suggest, first one, they technically should know all of them because this is the dance training. When you just practice them for your stamina, for your like footwork, for your upper body, for your technique. So each one of them bring you something different. You should learn all of them. The one you decide to bring for public, that's slightly different goal.
 
 What I suggest you start from is I think it's extremely important to identify your strengths and your weakness. I think every single dancer has the strengths and every single dancer has the weakness, everyone. And it's okay. It's okay. You don't have to be scared of this. You don't have to be shame of this. You just have to wear. ⁓ If your strengths is the jobs and your weaknesses may be your flexibility.
 
 then you try to choose something which feature your jumps and hide your flexibility. For example, William Tell variation has featuring your jump, featuring your footwork, but doesn't put the accent on your flexibility. Reverse, if let's say you have a beautiful lines and very nice upper body but doesn't have maybe this strong firework technique.
 
 You choose something like Ramonda, for example, which will feature your gorgeous upper body, which feature your flexibility, but maybe doesn't necessarily put accent on your strong turns. If you are Turner, then you choose something where you can sparkle, choose Esmeralda, choose third valuation from Odalisque. So just few examples.
 
 Jared Redick (14:33)
 Hopefully they're not just working on their own, but they're working with their teachers and the coaches. So hopefully they're also relying on their coaches to help them choose a variation.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (14:43)
 Absolutely, but also my advice for the coaches is don't be afraid of making some slight adjustments to the choreography. Again, it doesn't mean you should put Italian Fouetté in Aurora variation. Absolutely not. But let's say if you have a small, if you're underdone pirouettes, let's say not as strong as you are under, it's okay to switch it, cause they still are students.
 
 They're not professional dancers. As long as you stay in a style of variation, as long as I stay in the making sure it's look organic, you can make some few smaller adjustments to feature the dancer in the best possible way. And maybe not necessarily show off their weakness at this particular moment.
 
 Jared Redick (15:31)
 Right, it's always about maintaining the integrity of the art form and what you're saying is maintaining the integrity of the style of that variation.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (15:40)
 Yeah, I think the style is the most important things. How I try to explain some of like students, which I don't have that much, unfortunately now I wish I have more of them. That's part I miss the most. But let's say if each variation has a color, you know, so you can switch the color variation. say if Don Quixote is clearly red, let's say Raimondo is white or light pink. So you can add any red inside white variation.
 
 As long as you just stay in your lane and as long as it's look organic, that's what I think it's very, very important for the young dancers. Like, so it has to look natural, you know, has to look, they have to perform rather than doing steps.
 
 Jared Redick (16:26)
 This is a great place to kind of segue. This question is actually from a student of mine that I work with, and she was wondering, talking about colors and variations in some respect, how much do costumes and presentation influence the overall impression compared to the artistry or the technique?
 
 Larissa Saveliev (16:44)
 Well, number one, at least for our competition, I'm not sure for like, you know, other events, even if you come in a just simple white rehearsal Tutu and any kind of leotard, it will be absolutely fine for us. You don't have to spend fortune on U2 too. I mean, of course, if you wish to do so, you're more than welcome to do it and looks great. Then in this case, again, we're coming back to the weakness and strengths of
 
 you as individual. If let's say, you know, you have a maybe small booboos, you know, somewhere you might cover it with a costume and it's perfectly fine. Because again, nobody's perfect and perfection in ballet does not exist. We have to keep remember this. You just have to wear something which you look comfortable and where you think it's feature your best side too.
 
 Jared Redick (17:40)
 I think from my perspective as someone who's judged at YGP for many years, just what you were saying, it's not important what the costume is for the dancer. I'm looking at potential, I'm looking at training, I'm looking at how do they invest themselves in the artistic aspects of that variation.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (17:57)
 If your question is, should I spend money for the costume? No, don't. So it will absolutely will not affect your performance. And that's why I also suggest you might borrow from somebody like, know, from friend. So you might rent it, but honestly, if you looking to spend, I don't know, $500 on a training or $500 on a tutu, tell your hands down, spend it on the training.
 
 Jared Redick (18:24)
 I agree. mean, that's great advice for these dancers because there is always a financial aspect, especially when some dancers are traveling. They're traveling to each location and then hotels and all the things that go along with the expense of competing.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (18:39)
 Yeah, that's why I'm saying so like choose wisely how you apply your resources.
 
 Jared Redick (18:45)
 we're talking about traveling, there are some dancers who choose to go to multiple locations. What's your advice on that approach for dancers wanting to compete in October in one city and then they grow throughout the year and then maybe at the end of the competition, they're in another city,
 
 Larissa Saveliev (19:03)
 We see this happen a lot. I would say it became a trend, which was a huge surprise for me. We did not expect that. I think the biggest benefit with that is you see completely different judges. If you look in our jury panel, every single person is a professional, like either major institution or school, or used to be the dancer, like in the major companies. But you guys all have a different taste. And sometimes we have, let's say, more...
 
 school presented and sometimes we have a more European school presented, sometimes we have more Americans. It just happened simply by which judge is available which weekend. When are you available number one? When is the closest location to you number two? So sometimes you have very interesting mix and the results can be very, very different. And I think students notice that. So we have somebody who can literally be
 
 top winner in one location and will say be number 10 or even 15 in another, which is totally fine because they actually look at the score sheets and say, okay, so and so like me very much. And so and so was not that impressed. Maybe I'm not the cup of tea. And I think this knowledge is also important.
 
 Jared Redick (20:26)
 It's art and it's completely subjective. So you have these different panels of judges in each of these cities and they are going to all have their own perspective on what they find to be the most important thing that is presented up on the stage.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (20:40)
 Another advice for the young dancers, every time before you go on stage, just remember, you're not going against the clock. You're going against human opinion. With all the pluses and minuses of that. And you have to treat it accordingly. So you don't have to, if let's say you did not do as well as you was hoping for this time, just remember, that was just this particular four or five people in this particular day. And...
 
 Tomorrow, it will be different, four or five people, and it will be different day and completely different outcome. And they just have to keep remembering this. so it's not life is over if you didn't do well. It's just today is what's happened. Tomorrow is different day.
 
 Jared Redick (21:25)
 Which is good for all of us to remember, right? Because we all have good days and bad days competing. You might have a good competition one day and a better competition the next day. So we have to always be cognizant of that. ⁓
 
 Larissa Saveliev (21:37)
 And
 
 I think it's very important part of the dance training because when they will join the company, guess what? They're going to continue competing. Yeah. They're going to competing for attention of artistic director. They're going to competing for attention of visiting choreographer. They're going to compete for casting. They're going to compete for the who's going to be on the poster. They're going to compete who is partner and they're going to be pair with. mean, so every day is a competition and it's okay. Sometimes you do really well.
 
 as much, you're gonna have a better day tomorrow.
 
 Jared Redick (22:09)
 had a guest on a couple of weeks ago who said, you know, the happy dancer is the one that's standing in the middle. And so I thought that was an interesting perspective. It's the one who has the most attention at that moment. So it is totally what you're saying there. One of the things I love about YGP as a judge and also as someone who works with students, young dancers and older dancers and professional dancers is it's not just the weekend that you're there. You're not just doing the competition.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (22:23)
 100 percent.
 
 Jared Redick (22:38)
 but there's also master classes and there's opportunities for the dancers and the coaches and the studio owners and the teachers to network with each other. speaking on the dancer side of things, how would you advise these dancers who go to the competition that they maximize their weekend while they're competing?
 
 Larissa Saveliev (22:58)
 first one, the classes are extremely important, extremely important. If the dancers keep remember this, so some time is more important to stand out in class than stand out in competition. And I can give you countless, countless examples of the dancers who did not do well in the competition and stand out in class, end up in a top, top-notch school, including like ABT and Royal Ballet, even this season.
 
 We have a few dancers who end up in the dream places and they were not even placed in finance.
 
 Jared Redick (23:35)
 Yeah, I know for me, when I'm judging, I have recruited many students from the classes and not from the competition But it was because of the classes, because I got to see them in class, I got to work with them, and I got to understand better about who they were dancers. ⁓
 
 Larissa Saveliev (23:52)
 And
 
 that's what I want to emphasize again. So how important the classes and also how important your work ethic in class. I know several school directors, if they see somebody standing in a bar with their elbows up, this is it. Their channel's just been completely ruined to get to this particular school. So just watch out how you behave in class, how you act.
 
 in class, how you, where you look at the teacher, how you repeat the combination of the teacher. I strongly advise don't change the combination which teacher just show you. I know a lot of teachers get very, very strong feeling about that.
 
 Jared Redick (24:35)
 We always talk about respecting the art form and that is part of it. It is to be in the classroom environment and to respect the art form. And that is you have these teachers who have so much knowledge and they're there to give it to these young dancers. Don't change the combinations and respect your peers and respect what's happening in the studio.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (24:54)
 Yep, that's the big, big, I don't know, my five cents.
 
 Jared Redick (24:57)
 You started the job fair, right? I think you have one in Nashville and one in, is it Germany? In Stuttgart. How has that helped the competition and how has that helped the dancers?
 
 Larissa Saveliev (25:08)
 Well, I tell you how this idea started. So, because we always say we're more than a competition. And I really believe in this and I wanna do everything in my power to make sure it's not just the words, it's actions. And let's say one of our former participants graduating from one of the dance institution and they reach out to us and say, I need a help with a job. And then we have another one put each out and say, I need the help with a job.
 
 And then the third one reached out and that's how we got an idea to help with this process and became very clear from very, very beginning. So it's the need for that. And because we do follow up with our students, we do stay in touch with, I think it's very clear. So it's very hard to get a job right now. It's one of the toughest market situation, I would say. And if we can help as much as we can, even if you help a little bit.
 
 I'm so glad we can do that.
 
 Jared Redick (26:05)
 each of these locations, one in the US and one in Stuttgart, you bring so many companies and directors there so that dancers don't have to fly all over the country trying to take a class here and a class there and spending thousands of dollars. trying
 
 Larissa Saveliev (26:20)
 That
 
 exactly was the idea because we know from the past when the students is like young, parents give them a lot of financial support. Older they get, parents say, listen, you know what, you know young adult, you take care of yourself. Which is I 100 % agree as the mom of two boys, 100 % agree about that. But that's mean dancers are very sensitive to their financial situation. And of course, audition do cost money.
 
 and especially travel to audition. And the job fair is by the way, completely free for all the students from the partner schools, which pretty much 90 % of the students who join us. Very nominal fee for those who are not coming from partner school, but still very, very minimal.
 
 Jared Redick (27:08)
 It's such a great resource. being able to manage your budgets when you're a dancer in a field that doesn't necessarily. We don't get big signing bonuses like in pro sports.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (27:18)
 I honestly, I think dance is most undervalued art form. We get paid the least amount, the least. Our professional life is the shortest. It's really, really difficult to survive in this industry, but everybody who decides to get their life dedicated to dance, not looking at this and not looking in the financial benefits, they just know they cannot do anything else.
 
 the only ones to dance.
 
 Jared Redick (27:50)
 It's a calling for so many people. They find their emotional and artistic homes in dance, in the studio, on the stage, performing. And that is, it's invaluable to them. And how do we help support these young artists? Changing gears once again, this was a question from another one of my students who has competed in the past. And she was wondering, there is always a question about fairness and politics in competitions.
 
 So how do you and the YGP team work to ensure the integrity of the judging process?
 
 Larissa Saveliev (28:23)
 Okay, I will ask you like this. You're one of our judges. And you somebody from, with a strong dance background and somebody who has like very strong dance career. Did I ever can question your integrity?
 
 Jared Redick (28:39)
 No, and I mean, I could answer the question. No one wants to hear it from me necessarily, but yes, if we're in a city and you're there, you leave the judges alone and we deliberate amongst ourselves.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (28:51)
 Honestly, I don't even go near you guys because I genuinely, have more kids who are close to my heart than the prizes. Let's put it this way. Somebody who I individual, you we all as individual have people we drawn to in any art form in any humanity. Like we have a friends and we have a people who naturally like we have connection. And I have more of this.
 
 people than the prizes, Piet. So in the end of the day, I know some of the people will be disappointed. I don't want to be part of this process, but I know it's very hard to digest the fact, so maybe just you didn't perform well, or maybe you didn't do your best. And it's always easy to ⁓ it was somebody else fault.
 
 Jared Redick (29:39)
 I think this goes back to the previous point of we're talking about a dancer going to multiple locations and in one city you might perform really well for those judges and another city you could perform equally as well but it's viewed differently.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (29:53)
 And that's what I keep emphasizing for all young dancers. Before you go on stage, just remember it's a human opinion you are dealing with. And you have a one critics who might absolutely adore your performance and one critics who will just like tear you apart, you know? And you have to be able to accept this.
 
 Jared Redick (30:17)
 You say to tear a dancer apart, I know as a judge how important it is for you that us as judges, that we present constructive and positive criticism to the dancers, right? We are there to help support their journey, right? We're not there to break them down and make...
 
 Larissa Saveliev (30:36)
 Absolutely,
 
 but you remember I didn't say the judges, I say the critics.
 
 Jared Redick (30:40)
 yeah, you're right. Thank you for correcting me.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (30:43)
 because they do tear you apart. And how many times like you watch the show and then read the review next day and say, do we really watch the same show? How many times you have the situation? So you disagree like 100%. But it's okay, you have to be able to accept this and move on. And if dancers will learn how to deal with this emotion and how to accept this,
 
 their life will be so much easier. Their dance career will be so much easier. And I think they'll have a much better success because they will have less stress about that.
 
 Jared Redick (31:23)
 It's a hard lesson to learn. How do you contextualize the criticism, especially that negative criticism? And I do think it goes back into what we were saying at the beginning about investing in the process, how important the process is for you as a dancer, because it is just you in the studio and trying to perfect your craft.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (31:43)
 I think the dancer has to understand more criticism they get in a dance studio, it's better for them as a dancers. More corrections they get from the teacher, which every correction is technically is a small criticism. But they should not take it as a criticism. They should take it as the benefit and way they should look at this, the teacher actually investing their time, investing his time to give you correction.
 
 I'm giving you one example. Like when I was in Bolshoi school, a teacher get mad at me like for I didn't do something what she wants me to do, you know? And so she boycotted me for maybe like a week. So it's mean I was coming to class and I didn't get single correction, you know? And I was coming home crying, you know, like, and then I don't know, like week pass and then so she, you know, excuse me. And then like, just like start like push it on me again.
 
 And I came home and I was like, mom, I'm so lucky. Like she screamed at me whole class today. I'm so lucky, I'm so lucky. Such a great day. And that's the, I think, way the dancers should look at this. If they get a criticism, they apply, they say, okay, let me fix this and move on.
 
 Jared Redick (33:01)
 your teachers and coaches are just there to help you get better. They're trying to pull the best out of you. ⁓
 
 Larissa Saveliev (33:06)
 And
 
 if they say every five minutes, you look beautiful, you look beautiful, it's actually not necessarily the best thing for you. Because that's also, I hear this a lot, the dancers say, my teacher was keep telling me how beautiful I am. And it's been a year free and I can still cannot get a job. And maybe the teacher should not necessarily say you're not beautiful. That's not what I mean. Like absolutely every dancer is beautiful in their own way.
 
 But maybe if you pointed out to the weakness which can be fixed will actually make you better dancer.
 
 Jared Redick (33:41)
 Try to make you the best you can be in the studio and that sometimes is all those little corrections. Try to pull more out of you.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (33:49)
 Exactly. And sometimes it's maybe not, doesn't make you happy this particular moment, just, but keep in mind the teachers try to do best for you and try to make you better than tomorrow.
 
 Jared Redick (34:02)
 I agree with that. And I do know that the atmosphere in the dance world is shifting and changing and people are using more positive language But again, there has to be some reflection about your own dancing. How can your teachers and your coaches guide you to be your best version of yourself You've had such a long, I mean, gosh, 26 years, you've had such a long career with YGP building it up and you've seen so many dancers go.
 
 onto successful careers. How do you think about your legacy for YGP? What are you hoping that YGP leaves to the dance world?
 
 Larissa Saveliev (34:38)
 my God, such an interesting question. I actually don't think about legacy. I just think about today. I don't think about tomorrow. But I do this because it's give me as a human being, just like this incredible pleasure to work with young dancers. And I thank them for giving me the opportunity, you know, to touch their life. So to trust me with opportunity to help them. Literally, that's all I'm thinking. I don't know, I don't think about legacy.
 
 Somehow it will, whatever universe decide, that's what will happen.
 
 Jared Redick (35:12)
 And I do agree with the viewpoint of it's such a privilege to work with these young people and help them on their artistic journey and as their journey as young people. It is a real privilege to do that.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (35:24)
 And now, like you just say, so we do have quite a few years, I can look back and we start doing a lot of the videos when we start with somebody when age of nine or 10, and then going to like the professional dancers. And it's actually incredible to see this process, how somebody became butterfly. He just like very slow step by step and then just like boom, they spread the wings and this became this incredible beauty is on stage.
 
 Jared Redick (35:53)
 It's such a gift to witness these young people, and see their success as they move through their lives as dancers. And just out of curiosity, how many principal dancers do you think have come through YGP over the years? Like Ballpark.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (36:08)
 my God, how many tours. But most of the ABT principles is like our babies and soloists and like every single company in the planet, every single one, you know, Paris Opera, Royal Ballet, Mariinsky, Bolshoi, Stuttgart, Australian Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, York City Ballet. I mean, like pretty much all the major company and many, many other like who I think
 
 maybe they're smaller in size, but they are the company as beautiful as the other one like Alivest and Colorado Ballet and Oklahoma and Nashville. It's so many beautiful companies and every single one has our principle.
 
 Jared Redick (36:49)
 That's incredible. mean, that's absolutely incredible.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (36:53)
 And not only principals, but the headliners in a way, would say. know, like those who audience cannot wait to see on stage, those who audience cherish the most. And what interesting fact is now going back, some of them were very clear, very, very clear they'll be principal. I remember when Catherine Hurlin show up on stage at age 10, you knew she's gonna be somebody special because she just grab you and don't let you go. What?
 
 For example, Chloe Misseldine, we always laugh about her. She was short. She was nothing, but she looks like this now. But, so she has incredible strengths. when I knew, for example, she'll make it when she come back two years later and she looks completely different and her mindset was completely different. And then you knew somebody is in the right track. But they all have very different paths. And some dancers, I thought, my God, they'll have unbelievable career. And they didn't. For different reasons, they just didn't. And some...
 
 Like, was like, well, you know, I hope, I really hope. And then one day, boom, they start progressing. And then next year they say, my God. And then three years later, it's like, my God. So that's why they all have a different past and you never know which year they'll spread the wings.
 
 Jared Redick (38:10)
 you just never know. It's human development and it's dancer development and artistic and emotional development. It all goes on its own timeline and we can't control it and it happens when it happens.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (38:22)
 It's too many to mention. I do keep track with our formal alumni and wind communication. When they premiere, they send me like picture from the premiere or like when somebody did a new choreography, wind touch. I really like to hear from our dancers. I like to hear how they're doing. I like to follow the journey. We follow a lot of them on the social media. So I'm, like I say, I'm very privileged and grateful to be part of the journey.
 
 Jared Redick (38:50)
 We are at our final question now and this is my full circle question I've asked all of my guests on this season, which is what's one piece of advice you'd give your younger self at the start of your professional career?
 
 Larissa Saveliev (39:04)
 Don't expect easy journey, but don't give up. Don't expect it will be all beautiful, like easy, soft pathway. It will have a lot of bumps, have a lot of turns, but every time you make a bump, you'll stand up and be stronger than yesterday. Another advice for young dancers, keep, stay close with some of your peers.
 
 because you never know where they will end up, where you end up. And you might need an audition one day and you can call your friend or your friend can became a choreographer or you might need a costume or you just want to visit the certain city and your colleagues is working there, you might crash on the couch. So stay close to your community, stay close to your friends. It will really make your life more fun.
 
 Jared Redick (39:56)
 Yeah, that's just great advice for anyone in any field that they're in. It's so important to have those tight connections with your colleagues and your friends. Larissa, thank you so much for being here. Thank you for taking the time in your busy schedule. It's been a pleasure talking with you tonight.
 
 Larissa Saveliev (40:12)
 Thank you so much for having me and cannot wait for our next one.
 
 Jared Redick (40:17)
 If you liked our conversation here today, you can follow Company Secrets podcast on all platforms and on our website, companysecretspodcast.com. Thank you for listening because the stage is only part of the story. ⁓