On April 17, 2024, at the Plaza Hotel in New York, hundreds of young dancers gathered to break the world record for dancing on pointe in one place. Organized by the Youth America Grand Prix, a ballet scholarship program celebrating its 25th anniversary with performances at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the event included students aged 9 to 19 competing for scholarships as well as professional dancers who had previously participated in the program.
As Tchaikovsky’s music played, the ballerinas gracefully balanced on their toes, executing bourrée steps by rapidly shifting their weight from one foot to the other for a full minute. After an impressive performance, Tina Shi, an adjudicator for Guinness World Records, announced the results: “353, that is a new Guinness world record! Congratulations!” This achievement surpassed the previous record of 306 ballerinas dancing en pointe set by the New York-based Youth America Grand Prix in 1999.
The dedication and talent of these young dancers highlighted the success of the program in nurturing and supporting aspiring ballet dancers over the years. The event was a testament to their hard work, training and passion, breaking boundaries and achieving remarkable accomplishments in
