Youngsters’s Ballet of SA Gained a Staggering 19 Awards Together with Coveted 2026 Youth Grand Prix Award
San Antonio’s Brightest Younger Dancers Attain New Heights with The Youngsters’s Ballet of San Antonio
San Antonio is understood for its vibrant arts scene, studded with stars like legendary comic Carol Burnett, nation music “King” George Strait and groundbreaking director Robert Rodriguez, who all known as town house earlier than hitting the massive time. Now the Youngsters’s Ballet of San Antonio (CBSA) is nurturing the following wave of prima ballerinas, and shining a global highlight on a metropolis lengthy ignored by the dance world.
Inventive Director and Prima Ballerina Vanessa Bessler based the corporate in 2014, actually setting the stage for younger dancers to achieve professional-level efficiency expertise in a area with few such alternatives. In simply over 10 years since founding the corporate and its related faculty, the Dance Heart of San Antonio, Bessler has been named Youth America Grand Prix’s Excellent Instructor of the 12 months for 9 consecutive years, and the Dance Heart is ranked among the many high 2.5 % of ballet establishments within the nation, considered one of solely two Texas-based establishments to crack the highest 25 colleges. Most not too long ago, the Dance Heart of San Antonio was acknowledged as an “Excellent College” by Youth America Grand Prix, the one native dance faculty to ever win the award. On the identical competitors, thought-about one of the prestigious showcases for younger dancers in America, CBSA dancers received a staggering 19 awards.
This early acclaim helps younger dancers achieve confidence and additional alternatives to pursue their ardour. Guided by their experiences studying from Bessler and crew on the Dance Heart, CBSA artists have accepted scholarships and invites to prestigious ballet establishments just like the John Cranko College, the official faculty of Stuttgart Ballet in Germany, Royal Ballet College in London, and the College of American Ballet in New York Metropolis, to call just a few.
Certainly, with Bessler’s imaginative and prescient and experience cultivating native expertise, San Antonio now has a thriving dance scene to encourage younger performers and delight ballet buffs of all ages. The Youngsters’s Ballet of San Antonio prides itself on the excessive manufacturing worth of every public efficiency, which mixes acclaimed choreography with beautiful units and costumes that dazzle on town’s finest phases. And it’s the one native firm to function dancers in lead roles and prestigious solos with excellence in execution. “Our productions provide a novel alternative for households to witness younger artists performing with the grace and talent of seasoned professionals—mesmerizing audiences and proving that expertise is aware of no age,” says Bessler.
A good way to see CBSA’s expertise and mastery on show is true across the nook, as the corporate phases its annual vacation favourite, The Youngsters’s Nutcracker, in December on the attractive Lila Cockrell theatre proper alongside the Riverwalk. Whereas different skilled firms embody youngsters in minor roles of their Nutcracker productions, CBSA is the one firm within the area dedicated to casting world class artists, who additionally occur to be youngsters, within the memorable solos that the ballet is understood for, such because the Nutcracker prince and the Sugar Plum Fairy. And this 12 months, The Youngsters’s Nutcracker has the excellence of being produced on the most important stage of any native performances of the Christmastime basic. Under, we spotlight a few of this 12 months’s remarkably proficient performers displaying their abilities on this professional-calibre manufacturing.
MEET SOME OF CBSA’S RISING STARS…
Inez Dunne, 12
“CBSA taught me the right way to work onerous and worth suggestions, which actually helped me sustain with the fast-paced lecturers at Houston Ballet’s Summer time Intensive. Mrs. Bessler confirmed me that method and artistry are equally vital—she encourages us to really feel our dancing and specific it.”
In another ballet firm, Dunne would want to attend years earlier than even having the chance to audition. However with CBSA and the Dance Heart of San Antonio, the preteen can already boast greater than half a decade of expertise, together with profitable the coveted 2026 Youth Grand Prix Award, an accolade just one different San Antonio dancer (and a CBSA alumna) can declare. She takes the stage as Clara on this 12 months’s efficiency of The Youngsters’s Nutcracker, considered one of many star turns for the dynamic Dunne, who has already wowed the Houston Ballet’s summer time intensive (for which she received a scholarship and was twice featured within the last performances) and been a multi-year finalist on the nation’s best dance competitions. Her future will probably solely get brighter in 2026, as she chooses amongst prestigious scholarships for additional summer time coaching with ballet firms in Houston, Miami, Denver and Berlin.
Gigi Notho, 13
“It’s unattainable to be round Mrs. Bessler and never develop to like ballet. Her pleasure is contagious, and her consideration to element makes me wish to do my perfect at each present.”
Notho has been coaching with the Dance Heart of San Antonio because the starting, and her unbelievable dedication has already yielded spectacular outcomes. Dancing the a part of Clara at this 12 months’s The Youngsters’s Nutcracker, Notho has not too long ago obtained a number of scholarships and invites to review at esteemed ballet establishments like Ballet West, Milwaukee Ballet, the Houston Ballet Academy, the John Cranko College and the Royal Ballet of London. Most not too long ago, she took house third place within the 2026 Youth America Grand Prix competitors. The bold, proficient teenager’s future summer time plans embody an intensive with the Royal Ballet and plenty of extra ballet alternatives.
Charlotte Reese, 14
“Being in CBSA has given me on-stage expertise, coaching construction, and all-around assist I have to be an expert dancer at some point.”
After a summer time spent within the state-of-the-art services at Colorado Ballet Academy’s Summer time Intensive, Reese so impressed the college that she obtained an invite to review year-round on the Academy, the place she will dance alongside and study from professionals with the lauded Colorado Ballet firm. However first, she’ll heat locals’ hearts along with her efficiency because the Arabian lead in The Youngsters’s Nutcracker. Beforehand, she enchanted audiences because the younger Cinderella in CBSA’s 2024 manufacturing of the basic fairytale.
Daniela Quiroga, 16
“The coaching and encouragement that I’ve obtained from Ms. Bessler helped give me the arrogance to consider that wherever I am going, I can succeed.”
Daniela Quiroga returns to The Youngsters’s Nutcracker because the Sugar Plum Fairy, a famed function in most Nutcracker ballets. This “plum” half appears applicable for Quiroga, a rising CBSA star who already demonstrates worldwide enchantment with alternatives to review on the Royal Ballet in London and an upcoming winter workshop on the acclaimed John Cranko College in Stuttgart, Germany. Quiroga positioned among the many high 12 within the 2026 Youth America Grand Prix’s Classical Dance class. Beforehand, Quiroga attended the John Cranko College’s New York Summer time Intensive, and has positioned in elite ballet competitions together with Celeb Dance Competitors (first place general), Youth America Grand Prix and Common Ballet Competitors’s semi-finals. Her distinctive expertise and dedication has additionally received her an invite to review with the Philadelphia Ballet year-round and a scholarship to the Oklahoma Metropolis Ballet’s Summer time Intensive.
Joaquin Marsh, 16
“Ms. Bessler has taught me the worth of self-discipline, focus, and consistency. Her mentorship has impressed me to strategy each scenario with objective and confidence.”
Becoming a member of Quiroga in Germany for the unique winter workshop at John Cranko College’s Stuttgart headquarters is Joaquin Marsh, additionally 16. Most not too long ago, Marsh attended the John Cranko College’s New York Summer time Intensive on scholarship and simply months later received second place in Youth America Grand Prix’s classical class and third in ensemble. Over his six years with CBSA and the Dance Heart, Marsh has had the chance to carry out numerous lead roles for the corporate’s main productions. This 12 months, Marsh returns because the Nutcracker, and may also be seen dancing the Arabian pas de deux with Reese in addition to different lead roles.
The above are only a choice of the proficient youth that hone their craft on the Dance Heart of San Antonio and show their mastery onstage with CBSA. Dancing the a part of the Ice Queen this 12 months is Charlotte Landrum, who has studied with the famed Royal Ballet (London) and Houston Ballet, and positioned among the many high 12 within the 2026 Youth America Grand Prix’s Classical Dance class. Different award-winning dancers taking the stage embody: Amon Crandall (10 12 months outdated, 2nd place YAGP classical), Eva San Antonio (9 12 months outdated, high 12 YAGP classical), Nayoon Kim (12 12 months outdated, high 12 YAGP up to date), Tristan Lyons (14, high 12 YAGP classical), and Jaida Soleman (16, high 12 YAGP classical).
… AND CATCH THEM ON A HOMETOWN STAGE
Experiences like these don’t simply occur. They arrive from onerous work, grit and willpower, mixed with drive, expertise, ardour and humility. Bessler works onerous to instill these values in all her dancers to assist them obtain their desires. Their reward is the fun of performing in professional-calibre productions on the very best phases in San Antonio, and the glow of worldwide recognition, cherished gateways to skilled dance careers not in any other case out there within the area.
“Our mission is to provide them greater than the power to bop, we’re making ready them for a rare life,” explains Bessler. See these terribly proficient, hardworking younger dancers in individual at this 12 months’s manufacturing of The Youngsters’s Nutcracker, December 12 by 14, on the Lila Cockrell Theatre.
Concerning the Youngsters’s Ballet of San Antonio
The award-winning Youngsters’s Ballet of San Antonio (CBSA) is an genuine, professional-level ballet firm that produces professionally staged productions showcasing San Antonio’s most proficient youngsters. Dancers are chosen by invitation or audition. The Youngsters’s Ballet of San Antonio is a nonprofit group 501(c)3. For extra info, go to childrensballetofsanantonio.org or name 210-462-7660.
Mission: The Youngsters’s Ballet of San Antonio (CBSA) seeks to encourage the pursuit of excellence and put together youngsters for productive and artistic lives by dance by providing intensive coaching and efficiency alternatives for proficient youngsters from all backgrounds.
