ONLINE FIGURE SKATING CHOREOGRAPHY COMPETITION

The YAS 2024 Applications will be available in January and due by Friday, January 26, 2024.

If you want to see videos and scores from our previous YAS season, you can view all info for the 2022 season on our 2022 YAS Season Page and our 2022 YAS YouTube Playlist.

What is YAS?

The Young Artists Showcase (YAS) is an online figure skating choreography competition originally founded in 2010 by Olympic Coach Audrey Weisiger with sponsorship and support from Doug Mattis and Sheila Thelen. YAS was created to give young choreographers a platform to create new work, offer them exposure to elite coaches and choreographers in the figure skating world, and connect them with other like-minded artists.

In its first 6 seasons, YAS kick-started the careers of many leading young skating choreographers all over the world, including past winners: Tommy Steenberg, Adam Blake, Mark Hanretty, Zabato Bebe, Anna Cobb, and Stephanie Chace Bass.

On hiatus since 2015, YAS has resumed under the auspices of AIT and will continue with Audrey Weisiger’s guidance and input every Spring.

From the pool of YAS applicants, 6 choreographers will be chosen by the AIT/YAS Selection Committee to compete in the competition each spring.

The 5 YAS challenges — with detailed requirements laid out for each challenge — will be sent to the 6 selected choreographers approximately one month prior to the first video deadline of the competition. The challenges will be judged based on the judging criteria for the YAS and Q4C competitions.

Want more information? Review our YAS & Q4C Frequently-Asked Questions or read on for more details about this year’s YAS competition.

2023 Young Artists Showcase Competition: Details

YAS 2024 Dates & Deadlines

• YAS 2024 Application Deadline: Friday, January 26, 2024 no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Time
• 6 Finalists Selected to Compete: Thursday, February 155, 2024
• 5 Challenges Posted for Selected Finalists: Friday, March 1, 2024
• YAS 2024 Competition: EVERY WEEKEND from March 29 – April 26, 2024
• YAS Final Winner Announced: Monday, April 29, 2024

YAS Eligibility

All applicants must be between the ages of 16-45 (as of January 1, 2024). If you’re under the age of 21, and not selected this season to be one of the 6 YAS finalists, consider registering for Quest for Creativity instead.

YAS Cost & Requirements/Rules to Apply

• Complete the application for admission.
• Pay the application fee of $95; or $75 for applicants with a completed YAS Alumni Nomination Form submitted by a YAS alum or former YAS contestant; or $47.50 for previous YAS applicants.
• Submit a 5-7 minute video choreography reel of your work. This reel must include only your own choreography and can be of yourself and/or others performing. We encourage you to show a diverse range of choreography work; applicants who showcase a variety of styles and include soloists as well as multiple skaters will have an advantage. Video clips can consist of practice and open skating sessions; there is no requirement that the video clips must be from a show or competition. Black attire is recommended, but not required, for the choreography reel. Please film your footage horizontal/landscape for the reel.
• Your work will be judged according to the YAS judging criteria.

Prizes for Young Artists Showcase

For All YAS Applicants

Anyone who submits an application for YAS will receive:

• A 20% discount on the American Contemporary Skating Festival registration fee (a $28 value).
• A 50% discount on the YAS application fee if you apply to YAS in the future. This discount will never expire — you can continue to apply to future YAS seasons whether you are selected as a Finalist this year or not.

Prizes for YAS Finalists

Just 6 YAS finalists will be selected; one will win the grand prize. The other finalists will enjoy the following benefits:

• A 50% discount on the American Contemporary Skating Festival registration fee and an invitation to perform a solo at the Festival Showcase.
• Your work publicized and featured on AIT’s social media, quarterly e-newsletter, and website.

Grand Prize for the YAS Winner

Of the 6 finalists, one winner will receive the following:

• FREE pair of blades (winner’s choice of brand) from our sponsor, Home Ice Boston (*please note* this is NOT guaranteed every season)
• You’ll be honored as one of the featured ensemble choreographers at the American Contemporary Skating Festival (the second weekend of June each year) and you will receive:
  • Complimentary flight to Boston* to attend the Festival (for those outside the Boston metropolitan area) or a stipend of $450 paid directly to you for expenses (if you’re a Boston area resident); plus
  • Complimentary Festival registration
  • Complimentary flight to Boston* to attend the Festival (for those outside the Boston metropolitan area) or a stipend of $400 paid directly to you for expenses (if you’re a Boston area resident); plus
  • Complimentary Festival registration
• You’ll have the opportunity to become AIT-Certified via the educational opportunity of your choice. You may choose either:
  • Complimentary registration to the next session of AIT’s semester-long Master Choreography Techniques online course (a $500 value); or
  • Complimentary registration to the next session of AIT’s 6-week Six Ways of the Spine online course (a 300 value); or
  • $500 discount toward the AIT Mentorship Program.

Previous YAS Season awards

The Young Artists Showcase online choreography competition can be fully viewed on our 2023 YAS Season Page for more information on the 2023 Finalists, scores, judges and sponsors, and the videos from all the Finalists work please check out this page.

American Ice Theatre / Young Artists Showcase Awards for 2023

• Best Choreography Piece: This is awarded to the YAS Finalist who created the most exceptional, standout piece of skating choreography from the entire season This piece must exhibit a truly momentous and riveting choreographic overall performance.
  • Sophia Perepilitsyn for Challenge #1
    
• Best Diverse Body of Choreographic Work:This is awarded to the YAS Finalist who demonstrated the most diverse range of dance styles, music genres, and movement vocabulary in their choreography choices over the course of the five challenges.
  • TJ Carey for all 5 Challenges
    
• Most Innovative Piece: This is awarded to the YAS Finalist who showcased the most unique, out-of-the-box movements and choreographic choices that effectively exemplified ‘innovation on ice.’
  • Lison Zimmer for Challenge #3

Past YAS Winners

• Giulia Isceri from Zurich, Switzerland: 2020
• Maddie Aybar from Chicago, Illinois: 2021
• Cameron Claire from St. Paul, Minnesota: 2022
• Jimmy Morgan from Providence, Rhode Island: 2023

YAS Sponsorships

For each week of this 5-week online ice skating choreography competition, AIT offers skating companies and well-known brands the opportunity to “Sponsor a Challenge cz-lekarna.com/.” If you are interested in sponsoring one week of a YAS Challenge in the future, please email us. We guarantee your company’s marketing coverage on every YAS Finalist video for that challenge week as well as brand promotion on AIT’s social media and website. Additional information on AIT sponsorships is available on our  Donate, Sponsor & Support page.

Want more information? Review our YAS & Q4C Frequently-Asked Questions.