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Two young ballerinas will be heading to New York for intensive classes after qualifying at an international dance competition Date published: 2/3/2009
BY ANNETTE JONES
The two girls try to sit still as they answer questions about their competition. Already dressed for dance class, and hearing the music just on the other side of the wall, both girls sit with their toes upright on the floor in front of them. It just seems natural. Kayla Claypoole, 11, and Rebecca Trionfo, 9, recently participated in the 2009 Youth America Grand Prix semifinal competition in Spartanburg, S.C. The scores for the pair, two of a six-girl team from Classical Ballet of Fredericksburg, were high enough to warrant an invitation to classes in New York City in April. "I was afraid I would forget the dance," said Kayla. In retrospect, though, it was a lot of fun going on stage and performing, she said. "Before I went on, I had a really bad stomach pain," said Rebecca. She was so nervous, she said, until the music started to play. The best part was getting to see her score, Rebecca said, "and feeling good that I did good." Instructor and studio owner Regina Bogomolova said she and her husband, Vadim, have high expectations for the girls in their studio. "It's like being a parent," she said. The word, "ballet," means many different things, Bogomolova said. At Classical Ballet, it's a special technique. According to the Web site, the school focuses on the technique of Agrippina Vaganova, who is credited with creating the Russian School of Dance. Some of the famed dancers of this technique include Nureyev, Baryshnikov, Makarova and Balanchine. To become part of the Youth America Grand Prix team, Kayla and Rebecca had to audition. Other girls on the team were Leah Smith, Hannah Duff, Natasha Gaito and Kasey Grigsby. Those selected signed contracts promising to stay healthy, be in class and rehearse outside of class time. "It's a sacrifice for a lot of families," said Bogomolova. Kayla and Rebecca practiced at the studio every day. "I had no idea," said Robin Trionfo about the time commitment for Rebecca, who has been dancing for about seven years. Rebecca, a fourth-grader at Brock Road Elementary School, said she started dancing around the house when she was 3. She tried several styles of dance before deciding to focus on ballet. Ballet is a new passion for Kayla. The Ni River Middle School sixth-grader has only been at it for about a year. Earlier, she tried gymnastics, hip-hop, tap and jazz. Aside from shopping, the girls are hoping to use their time in New York City wisely. Both of them plan on working hard in class over the next couple of months. "I'll come to class a bit more and be prepared so the teacher [in New York] might notice me a bit more," said Rebecca. "I'll work on everything, especially the comments the judges made," added Kayla. One thing Rebecca learned from her mother, though, as she prepared for this competition was to relax. "If you make a mistake onstage, no one is going to know except you, your friends and your teacher." Annette Jones: 540/368-5046
Read more stories about Fredericksburg Date published: 2/3/2009
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