Hundreds of young dancers in white tutus and perfectly styled hair gathered at New York’s Plaza Hotel to attempt to break the world record for dancing on pointe in one location. The event took place on April 17, 2024, with participants ranging from 9 to 19 years old, competing for scholarships offered by the Youth America Grand Prix, a ballet scholarship program celebrating its 25th anniversary. Alongside the students were professional dancers who were graduates of the program.
The impressive spectacle was part of a series of performances held at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York. To the sounds of Tchaikovsky’s music, the ballerinas gracefully performed a challenging ballet step called bourrée, where they stood on their toes and swiftly shifted their weight from one foot to the other for a full minute.
With excitement mounting, the adjudicator for Guinness World Records, Tina Shi, announced the results: “353, that is a new Guinness world record! Congratulations!” This broke the previous record of 306 ballerinas on pointe en masse, setting a new benchmark in the world of ballet.
The Youth America Grand Prix, headquartered in New York, has been running the world’s largest student ballet scholarship competition since 1999. The program aims to support and cultivate young ballet talent, providing opportunities for aspiring dancers to further their craft and achieve their dreams in the world of dance.