"Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and special guests Stanton Welch and Larissa Saveliev
Join host Joanne Carey as she kicks off a 4 part Series highlighting Houston Ballet & YAGP! Joanne begins by welcoming Stanton Welch, Artistic Director, Houston Ballet, and Larissa Saveliev, founder of Youth America Grand Prix, to explore their careers, the impact of YAGP, and the upcoming Houston event May 10-18.
Discover insights into ballet community building, talent development, & international collaboration. Hurry to Houston!
Stanton Welch the acclaimed Australian choreographer, assumed the leadership of Houston Ballet in 2003, America's fifth largest ballet company. Since his arrival, Mr. Welch has transformed Houston Ballet by raising the level of classical technique, infusing the company with new energy, drive and vision; introducing works by distinguished choreographers to the repertoire; and attracting some of the world's best coaches to Houston to work with the dancers.
He has created works for such prestigious international companies as Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, The Australian Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Royal Danish Ballet.
Mr. Welch was born in Melbourne to Marilyn Jones, O.B.E., and Garth Welch, A.M., two of Australia's most gifted dancers of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1986 he began his training at the late age of seventeen, quickly winning a scholarship to San Francisco Ballet School. In 1989 he was engaged as a dancer with The Australian Ballet, where he rose to the rank of leading soloist, performing such principal roles as Des Grieux in Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Manon, Lensky in John Cranko's Onegin, Camille in Ronald Hynd's The Merry Widow, and Alan Strang in Equus. He has also worked with internationally acclaimed choreographers such as Jiří Kylían, Nacho Duato, and Maurice Béjart.
For his contributions to the world of dance, Mr. Welch was awarded the Order of Australia (AM) in June 2015. The prestigious Order of Australia Award, established in 1975, is bestowed on Australian citizens for meritorious service in a particular area or field of activity. Mr. Welch was recognized for his significant service to the performing arts as a ballet dancer, mentor, choreographer and artistic director. Mr. Welch's choreographic career developed during his time with The Australian Ballet.
Since 2006, Welch serves as a Jury Member for the Young America Grand Prix.
Larissa Saveliev is the Founder and Artistic Director of Youth America Grand Prix. Born in Moscow, she trained at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy and danced with the Stanislavsky Ballet and the Bolshoi Ballet, before emigrating to the United States in 1994. She went on to perform with the Los Angeles Classical Ballet, New Jersey Ballet and Tulsa Ballet, and began an active teaching career. In 1999, together with Gennadi Saveliev, Larissa founded Youth America Grand Prix, in order to fill the void in connecting students and teachers with school and company directors, and to provide continuing educational and professional opportunities to dancers worldwide. Larissa Saveliev is the 2014 recipient of the Dance Magazine Award, recipient of the 2014 “Educator of the Year” award from the Russian-American Foundation. In 2015 she was recognized by the Society of Foreign Consuls in New York for her Outstanding Achievement and Contribution to Community Improvement. In 2017 Larissa Saveliev was named one of the top 25 most influential people in dance by Dance Magazine, and is a part of the Dance Magazine Advisory Board.
Houston Ballet
https://www.houstonballet.org/
YAGP
https://yagp.org/
Tickets for YAGP Houston
https://yagp.org/yagp-2026-houston-tx-finals/
“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey
"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."
https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/
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