Claire de la Paz, a Classical Ballet Theatre (CBT) student and Herndon resident, has earned one of the highest honors in the dance world—an invitation to compete in the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) 2013 New York City Finals. Earlier this year, Claire wowed judges with her grace and technique when she performed classical ballet and contemporary variations in the YAGP Philadelphia Regional Semi-finals, where she secured placement in the top three in the Pre-Competitive Age Division. In New York this Friday, April 12, she will be competing against the best 9- to 11-year-old dancers in the world.
Competition is not new to Claire, a hardworking and unusually focused 11-year-old adopted from Nanping, China. Last year, she and two fellow CBT students made the trip to the New York City Finals in the ensemble division. Claire also is an excellent student in Clearview Elementary's Advanced Academics