Brother-sister dancing duo from Olympic Ballet School win First Place at Youth American Grand Prix semi-finals

Hikari Gorbouleva and Yevgeni Gorboulev performing "La Fille mal gardée" pas de deux at the YAGP Semi-Finals. Photo by LK Studio.jpeg

OBS students win top awards and OBS faculty wins their third Outstanding Teacher Award.

Edmonds, WA – Hikari Ulyana Gorbouleva (12) and Yevgeni Gorboulev (16) won top placements at the Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP) Seattle regional competition on January 8-12, 2025. 

The siblings represented Olympic Ballet School (OBS) along with other students from the school. Additionally, OBS faculty, led by Artistic Directors Mara Vinson and Oleg Gorboulev, received their third Outstanding Teacher Award from YAGP.

Hikari and Yevgeni have previously competed solo in their respective age divisions. This year, they also performed in the Ensemble category together, earning first place for their remarkable performance of La Fille mal gardée Pas de Deux. 

Youth America Grand Prix is the world’s largest ballet competition and scholarship network for dancers ages 9-19. Students enter regional competitions, rehearsing their classical and contemporary solos for months in advance. 

Groups of two or more students can compete in the ensemble division. Top placements in the semi-finals offer students opportunities to win invitations and scholarships for training at ballet schools worldwide and move on to the final round in New York in March. 

After successfully placing in the semi-finals, Yevgeni and Hikari have been invited to the YAGP finals.

AWARDS AT SEATTLE YAGP SEMI-FINALS

• Yevgeni Gorboulev: 1st place in the Men’s Senior Classical Division, 2nd place in the Men’s Senior Contemporary Division.
• Hikari Ulyana Gorbouleva: Top 24 in the Junior Contemporary Division.
• Yevgeni Gorboulev & Hikari Ulyana Gorbouleva: 1st place in Pas de Deux.
• Olympic Ballet School: 2025 Outstanding Teacher Award.

OLYMPIC BALLET SCHOOL’S 2025 SUMMER INTENSIVE AUDITIONS

OBS offers Summer Intensive programs for dancers aged 8-20 who are interested in improving their technique and artistry over the summer. 

Programs include:

• 4-Week Intensive- July 7-August 1, 2025
• Boys Intensive -June 23-28, 2025
• Junior Intensive - July 14-25, 2025

Auditions are scheduled at Olympic Ballet School on February 8 and March 8, 2025, at 9:30am. Pre-registration and an audition fee ($25 in advance or $35 at the door) are required to participate. To pre-register or receive more information, call 425-774-7570 or email dance@olympicballet.com. More information about OBS summer programs is at can be found here

Olympic Ballet Artistic Directors
Oleg Gorboulev and Mara Vinson
Photo by Into Dust Photography

ABOUT OLYMPIC BALLET SCHOOL

Founded in 1981, Olympic Ballet School, the official school of Olympic Ballet Theatre, maintains a long-established reputation as the leading school of classical ballet in North Puget Sound. 

In June of 2011, former Pacific Northwest Ballet and Moscow Classical Ballet artists, Mara Vinson and Oleg Gorboulev, became the new Artistic Directors of Olympic Ballet Theatre & Olympic Ballet School. 

Under their leadership, the school received the Outstanding Teacher Award in 2022, 2024, and 2025, as well as the Outstanding School Award in 2023 at the Seattle Regional Youth America Grand Prix competition.

ABOUT YAGP

Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) is the world’s largest global network of dance. It fulfills its mission of dance education through scholarship auditions, master classes, alumni services, educational and outreach activities, performances, and films.