Watch: 353 NY Ballet Dancers Win World Record By Dancing On Their Toes

What happens when 353 ballet dancers stand on their toes for a minute? As per Guinness, a new world record. The historic Plaza Hotel in New York witnessed the creation of a brand new world record when over 300 ballet dancers between the ages of 9 and 19 performed the en-pointe, the ballet term for dancing on their toes. The event was conducted by the Youth America Grand Prix, a ballet scholarship program, and was part of their 25th anniversary programs. The anniversary celebrations saw three nights of performances at the Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts. The dancers were either alums of the programs or aspiring dancers.

The event saw all 353 dancers in white tutus and pointe shoes, rising to Tchaikovsky's music and holding their en-pointe for a minute. At the end of the minute, Tina Chi, the adjudicator for the Guinness World Records, declared that it was a new record, at which the dancers erupted into cheers. 

353 dancers on their toes 

"I thought it was very cool how we can all get together from all over the world and accomplish a goal." 18-year-old Reaganne Beamer told The Associated Press. 

"The big why of why we're doing this is to let the world know that dance is a healing force." Sergey Gordeev, the director of external affairs at YAGP, told the press. 

The dancers included students aged 9 to 19 who are competing for scholarships as well as professional dancers who are alums of the program.

Tchaikovsky music played as the ballerinas stood on tiptoes and switched their weight rapidly from one foot to the other — a step called bourrée — for a full minute. 

The en-pointe is a difficult skill to master, often taking dancers hours of practice. However, the dancers commented that it wasn't too difficult for them to perform for the world record since they had had ample practice. The dancers had come from across the world including China and Brazil. 

The event was listed as the record holder in the 'Most ballet dancers en-pointe simultaneously' category. The previous event that held the record for this category was in 2019, featuring 306 dancers.