Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation (FoxPACF) is pleased to announce the Preliminary round of the 10th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition will take place February 8 & 9 with 119 performers taking the stage. This year entries represent 60 schools and 7 home schoolers in the bi-state metropolitan area (45 MO / 15 IL). A complete list of students/schools can be found here. The acts showcase a diverse array of talents including musicians, composers, singers, actors, dancers, musical theatre performers, bands, and specialty acts that include, aerial arts, acrobatics, contortionists, a juggler, and a beatboxer.
"Vying for a chance to perform on the Fox stage brings out a wide range of teen artists who have trained locally and make us so proud," said Judy Cullen, FoxPACF Executive Director.
Students in this Competition are competing for more than $45,000 in college scholarships, cash awards, prizes, performance opportunities. In addition to the 1st Place $8,000, 2nd Place $6,000, and 3rd Place $4,000 scholarships awarded at the Final round, restricted scholarship opportunities will also be available to students taking part in the Competition. Participants will also be eligible for unique public performance opportunities which in prior years included The Muny, National Dance Week, Taste of Maplewood, Gateway Grizzlies, Shakespeare Festival, Chamber Music Society of St. Louis, Bach Society, and The Rising Stars Showcase. Further details on these opportunities can be found here.
Judges for both the Preliminary and Semi-final round of the competition are professionals representing a cross-section of the St. Louis performing arts community. Each round of the Competition will have a panel of at least three judges who will adjudicate and advance acts to the next round. Acts will be judged on technical ability, interpretation, stage presence and originality. A complete list of Preliminary round judges is available on the FoxPACF website.
The two days of Preliminaries are held at Kirkwood High School and Logan University where the field will be narrowed to approximately 40 acts. These acts will then compete Sunday, March 8th in the Semi-final round where the final acts will be chosen to compete onstage at The Fabulous Fox Theatre Saturday, April 4, 2020. The Final round of the competition is FREE and open to the public and everyone is invited to come to the Fox to see who wins this year!
"We are thrilled with the ongoing response to this event from students, parents, arts organizations and the community. The Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation is happy to be able to provide the opportunity for students to perform at the Fox and on other stages around St. Louis. We're delighted that we are able to put talented young people in the spotlight," said Mary Strauss, St. Louis Teen Talent Competition creator, as well as FoxPACF Founder and FoxPACF Board of President.
The Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation reintroduced the St. Louis Teen Talent Competition in
2011 to showcase the St. Louis region's most talented teens in the performing arts. The 2019 St. Louis Teen Talent Competition winner was Joanna Serenko, a singer/guitarist from Kirkwood High School. A complete list of the past nine years of winners and finalists can be found on the FoxPACF website.
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