7th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition Announces Call for Entries

ST. LOUIS - Sept. 26, 2016 - PRLog -- Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation (FPACF) is pleased to announce the 7^th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition in the spring of 2017.  Online registration to enter is now open for all high school students in the St. Louis Metropolitan area.  There are no fees to participate.  The event will follow a competition format withstudents vying forscholarships, special awards, prizes and the opportunity to compete in the finals on The Fabulous Fox Theatre stage on Saturday, April 8, 2017.

This event showcases talented teens in our region who excel in the performing arts. More than 180 senior high schools and performing arts organizations in the St. Louis metro area received details about the 7^th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition. The call for entries deadline is November 11, 2016. Contestants must be enrolled in the 9^th, 10^th, 11^th or 12^th grade in the 2016-2017 school year and must attend a high school/home school within a 50-mile radius from the Arch.  The Preliminary round will be held on February 4 & 5, 2017. Acts may include up to six students performing as a group.  "We hope students who are passionate about the performing arts will register for the competition," said Mary Strauss, President of the FPACF Board of Directors.  Performing arts categories include (but are not limited to): singers, dancers, actors, musicians, comedians, rappers, and circus skill artists. Contestants may perform with original or published material.

Finalists in past years have included a variety of musicians, an aerialist, classical and rap/pop singers, a whistler, dancers, jugglers, a spoken word artist, and baton twirlers. The 2016 winner of the competition was pianist Royce Martin of Grand Center Arts Academy performing an original composition.

The Preliminary and Semi-final rounds will be hosted by several event sponsors: Ritenour School District (at their High School facility), Logan University and Missouri Baptist University.

High school students can respond to the "Call for Entries" and register on-line at www.foxpacf.org.

Each round and location will have a panel of at least three judges who will adjudicate and advance acts to the next round of competition. Judges for the Preliminary and Semi-final rounds are arts professionals from the St. Louis region who are asked to give each act constructive, verbal feedback immediately after they perform. The finalists will compete on The Fabulous Fox stage as part of a professionally produced show on Saturday, April 8, 2017. This final event at the Fox is free and open to the public.

Students placing First, Second and Third will win college scholarships. The 2017 1^st Place scholarship ($8,000) is underwritten by the Ameren Charitable Trust; 2^nd Place and 3^rd Place scholarships are $5,000 and $3,000 respectively. All students who enter and compete in the Preliminary Round will be eligible for consideration to receive scholarships from both Lindenwood University and Southeast Missouri State University. Contestants who advance to the Final round will be eligible for various cash awards and prizes (full list available at www.foxpacf.org).  Finalists will also be provided unique performance opportunities within the St. Louis area arranged by FPACF and by request. Finalists from the past five years have performed at the Muny, Sheldon Concert Hall, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, Six Flags, Fair St. Louis, Taste of Maplewood, Let Them Eat Art, MidTown Taste and with the Chamber Music Society of St. Louis and Winter Opera Saint Louis.

"We have been thrilled with the response to this event from students, parents, arts organizations and the community.  The Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation is uniquely positioned to provide the opportunity for students to perform at the Fox and on other stages around St. Louis. We are pleased that we are able to put talented young people in the spotlight," said Strauss.

Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation fosters, promotes, and encourages young people in the St. Louis region to discover and participate in the joy and wonder of live performances.

Call for Entries

7^th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition

DEADLINE: November 11, 2016

Register on-line: www.foxpacf.org/teen-talent-showcase.aspx

For additional information about this and other Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation events, please visit www.foxpacf.org