“There is just so much talent that is going to be on that stage,” said dancer TJ Hammond. “People are going to be amazed by it – and by how young we are.”
The 15-year-old contemporary dancer – a sophomore at CBC High School – is one of the dozen acts who will competing at The Fox Theater next Friday in the finals of the 4th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition. Five of the contestants are African-American.
“It’s kind of nerve-wracking because I’m going up against people with all types of talent,” Hammond said. “Normally I only compete against people who just dance. So going against people who twirl batons and play violin and stuff like that makes me nervous. But I can hang, and I’m extremely excited to do it.”
Presented by The Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation, the talent pool began with nearly 200 entries from 78 schools in the bi-state metropolitan area.
“The kids have worked so hard,” said Raymond Parks, dance instructor at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School and coach of the Underground Tappers, another finalist.
A total of $24,500 in scholarships and prizes will be distributed among the top competitors. The first place winner will also receive a $1,000 scholarship from UMSL. Students are also eligible for prizes and scholarships from Lindenwood University, Missouri Baptist University, Webster University and Southeast Missouri State University.
The Teen Talent Competition is free and open to the public, though tickets are required.
“It’s a great way to bring the St. Louis community together and show off how talented the city is,” said Carl Nappa, campus director for Vatterott College ex’treme Institute by Nelly.
Nappa will return for the third year as one of the judges for the finals.
“Just seeing the amount of raw talent in this city is unbelievable, and now seeing it at the high school level – it just blows me away,” Nappa said. “And it’s not just musicians, it’s dancers, actors and performers of all kinds.”
Finalists in past years have included an aerialist, classical and pop singers and musicians, a whistler, dancers, jugglers, a spoken word artist and baton twirlers.
Sharrilyn Rose can’t wait to see her son TJ – who overcame a bone infection in his foot as a toddler – take the stage.
“He’s so young, and he’s found his passion,” Rose said. “I can’t describe the feeling that I get when he’s on stage, because I see him doing something that he loves to do and it shows in every move that he makes.”
Parks advises his students – and all of the young finalists – to soak in the opportunity.
“If I could, I would tell every one of the competitors to be proud of where they have made it – which is a big step in itself,” Parks said. “They should take pride and know that they have an opportunity that so many performers haven’t had – and that is to be onstage at The Fox. That is a dream in itself.”
The 4th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition will take place at 8 p.m. Friday, April 4 at the Fox Theater. The show is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Tickets can be picked up from the Fox box office, or reserved online at metrotix.com.
