Twenty youngARTS Finalists to be honored at the White House today

Today, the 20 National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts’ (NFAA) youngARTS Finalists, selected as Presidential Scholars in the Arts, will perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and exhibit works at the Smithsonian Museum. And they might even get the chance to meet President Obama, who is expected to congratulate all 121 Presidential Scholars at the White House medallion ceremony.

This year, the NFAA had more than 6,000 applicants—a number that was narrowed down from 60 nominees to 46 Semi-Finalists to 20 PSAs. Being named a Presidential Scholar is the nation’s highest honor bestowed upon graduating high school seniors by the U.S. Department of Education and The Commission on Presidential Scholars.

Only two dancers received this high honor, Dan Mitra of Woodstock Valley, CT, and Ernest Baker II from Opa-Locka, FL, who you might remember from our April 2009 issue. (The boys were featured in our main news story, detailing their experience during youngARTS week 2009 in Miami this past January.) Both Mitra (tap) and Baker (hip hop) were named Silver Medalists, and during the first week of April, traveled to New York City, along with the other youngARTS Gold and Silver Winners to learn and perform. While there, they took master classes with teachers like Derick Grant, attended Broadway shows (they met the cast of Hair!) and received private tours of prestigious museums like the MoMA.

The week culminated with the debut performance of the winners’ own In The Studio: A Celebration of the youngARTS Gold and Silver Winners at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in Manhattan. And Mr. Baryshnikov himself was in attendance at the special fundraising event on April 2 to honor the performers and their artistry.

For more information or to register for youngARTS 2010, go to http://www.nfaa.org.