St. Thomas will host the 29th annual Hal Jackson's Talented Teens International scholarship competition, July 25 – August 1, 1999, at the Reichhold Center for the Arts. Talented teenage girls from the U.S. and other countries will converge on St. Thomas to showcase their performing arts talents and academic achievements to compete for scholarship monies and trips abroad.
Forty girls, ages 13 to 17, will participate in the week-long competition sponsored by Hal Jackson's Talented Teens International/Youth Development Foundation, Inc. Activities are planned for the participants throughout the week including: tours of St. Thomas and St. John; a welcoming dinner at Marriott Frenchman's Reef Beach Resort; and a fashion show at Palms Court Harborview Hotel.
The final competition will be held on Saturday, July 31, at St. Thomas' Reichhold Center for the Arts, a beautiful 1,196-seat amphitheater. Contestants will showcase their talents under the stars for the chance to win an educational scholarship, several trips abroad and the title of Miss Talented Teen International 1999. Participants will be judged in categories based on their academic abilities, talent and stage presence. Several celebrities and guest performing artists will also take the stage that night to entertain the audience and support the efforts of the participating youth. Past special guests have included: Janet Jackson, Denzel Washington, Michael Jackson, Kenny Lattimore, The Temptations, Dru Hill, New Edition, Blair Underwood, Johnny Gill, Ce Ce Peniston, Robert Townsend and Boyz II Men. This year's special guests have yet to be determined.
"The USVI Department of Tourism is thrilled that St. Thomas has been chosen as the host destination of this international youth competition," Acting USVI Commissioner of Tourism Monique Sibilly-Hodge said. "We are pleased to support the efforts of this organization and to provide a different cultural experience for the participating young ladies."
The primary goal of Hal Jackson's Talented Teens International scholarship competition is to provide training and educational scholarship opportunities for young women of color. The competition, however, is open to young ladies of all races. Named for the respected African-American radio and television personality, Hal Jackson's Talented Teens International/Youth Development Foundation, Inc. encourages minority females in both urban and rural communities to develop their artistic talents in music, drama and other performing arts.
Participants in this year's competition will travel to St. Thomas from across the U.S., Europe, Africa and many Caribbean islands. Preliminary competitions were held in a minimum 30 cities and countries beginning in January to select the finalists for this year's competition on St. Thomas. This year marks the fourth time that the competition has been held in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Reichhold Center for the Arts hosted the event in 1987 and 1993. St. Croix's Island Center Theatre also served as the main stage in 1976.
For more information about Hal Jackson's Talented Teens International scholarship competition, call (212) 592-0413. For more information about other events at the Reichhold Center for the Arts, call (340) 693-1559.
For more information about St. Croix, St. John or St. Thomas, call the U.S. Virgin Islands Visitor's Center at (800) 372-USVI.
