1 Palos Verdes Student Named Semifinalist For Arts Scholarship

PALOS VERDES, CA — One Palos Verdes high school student was named a semifinalist for The Music Center's Spotlight competition, which awards young artists scholarship money and performing arts development programs.

Jacqueline Lane, a ballet dancer and junior at Palos Verdes High School was among the 100 semifinalists, according to The Music Center's website.

More than 1,300 Southern California students from more than 181 cities auditioned for the 34th annual competition, according to The Music Center.

Semifinalists each receive $300 and will attend a "mastery class" in their discipline before auditioning again before a new set of judges. After that audition, judges will choose two grand prize finalists in each of seven categories of performance. The grand prize finalists will receive a $5,000 scholarship and will perform on June 15 at The Music Center's Ahmanson Theatre, The Music Center said in a news release.

Judges will also give honorable mentions worth $1,000 and merit awards worth $100. All said, $100,000 will be doled out in scholarships to the 100 semifinalists.

"We were fortunate to be able to continue the program as a completely free competition, and the results are simply spectacular, with so many young people from across the Southland applying and inspiring all of us with their enthusiasm, talent and passion for the arts," Jeri Gaile, the Fredric Roberts Director of The Music Center's Spotlight program, said in a statement.

Notable former Spotlight Program participants included groundbreaking dancer Misty Copeland and singers Adam Lambert and Josh Groban.

Read the full list of semifinalists on The Music Center's website.