Great Oak Student Wins YoungArts Award For Jazz Dance Accomplishments

TEMECULA, CA — Great Oak High School student Aubrey Abella was named a 2024 YoungArts winner with distinction in Dance (Jazz), the organization's highest honor, according to a recent news release. Abella was recognized for the caliber of her artistic achievement, and she joined nearly 700 of the most accomplished young visual, literary, and performing artists from throughout the country, the release said.

YoungArts award winners are selected through a highly competitive application, which panels of esteemed, discipline-specific artists review in a rigorous adjudication process, a spokesperson for the program said. The 2024 YoungArts award winners join a community of artists who are offered creative and professional development support throughout their careers.

See the complete list of the 2024 winners, all 15–18 years old or in grades 10–12, is available online at www.youngarts.org/winners.

YoungArts President Clive Chang discussed what it means to bring so many talented students into the program for 2024.

"It is an extraordinary privilege to welcome these brilliant young artists into the YoungArts community," Chang said. "We're honored to recognize and encourage these artists at this critical stage in their careers, and we're looking forward to playing an active, ongoing role in what will no doubt be an incredible artistic journey for each of them."

As a winner with distinction, Abella will participate in National YoungArts Week, January 7-13, 2024, in Miami. During the week, artists have opportunities to share their work, experience interdisciplinary classes and workshops, and receive mentorship from leading artists in their fields, according to the award spokesperson.

"The 2024 winners, with distinction, will have the chance to learn from notable artists such as Denyce Graves, Lois Greenfield, Ranee, Aparna, and Ashwini Ramaswamy of Ragamala Dance. Throughout the week, award winners are further evaluated for cash awards of up to $10,000," they said.

What's next? Following the National YoungArts Week, Abella is eligible to be nominated to become a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of the highest honors given to high school seniors by the President of the United States. YoungArts, the sole nominating agency, nominates 60 artists to the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, from which the 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts are selected.

All YoungArts award winners have demonstrated exceptional technique, a strong sense of artistry, and an extraordinary commitment to developing their crafts. This year, winners were selected from more than 9,000 applications across ten artistic disciplines – classical music, dance, design, film, jazz, photography, theater, visual arts, voice, and writing.

For the duration of her career, Abella is eligible for exclusive creative and professional development support; microgrants and financial awards; presentation opportunities in collaboration with significant venues and cultural partners nationwide; and access to YoungArts Post, a free, private online platform for YoungArts artists to connect, collaborate and discover new opportunities. 2024 YoungArts winners also have the opportunity to participate in YoungArts Labs, which are all-expenses-paid learning intensives with field-defining artists working in New York and Los Angeles.

As a YoungArts award winner, Abella joins a group of accomplished artists such as Daniel Arsham, Terence Blanchard, Camille A. Brown, Timothée Chalamet, Viola Davis, Amanda Gorman, Judith Hill, Jennifer Koh, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Andrew Rannells, Desmond Richardson, and Hunter Schafer.

The YoungArts competition is open to artists 15-18 years old (or in grades 10 – 12). For additional information about becoming a YoungArts award winner, visit the YoungArts competition website.