Hillary Zgonina Advances To Finals In St. Louis Teen Talent Competition
NCHS Junior and life-long dancer Hillary Zgonina will compete in the finals of the St. Louis Teen Talent Competition on April 28 at the Fox Theater.
By Alex Haglund
NCHS Junior and long-time dance student (and now, instructor) Hillary Zgonina has advanced to the finals in the St. Louis Teen Talent Competition, sponsored by the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation.
Hillary Zgonina.
In the preliminary round Zgonina competed against 135 other students representing more than 60 schools in Missouri and Illinois in and around St. Louis. On March 25, the semi-finals had Zgonina facing off against 45 other acts.
Now, Zgonina is one of just 15 acts that will compete in the finals, which will be held on April 28 at the Fox Theater at 8 p.m.
Zgonina choreographed a modern dance for the competition. Hillary has been dancing since she was 3 years old.
She started at Sonya’s Gotta Dance Studio in Nashville. She continues to dance at Dance Station in O’Fallon, and works at SGDS as Sonya Doerr’s main ballet instructor, but also teaches upper level jazz dance and even preschool dance classes. She wants to pursue dance upon graduation from NCHS.
This is the eighth year for the St. Louis Teen Talent Competition. Zgonina and the other finalists are competing for more than $40,000 in prizes, cash awards, and college scholarships. Finalists will also have the opportunity to perform at area events throughout the year. 2018 public appearances scheduled to date include the Muny, National Dance Week, Taste of Maplewood, Gateway Grizzlies, Shakespeare Festival, and Rising Stars Showcase.
The final round of the St. Louis Talent Competition is free to attend live, and promises to be quite the show– BUT, tickets ARE required to attend the event. Flyers with information about the event can be found at NCHS and Sonya’s Gotta Dance Studio. The tickets are available online through Metrotix at www.metrotix.com/venues/detail/fox-theatre.
Again, the tickets are required but are free.
More about the SLTTC, including information and photos of Hillary and the other finalists, can be found online at www.foxpacf.org/programs/teen-talent-competition
