Alumni
Alumni Stories
Ernest Felton Baker II
Ernest Baker took it all the way—all the way to the White House and beyond. A slight kid from Opa Locka, Florida, an urban area northwest of Miami; Ernest never dreamed that the poise and dedication he developed while earning a black belt in Jujutsu would lead him to a formal education and career in dance. Now he is a first year at New York’s The New School where he dances. He’ll tell you that YoungArts took him there. But Ernest took a chance and shared his incredible talent; YoungArts recognized it and gave him a platform.
“I am speechless right now; I am still on cloud nine. I can’t believe I made it all the way to the White House. From YoungArts Week, I performed in New York, and now I’m going to the Kennedy Center and the White House…an experience like this is something to be proud of!”
– Ernest Felton Baker II, 2009 YoungArts Silver Award Winner in Dance, 2009 Presidential Scholar in the Arts
Michael Silberblatt
Gregarious and charming, Michael Silberblatt is a star on the rise. In between acing the SAT, acting in school plays and applying to Ivy League universities, he found time to be invited to YoungArts Week and garner a Silver Award in Theater and a Presidential Scholars in the Arts nomination. A standout at YoungArts Week 2010, Michael was selected by his peers as the 2010 Class Representative. Not surprising for this popular teen who is used to excelling in all his endeavors. Michael’s YoungArts Week experience was highlighted by a Master Class with acclaimed actress/director Liv Ullmann, who had just finished directing Cate Blanchett in A Streetcar Named Desire.
“I was blessed to have the opportunity to learn from Liv Ullmann; what a sweet, kind, and knowledgeable woman she is! (She) taught me so much and inspired me to continue studying acting because she believed in my ability. I seriously learned more in that one week than I learned in 2 years at my arts school. YoungArts Week really showed me that I have the potential to accomplish great things in this world. I learned that art is not just an extra-curricular activity but a way of life.”
– Michael Silberblatt, 2010 YoungArts Silver award winner in Theater, 2010 Presidential Scholar in the Arts
Trent Creswell
2009 YoungArts Silver Award Winner in Writing
Trent Creswell knows a thing or two about miracles. He went from lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life after a terrible car accident, to sitting in Edward Albee’s Tribecca loft, exchanging ideas with the celebrated playwright. What a difference a year and acceptance to the YoungArts program can make. Lucky for Trent, he’s got the goods. So impressed with Trent’s innate talent for writing, Mr. Albee named Trent the recipient of the Edward Albee Fellowship, a six week long literary residency at the Albee Foundation in Montauk. YoungArts was impressed, too, awarding him a $5,000 Silver award in writing and giving him the experience of a lifetime. Trent sums up his feelings about YoungArts in a short sentence: “YoungArts is the biggest blessing of my life.”
YoungArts Alumni Opportunities
YoungArts Miami Regional Day at the Colony Theater: YoungArts Alumni held a panel discussion on the opportunities YoungArts provides to alumni, career opportunities for artists and arts advocacy and education positions. Facebook Video YouTube Video
