What is Spotlight on Youth?

Spotlight on Youth is an annual fundraiser benefiting CDS Family & Behavioral Health Services, Inc. and is a unique opportunity for local area youth to shine onstage.

Auditions are held to find the best high-school talent in the area. It's very competitive; less than half of those who try-out are accepted. The hard working students who make it perform in front of hundreds of spectators at the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The range of talent is quite impressive and includes singers, dancers, artists, musicians, poets and culinary artists. Together they put on a professional level performance. No one leaves the audience disappointed.

A silent auction is held in conjunction with the event as well as an exclusive Sponsors' Reception for those who have made significant donations. At the end of the evening there is a Dessert Reception open to all.

Sponsors underwrite the cost of the event and help raise additional funds for the programs of CDS.

To get a real taste of Spotlight on Youth, download our
2006 promotional video (11.8 MB, Windows Media File)
2007 promotional video (9.26 MB, Windows Media File).

Student's painting
displayed at Spotlight.

9th Annual Spotlight on Youth is the most diverse one yet

Special Thanks to our sponsors including:

Alachua County Sheriff's Office, Gainesville Police Department, The Gainesville Sun, Cox Communications and

Southwest Airlines

The 9th Annual Spotlight on Youth fundraising event concluded on Sunday, March 30, 2008 at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The event continues to thrive as a valuable fundraiser for CDS, as well as a vehicle for high school students to express themselves artistically and to commend them for participating in constructive after-school activities.

 We typically have about two hundred students audition fewer than half are accepted. This year was no exception. We had about one hundred performers create a show featuring some of the most diverse talent the event has ever seen. Instrumentalists rocked out on the electric guitar, played classical violin and piano pieces and brought to life the swinging sounds of Duke Ellington’s “Just Squeeze Me” on the saxophone. In addition, singers displayed their vocal talents in a variety of musical styles, while dance performances ranged from ballet and jazz to ethnic dance. The talent on display this year was not limited to live performance. Over 60 pieces of exceptional student artwork were displayed in the upper lobby, including paintings, photography, pottery and sculpture. The programs also contained poetry submitted by student residents of some of the CDS shelters. In keeping with the Spotlight on Youth tradition, these visual artists and poets were recognized for their achievements at the beginning of the second act. The vast array of talent formed a truly eclectic and thoroughly enjoyable show.

The event concluded with the results of the silent auction, which took place throughout the entire show, and a dessert reception in which audience members interacted with the performers and artists.
                       
CDS would like to thank everyone who played a role in this year’s event for their dedication to our mission. We could not keep growing and improving without your help. See you next year!!

8th Annual Spotlight on Youth showcases dazzling local talent

(April 10, 2007)

This year's Spotlight on Youth took place on Sunday, March 18, 2007 at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The event was a huge success for all involved. Each year Spotlight serves as both a fundraiser for the programs of CDS and as a prevention activity.

Each year, audition applications are sent out to schools in the CDS service area in September. From these applications, auditions are arranged for January. Then, between January and March the arduous process of creating an electrifying live show occurs. This year over 100 high school students performed jazz, ballet and folk dances; sang opera and Broadway tunes; and played the violin and the piano. From the rousing One Day More (from the musical Les Miserables ) with its cast of 45 costumed students, to the creative Imagine that gently combined Korean folk music, Indian dance, and John Lennon's song Imagine, there was something for everyone.

In addition, in the upper lobby of the theater over 40 students from five different high schools displayed visual works of art including photography, watercolor, oil painting, and pottery. A VIP reception prior to the show was held upstairs, giving attendees a close-up look at these beautiful works of art. Just after intermission, all the visual artists and poets whose work appeared in the program were called up onto the stage to receive formal recognition and a huge round of applause from the grateful audience.

The final two components to the evening were a dessert reception after the show that rewarded performers for all their hard work and allowed the community to mingle with the stars of the show. A silent auction ran throughout the evening and helped raise funds for CDS.

7th Annual Spotlight on Youth a huge success
(March 13th, 2006)

This year's Spotlight on Youth was a huge success both as a performance and as a fundraising event...Read more