YOUNG & EMERGING
ARTIST SCHOLARSHIP

The 2026 Young & Emerging Scholarship Application cycle is now closed.
Please check back in Fall 2026 for our next cycle!

Applications for the 2026 Young & Emerging Artist Scholarships

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Since its inception in 2013, Laguna Dance’s Scholarship Program has proudly awarded more than 200 scholarships to dancers from diverse disciplines across California. This year, applications will be separated into two age ranges:
Young Artist | ages 14–17
Emerging Artist | ages 18–22
Both scholarships are open to pre-professional dance students in Southern California who are pursuing a professional dance career and/or planning to study dance in higher education. Selected recipients will be awarded $500–$1,000, which may be used at their discretion to cover expenses such as audition and college application fees, choreographer fees, private lessons, or competition costs. In addition, scholarship recipients may be considered for community and professional performance opportunities, at the discretion of the artistic leadership team.

Questions? Email our Program Coordinator Amanda Koenig at amandak@lagunadancefestival.org

Young & Emerging Artist Scholarships

2016 - 2025

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2016
Chloe Enriquez
Aviva Leeza
Rebekah Hansen (LBHS)

2017
Emily Eckhart
Jocelyn Magana
Marcus Sarjenat
Alexandra Carey
Jordan Burton (LBHS)

2018
Jacob Kurihara
Jessalyn Ward
Sofia Frilot
Taylor Tran
Riley Parish
Hilary Estreicher (LBHS)

2019
Ashley Lew
Dante Casarin
Miriya Live
Nicole Denney
Zackary Sommer
Iris Sewell (LBHS)

2020
Erin Park
Maya Alvarez-Coyne
Vinnie Winderman
Moorea Pike (LBHS)

2021
NO SCHOLARSHIPS

2022
Addison Leitch
Aimee Cho
Ayanna Dowell
Caroline Skrable
Justin Padilla
Sophia Koo
Christina Hartley (LBHS)
2023
Aarilyn Lee
Abrianna Herring
Totocani Garcia
Carissa Hsu
Drew Rosen
Edward Chen
Faith Aguilar
Luciana Vun
Natalia Reszka
Lila Goldstein (LBHS)

2024
Avery Hall
Ava Greenwaldt
Emilie Kaiser
Evee Lee
Lucas Matzkin
Abigail Pearson
Francine Peji
Skylar Peterson
Preston Walker
Ellen Wang
2 LBHS Students-Thomas ‘Chase’ Benson, Sienna McCarthy

2025
Nicole Bui
Junxin “Annie” Chen
Dominic Keider
Emma Marcellana
Piper Rovsek
Samantha Santos
Bella Silva
Addyson Smith
Jadon Vo
Mia Frederick
Maris Morgan (LBHS)

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