Youth News for Aug. 3, 2012

West Baton Rouge Museum honors Girl Scouts with exhibit

The West Baton Rouge Museum, 845 N. Jefferson Ave., Port Allen, is helping to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the founding of Girl Scouts.

Girl Scouts: A Centennial Anniversary Display opens Saturday and continues through Oct. 5. The display includes Girl Scout artifacts including uniforms, photographs, books, awards, crafts and badges.

The Girl Scouts organization was founded in the United States when the first troop meeting was held on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Ga. The first Girl Scout troop in the greater Baton Rouge region was founded in the summer of 1921. Today, there are more than 3 million Girl Scouts.

Also, the museum is offering a performance program with re-enactor Linda Collins playing the role of Juliette G. Low, the founder of Girl Scouts in America. In character and historic attire Collins engages audience members in hands-on crafts, stories about Girl Scouts, and Juliette Low’s biography told in first-person. Weekend times are available for the performance program. Free for programs scheduled at the West Baton Rouge Museum, $40 for programs scheduled at other locations.

To schedule group reservations for the Juliette G. Low performance program, call [phone], ext. 17.

Ballet auditions scheduled

The Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre will hold open auditions for advanced dancers for its 2012-2013 season as well as children’s auditions for “The Nutcracker — A Tale from the Bayou,” an original BRBT production that puts a Louisiana twist on a classic ballet. “The Nutcracker” performances will be Dec. 15 and Dec. 16.

The auditions are scheduled for Sept. 15 and 16 at Dancers’ Workshop.

Children must be 8 years old by Dec. 31 to audition for “The Nutcracker.” More than 300 children will be selected to fill the roles of lambs, cherubs, mice, cooks, soldiers, angels and party children.

Auditions for children ages 8 to 12 for “The Nutcracker” will be Sept. 16 at these times: 12:45 p.m. for boys ages 8 and older; 1:15 p.m. for girls 8 years old; 2 p.m. for girls 9 years old; 2:45 p.m. for girls 10 years old; and 3:30 p.m. for girls 11-12 years old.

Season auditions will be Sept. 15 at 10:30 a.m. for classically trained advanced level dancers who have been on pointe for at least two years. These advanced dancers will perform in “The Nutcracker” and BRBT’s annual spring concert, community outreach programs and other performances.

All dancers should arrive at least 15 minutes before their audition time, and girls should wear a leotard and tights. There will be a $5 audition fee.

For more information about BRBT auditions or Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre, contact Nicole Naquin or Leigh Phillips at [phone] or via email at [e-mail] or [e-mail].

Vote for Brusly gymnast

Alaina Landry, 12, of Brusly, is one of three finalists in the Afterschool Awards competition in the sports category.

Sponsored by JCP, Izod and NOW Music, the Afterschool Awards is a nationwide contest spotlighting and rewarding outstanding after school achievements for elementary, middle school and junior high school students. Students entered this free contest in up to four categories — science, music and arts, sports and community service — and can earn up to $2,500 per category in cash toward their future education.

Online voting will determine whether Alaina, a gymnast, brings home the $2,500 prize. Her goal is to be on a college gymnastics team one day.

To vote, go to http://www.afterschoolawards.com. Voters get a chance to win JCP gift cards.

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