Canes, top hats and tuxedos with tails made 15 young men the center of attention.

But these Quad-City high school students didn't need formal attire to merit recognition. They already have earned applause for their academic, musical, community and athletic achievements.

About 200 people gathered Sunday afternoon at the Radisson Hotel in Davenport to enjoy three hours of elegance at the Quad-Cities Chapter of Links' 13th Biennial Beautillion.

Rosa Smiley of Milan, Ill., and Linda Rudolph of Davenport coordinated the formal ball that included a banquet, choreographed performances and, finally, the presentation of Mr. Beau.

"We wanted to do something for young African-American men in the area, to showcase them, to highlight them and the good things that are happening here," Smiley said. "These young men were identified by their counselors as outstanding young men in the schools."

"The whole purpose is to help them further their education," Rudolph said.

The teenagers, all juniors and seniors, prepared for their debut over the past nine months through Links workshops and activities. Each campaigned by selling tickets and ads in a souvenir booklet to earn sponsorships in a competition for college scholarships.

Each young man walked with their escorts and presented themselves to the audience by doffing their hats. Each young man danced one dance with his mother and later with his escort in the "Belles and Beaux" dance. Finally, they performed stepping as a group.

Toni Thomas and Justin Johnson, both of Rock Island, choreographed the dances.

Johnson, a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, a community service organization, guided the beaux through practices for about six weeks, he said.

"I tried to make them aware of what they need to be aware of when they're performing," including the precision of the steps and moves "and the magnitude of the event," he said. Some of the stepping (also called step-dancing, a kind of rhythmic dance that involves the spoken word, hand claps and body movements) was influenced by moves performed by his fraternity, Johnson said.

Among the speakers was Matthew Jacobs, 19, a Rock Island High School graduate who now is a student at Black Hawk College, Moline. He was Mr. Beau 2007.

"It gave me a boost in confidence," he said of his experience. "I'm more outspoken."

The theme of the beautillion was "Seizing the Opportunity to Provide World Class Leadership, Friendship and Service." Robert Mason, principal of Rock Island High School, said all the young people at the event were "doing the right thing by being here."

At the end of the evening, Robert L. Harbin III, a junior at Davenport North High School, became Mr. Beau 2009, and then all the young men gave one final performance as a team, stepping, dancing and twirling their canes in unison.