Young performers shine at Talent Expo
(CNS Local Life): As part of Child Month which was celebrated throughout May, the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) held the first-ever Talent Expo with an evening of performances by young people. The event, held 18 May at the Harquail Theatre, featured singers, dancers, musicians and spoken-word performers.
George Town Primary School students put on a “bouncy and energetic version” of “Moving in the Right Direction”, a press release said, adding the song became the unofficial theme of the evening which celebrated “the wealth and diversity of young talent locally”.
John Gray High School’s Year 7 Pop Group sang blues and jazz standards “Take Me to the River” and “Dancing in the Moonlight”. The lead singer’s “James Brown shuffle” earned him applause as did his impressive range.
Organisers then slowed the tempo down with “Away in a Manger” danced by Sir John A. Cumber Primary School students. Next up was a medley of pop songs by the Cayman Youth Choir which performed “Royal,” by Lorde, Annie Lennox’s “Sweet Dreams” and the Bon Jovi classic “Livin’ on a Prayer”.
Ruby Pileta was the night’s first solo artist, with the Clifton Hunter High School student offering a Caribbean touch with her version of “Pan in A Minor”.
Butterfield Young Musician of the Year, Dequan Smith, played a cello solo. His performance of the evening’s first classical piece “held the audience spellbound showing why he had recently won the prestigious accolade”, the release said.
After the intermission, Jamie Ebanks from Spark! School of Performing Arts sang, highlighting her range. Next up, mas and the spirit of carnival were celebrated with dance, as “Hidden in the Kelp” was performed by Sir John A. Cumber Primary School students. “Infectious and life-affirming, the dance had the crowd cheering”, the release said.
Artists who gave memorable vocal performances included soloist Keisia Blake from Clifton Hunter, and Spark! Vocal Performance Troupe which sang an arrangement of “Diamonds” by Rhianna.
Poet and this year’s Child Month Poetry Slam winner, Alia Smith, performed a self-penned piece. The expressive poem explored the difficult intersection between self-actualisation and community’s demands on young women. Ukayla Dixon then delivered a “technically on point and emotionally strong” version of “I Choose You”.
Pianist and composer Charles Henderson completed the classical offerings of the night, with a rendition of Mendelsohn’s “No. 2 from Kinderstücke”. Dreamchasers Cayman JRS dance troupe then rounded out the Talent Expo, with a performance of “Afro Jazz”.
Category: Local News, Youth
