Walkersville students exhibited their best assets at the Talent & Cultural Showcase on Thursday, April 24th. The event was truly a transformative experience consisting of an array of performances that ranged from Broadway musicals, cultural dances, and fashion, to slam poetry. The audience enthusiastically applauded this display of diversity and talent from WHS students.
Creative Director Alanah Fore said that she and her classmates felt inspired by Gov. Thomas Johnson High School’s Black History Month Celebration in February. “We were blown away with their performances and started talking to Dr. Bell to see if it was possible for us to do something similar here, and me, Johnathan Reyes, Trish Kitcher, and Jamiela Tubman ran with it.” Fore also said that it was mostly student led as well: “Walkersville students took care of about 80-90% of all the planning, including backstage, tech, scheduling and auditions and made sure the showcase went smoothly.” Fore also performed in the show herself, dancing an emotional piece called “Out of Hiding”: “I had mentioned wanting to start dancing again in the fall and when we started floating around the idea of having a showcase, it felt like God confirming it was my time to dance again.” Some singing acts performed throughout the show as well, with Marie Kleimola and Annalyse Miranda singing “What Is This Feeling” from the Wicked soundtrack, and Florian Kandem singing a ballad “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”.
One of the many highlights of the night were students’ thought pieces about American society, which were exhibited through slam poetry. Slam poems consist of not only voicing opinion, but incorporating theatrical and storytelling elements to make one’s thoughts come alive and inspire an audience, which is precisely what “Colors” and “Black Beauty” fulfilled. “Colors”, a poem written by 9th grader Ye’Shaya Reber shines a light on the concept of colorism and discriminating against someone because of their skin tone. Reber explained her inspiration: “I decided to perform slam poetry at the showcase because I’ve been writing poetry for as long as I can remember, and it’s become a real passion of mine and helps me express what I feel.” She felt angered by the minimal representation the African American community had in the classes she took and felt that Black History Month was more overlooked this year compared to previous tenures, and felt that Americans have some sort of secret animosity towards the entire race.“I had maybe two classes that once mentioned anything as far as African American people, and it didn’t feel like the lessons were taken seriously and was more about meeting the state’s standards, so I put a lot of that into my poem as well.” Yeabsera Shotela and Eli Nutakor’s poem, “Black Beauty” had a similar theme, as it focused on cultural appropriation conveyed through the eyes of beauty supply store clerks. Melanie Pickrell helped by performing parts of the piece as a customer. Nutakor said she decided to write about cultural appropriation to express the hypocrisy of Americans who criticize black people, yet still use aspects of black culture for personal gain. Both pieces were powerful commentary’s on issues that affect WHS students.
Another act that was an audience favorite was a group of students dancing to “Tiempo de Vals” in dresses they wore for their Quinceañeras. The elaborate ballgowns were truly showstoppers, and highlighted an aspect of Latin American culture that few get to see. “We had maybe a week to practice our routine before the actual showcase”, Valeria Wolters said. “I decided to perform it because I wanted to do something to represent my culture and have fun with my friends.” Other groups that highlighted Latino culture were the Spanish Honor Society and the night’s special guests, TJ’s Latin Dance Team.
After intermission, the audience was treated to a lighthearted look at American fashion trends as well as cultural attire. The models had fun strutting their stuff on the stage and the audience appreciated their fashion ‘moves’. Many clubs came to the showcase to perform as well, such as the Walkersville Step Team with their recreation of the Super Bowl Halftime Show and the TLC Club with a variety of West African dances. Click here to see the full line up.
Overall, the showcase had positive reactions from the audience members. “There has never been any event near this level of excellence and diversity before. I love watching students in their element and doing things outside the classroom instead of sitting and listening.” Dr Bell said. “I love the diversity and am excited that our children of color and culture were able to be seen, heard, and most importantly, appreciated.” The students and Dr. Bell plan to make the showcase even bigger and better next year, so think about what talent you might want to share.