by Shawn Nowlin
The Jefferson Center’s Shaftman Performance Hall came alive last Friday (8/1) with original music, poetry and dance presentations courtesy of talented youth from all over the Roanoke Valley. Now in its third year, “Talent in the Star,” a program through TAP’s Tomorrow’s Leaders, began at 6 p.m. and lasted for nearly three hours.
Energizing the crowd with her vibrant personality, emcee Nicole Ross emphasized the importance of supporting local youth.
“These young people have been working hard for ten weeks to give you the best that they have tonight,” she told all in attendance. “When they take the stage, I want you to clap your hands and stand on your feet. I want you to holler like you did when you were in high school and your boyfriend was running down the football field about to score a touchdown.”
The talent show’s five judges were Taren McCoy, Marina Trejo Perez, Toni Gravely, Henry Brickey and Rosemary Rincon.
When all was said and done Jada Claytor danced her way to 1st place; 2nd place, Johmia Taylor (dance) and the duo of Salem Langoski (vocalist) and Melody Kiyko (pianist) won 3rd place honors.
Last, but certainly not least, was Gee Litt, who came on strong and more professionally as she performed two recently recorded originals, closing out this extraordinary night of youth talent.
“Mentorship and partnership are everything. We often don’t know what our kids are going through until we sit and have honest talks with them. To all of the parents, family members, guardians…thank you for all that you do for our youth,” Sheriff Antonio Hash said.
“Roughly four years ago, Nicole and I were part of the Gun Violence Prevention Commission. Nicole had this wild idea that one of the ways we could prevent gun violence is to help youth find their purpose and passion,” Mayor Joe Cobb said. “A lot of people didn’t think that was a good idea, but have you met Nicole Wallace? One of the things that we share is that when someone tells us no, we find a way to turn it into a yes.”
Speaking towards the end of the event, TAP President Angela Penn said, “I’ve been with this agency for 21 years and I must say, what a joy it is to be here today with all of these talented young people. They are amazing, absolutely amazing. Everyone involved should be extremely proud of themselves.”
This year’s theme was “Shine Through the Pressure.” After celebrating youth expression and growth, the talent show culminated in the crowning of a King or Queen of the Mountain.
The event was marketed as an evening of family-friendly entertainment, and it didn’t disappoint. All signs point to the talent show continuing in the future.
