WS Chronicle

By Judie Holcomb-Pack

The bleachers at W R. Anderson Recreation Center were filled with anxious and eager performers and their fans who came to cheer them on for the 5th annual Christmas Talent Show on Thursday, Dec. 8. After Bryant Mccorkle, Anderson Center supervisor, welcomed the crowd, he emphatically stated, “This is not a contest! This is a talent show, so show everybody some love.”

And what a talent show it was! From young people only four years old dancing their hearts out, to older adults showing off their coordinated line-dancing skills, it was an evening showcasing the amazing talent we have here in our community. It’s a good thing it wasn’t a contest because judges would have a hard time selecting winners.

The show started out with Maleah Brissett, who has only been playing the flute for a short time, playing a simple melody to show what she’s learned so far. It takes a lot of courage to perform solo in front of a crowd, but Maleah gave it her all.

The show went from one performer to two when young twins performing as T&T Dancers demonstrated their amazing moves on the dance floor. Another solo performer was Zyon Robinson, who wowed the audience with his break-dancing steps. 

In their sparkly blue and silver outfits, you couldn’t miss Total Distraction Dance Company mini group consisting of some of the youngest dancers. Total Distraction has members as young as four and up to age 18. They may have been little, but the energy they put out could heat up a room.

The energy was toned down some when three more solo performers came out. MTG (Mazya the Great) sang and the audience responded, encouraging her to “sing out!” She was followed by Aija Gregory who demonstrated her skill with a mixture of tap-dancing and clogging. The next act was Chandler Gregory on the clarinet, who entertained the audience with two Christmas songs.

The next group to perform was the High Steppers showing off their coordinated dancing skills. They were followed by Total Distraction Dance Company junior group, the older and more experienced dancers who showed off their breath-taking gymnastic moves. 

From gymnastics to cheerleading, three members of the Tiny Indians Division 8 Cheerleaders were some of the youngest performers but were certainly full of energy and enthusiasm as they demonstrated how they cheered their team on to victory.

Bringing the evening to an end was the Hype Line Dancers who were decked out in red and green for the Christmas season. With Santa hats and reindeer antlers, they entertained the audience with some complicated coordinated line dance steps.

It was a wonderful evening that certainly left everyone in high spirits and ready to begin the season’s celebrations.