Talent takes stage at 2007 county fair
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on October 7, 2007 2:05 AM
Some played difficult numbers on the piano, while others belted out well-known tunes. Still more did challenging gymnastic routines.
All of the younger participants in the talent show at the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair were winners just for having enough courage to get up on stage in front of an audience.
The third- through fifth-grade competition drew a crowd, packing the entertainment area Wednesday night.
The first group of contestants played instruments. A hit in the show was fourth-grader Zachary Price, who donned jeans, a bright yellow shirt and a tan cowboy hat for his song "That's Life Anyway." It was a song he wrote about children doing all the things they should and listening to their parents. He accompanied himself on the guitar. The fast-paced song had the audience cheering at the end.
Julia Stemper, a fifth-grader from Northeast Elementary, and Christo-pher Overcash, a fourth-grader from Tommy's Road Elementary, both played the piano.
Next came the solo dancers. First up was Alexis Brown, a fifth-grader from Fremont Stars. In black pants and a black, purple and blue top with yellow trim, she did a fast-pace dance routine to "Angel."
Haley Cannon kicked it up a notch with her clogging routine to "Me and My Gang." She had the audience clapping throughout the number. The third-grader from Eastern Wayne Elementary sported jeans, a white T-shirt and a black Harley Davidson vest. Then the mistress of ceremonies, Janet Barnes, danced a part of the routine with Haley for fun.
Another high-energy act was Kelsie Daughtry, a third-grader from Northwest Elementary. Wearing a sparkling green outfit with feathers on it, she did a tap routine to "Peppermint Twist."
Novelty acts included a hula hoop routine by a fourth-grade student from Grantham School, Maddie Muston. She twirled a hula hoop around her knees, waist and even her neck. She walked around the stage while twirling it and at the end, she had three going at one time.
Grant Kornegay, a fourth-grader from Carver Elementary, put a karate routine to music using a sword and breaking wood with his hands.
Something different was a sign language performance by Jessica James, a fifth-grader from Northeast Elementary. She signed to "Lord I Come Before You."
Taking the audience from watching feet move across the stage to listening to melodies being sung were contestants in the solo vocal category. Sarah Richards, a fifth-grader from Grantham School, and Sara Lewis, a fifth-grader from Rosewood Elementary, both sang "Amazing Grace."
Following them were Anna Wall, a third-grader from Tommy's Road Elementary, with "Glory of Love", and Morgan Kohnen, a third-grader from Northeast Elemen-tary, who sang "I Got Joy."
Next up were instrumental groups. Popular with the audience were the Rosewood Bellringers, third-graders from Rosewood Elementary. They played "Somewhere Out There."
Amanda Marriner and Kiara Solstack performed a patriotic number, "Yankee Doodle," on violins. They are third-graders from Meadow Lane Elementary.
Contestants in the group dance wowed the audience with some fancy moves. In their turquoise outfits, Madison Lengel, Amanda Matthews and Kellin Hunter did a fast-paced tap routine to "Girls Just Want To Have Fun." They are all third-graders from Eastern Wayne Elementary.
Demonstrating the Cha Cha Slide to the song "Cha Cha Slide" were students from Northeast Elementary Chassidy Lancaster, Ariel Strickland and Brittany Crabtree.
Next up were group novelty acts. With white painted faces, Katlyn Bradford and Nicole Taylor wore black pants and black long-sleeved shirts with white gloves as they mimed "I Can Only Imagine." They are third- and fourth-graders from Spring Creek Elementary.
The last category of the evening was vocal group. Sisters and third-graders from Meadow Lane Elementary Anita and Kiara Dredden sang "Heaven."
One judge, LaRue Tart, found it hard to pick a winner. "Each year the talent gets more advanced," she said. "I'm proud of all of them."
Janet Barnes has been directing and emceeing the fair's talent contest for 30 years. She praised all the students, saying, "The kids are very talented." She said she feels a lot of them definitely have a future as entertainers.
Winners of the third- through fifth-grade talent competition were:
Instrumental solo: Micah Sherard, first; Zachary Price, second; and Christopher Overcash, third.
Dance solo: Haley Cannon, first; Kelsie Daughtry, second; and Alexis Brown, third.
Novelty solo: Maddie Muston, first; Baylee Huff, second; and Jessica James, third.
Vocal solo: Morgan Kohnen, first; Brandi Parker, second; and Olivia Simmons, third.
Instrumental group: Amelia Marriner and Kiara Solstack, first; and Rosewood Bellringers, second.
Vocal group: Anita and Kiara Dredden, first.
Group novelty: Katlyn Bardford and Nicole Taylor.
Group dance: Amanda Matthews, Kellin Hunter and Madison Lengel, first; and Ariel Strickland, Chassidy Lancaster and Brittany Crabtree, second.
Winners of the kindergarten through second-grade competition were:
Vocal solo: Audrey Pieper, Meadow Lane Elementary.
Instrumental solo: Addison Johnson, Northeast Elementary.
Solo novelty act: Kayla Overcash, Tommy's Road.
Group dance: Alexis Dean and Alston Tyndall, Eastern Wayne Elementary.
Group novelty: First-graders from Northeast Elementary.
Show choir/school chorus: Rosewood Singers from Rosewood Elementary.