Talent abounds in Wayne fair contest
By Melinda Harrell and Joey Pitchford
Published in News on October 7, 2016 10:02 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Dejah Simmons performs a hip-hop dance Thursday night during the talent show at the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair. Simmons is a freshman at Eastern Wayne High School.
The entertainment arena at the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair pounded with enthusiasm during the Grades 6-8 talent show Thursday evening.
From the foot-stomping, hand-clapping performance by the 20-member Voices of Distinction Gospel Choir's to the steady, confident thump of Tamaj Oate's drum solo, the message sent to each and every student from those in attendance was one of support and encouragement.
The grades 6 to 8 talent show featured 23 acts with 60 performers competing in categories including instrumental solo, voice solo, dance solo and voice group.
The category featuring the highest number of competitors was the voice solo with nine performers. And though there would be only one blue-ribbon handed out in the category the spirit of the show was the true prize. That was best summed up by the third-place voice soloist, Madison Simons, 13, student at Grantham Middle.
"I feel really good tonight," she said, holding her third-place ribbon with a smile.
She said that each year she participates in the talent show she becomes a better performer. This year she sang "To Make You Feel My Love."
"This is beyond what I had ever imagined - to sing in front of all these people that I have never met with confidence," Madison said.
Dillard Middle student Te'Asia Williams, 13, who took home the second-place ribbon in voice solo with her performance of "I'll Rise Up," was also pleased with the outcome.
"I did really good," Te'Asia said. "I tried my hardest and look forward to next year."
The winner of the coveted blue-ribbon in the voice solo category was Macy Parkhurst, 13, student at Wayne Christian.
Macy won the category with her performance of the gospel classic, "How Great Thou Art."
"I was very pleased," she said. "I did pray and God was with me. I was hoping I could touch someone's heart tonight," Macy said about her rendition.
Meanwhile, in the talent show for grades 9-12, Dejah Simmons, a freshman at Eastern Wayne High School, took home first place in the dance solo category. She performed to a hip-hop/electronic track while fully improvising her performance on the spot.
The last of the three competitors in her category to perform, Dejah looked calm and collected as she began to dance. She maintained her focus the entire time, occasionally cracking a smile when a friend or family members shouted to her from the audience.
At 14 years old, Dejah said she has been dancing for 7 of those years. Her improvisational style meant that, while she didn't prepare a particular routine for the competition, she's practicing in the hallways of her home every day.
Dance is a passion for Dejah, who said that she wants to make it into a career.
"I want to be a choreographer," she said. "Just because it has to do with dance, and that's what I love to do."
Meanwhile, in the vocal solo category, Southern Wayne High School freshman Zachary Kelly took home first place with a soulful rendition of "In the Still of the Night" by the Five Satins. Vocal solo was the most populated category, with six entrants, so Zachary had to work his way past some stiff competition to make it to the top.
Zachary said that he loves Christian music, as well as any "old" (meaning '70s or '80s) music. He first heard the song he performed in the car.
"I was riding and my mom turned on the radio to Motown, and I just loved the music," he said. "I want to take singing as far as I can."