Saturday, April 9, 2011

Talent Shows

I was always a bit jealous when our high school put on talent shows. I don't sing and I hadn't had any dance lessons then, I didn't do any instruments and so I was always watching all the fun from the audience.

When I went with my children to the Christian camp called Camp Farthest Out, we were a small group and Wednesdays were always talent night. It was so much fun because we knew everybody. I enjoyed very much watching my friends do their amazing feats.

One of the things we did daily was called creatives. Music was one of these. It so happened that one year, our leader had me help play the little xylophone bells to the tune "Song of Joy" by Beethoven. He decided that we did such a great job, he'd put it in the talent show. So Wed. night, I hit the bells just right and the joy just welled up in me. When the audience clapped, I felt that I had done something spectacular, even though I was just a part.

The next year I remembered how great it was to participate in the talent show instead of just watching. I had had a vivid dream that seemed significant so that night I got up and told the dream. I got a pleasant reaction. A few years later, my daughter and I had taken clogging lessons. This was before Country music was so big and clogging was relatively unknown on the north of Dixie. It's like tap dancing, only to country music and most of the moves aren't as tricky. We decided to do "Cotton Eye Joe" at the CFO show and practiced so that we could be symmetrical, doing the same things on the right and left and meeting in the middle. When we were done, we nodded to each other and I still have chills when I think of the reaction. The place exploded. Maybe it was because Dawn was just a little girl and we had done perfectly, but whatever it was, that was a WOW! We repeated our performance at church at a fundraiser/bake sale and that performance is on tape, though I have never seen it. Dawn was only about 10 and she is 27 now.

The last talent number I did was the most wonderful for me. I had been learning to do worship dancing with ribbons and I asked a friend to join me at CFO, dancing to the beautiful song, "Breath Of God." We wore our long skirts and had sashes and used our ribbons. When I was up there on stage, making a turn and swinging my ribbons, I just got in such a wonderful place that I didn't even notice the audience. It seemed as if angels were dancing with us and God was the receiver of our effort. I don't remember if we got an applause or not. My eldest son was watching and that was a joy for me. People were pleased with what we had done. Even now, I offer it to the Lord. It was for Him.

So now I wonder, have you ever wished to be in a talent show? I learned that there are many different talents. You could write a cute monologue, put on a costume and give a skit. Any writer could do that. And if you still want to do something and you don't write, you could do that old teen standby, lip sinc to a favorite recording. What's old could be new again. Have fun. Nancy

6 comments:

  1. What fun! Yes, I always wished I wasn't so shy back in high school and participated in my school talent show.

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  2. What a great experience for you, Nancy. I'm glad you got to be on stage finally. I would love to see the clogging!

    I've sang since I was eight or so, but have only been in a couple of talent shows. They were fun, and I have a red ribbon tucked away somewhere from a choir show I participated in, in eighth grade.

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  3. Hope you have an awesome week!
    Blessings and prayers,
    andrea

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  4. I grew up in a city just outside of Nashville. At that time, a lot of people in the country music industry were settling there because there were nice homes on the lake for free (plus the county Nashville is in was busing students to the other side of town), so we ended up with some mega-talented singers in our school. As early as sixth grade, our talent shows were filled with some major talent. I always wished I could sing like that but now I'm kinda glad I can't. Music is a tough life...far better to pursue writing, where you can go after it at any age. Singing seems to be only for the young around here.

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  5. What awesome memories, Nancy! I could totally imagine what you were feeling when you finally got a chance to perform.

    I remember doing a pantomine skit with a friend when I was in middle school. That was fun! But I had the most fun watching my own daughter do the "Who's On First" Abbott & Costello comedy routine with a friend when she was in middle school!

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  6. Oh man, I love the clog story!!!
    No, I would never want to be in a talent show. I wouldn't like everyone's attention on me. But...I love acting and was in drama. Being on stage felt different somehow.

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