Simply performing in front of an audience is a scary thought to some people. Doing so on Friday the 13th would be unthinkable to others.
Apparently the 52 participants in the 13th annual Star Search competition weren't bothered by stage fright or superstition, as they took to the stage singing, dancing, and playing instruments.
Presented by the Howe Sound Performing Arts Association, this year's competition took an interesting turn, as it was dominated by dancers literally putting a new spin on the evening, which in years past has been mainly singing. The Howe Sound Dance Academy accounted for 46 of the artists in a combination of group, quartet, duo and solo performances.
In the end, it was dancers taking both first and second places. Brittany Duggan, who competed in four different dances, won the event with her stunning solo routine performed to Joss Stone's "Right to be Wrong." This lyrical piece was a change of pace for Duggan, as she considers herself more of a ballerina. The Grade 12 Whistler resident currently dances with HSDA, and plans to continue studying dance, and dance teaching in Toronto at York University or the National Ballet School, or in England at the Royal Academy of Dance. However, she remains humble and is simply "grateful to be able to dance with HSDA."
Second place went to Grade 8 dancer, Chelsea Blackett, who performed a seemingly flawless ballet dance that clearly impressed celebrity judges Ben Lens (band Davy's Locker), Tamara Stanners (Knowledge Network host), and Jennifer Lauren (singer/songwriter). The band No Remorse received third place, composed of Danny Reoch, Vince Colica, Jeff Woods, and Devan Minor, who impressed one knowledgeable music fan enough to say of the young band, "I've seen bands that have been together a long time not play as well together as they did."
Other notable entertainers included the crowd favorite sibling act of traditional Scottish dancer Grace Mackay, and her brother Ian, who played the bagpipes. Senior HSDA dancers Amanda Morris, Jasmine Harron, Jennifer Galloway, Merissa Doherty Niki Toews and Raelene Antonios also participated in numerous dances and were impressive in their own right.
Carol Grolman, a founding member of both the HSPAA and Star Search, and co-ordinating the event for the last time, as she is "easing off," in order to let others have a chance at putting on the event, attributed the lack of soloists to the fact that the "music programs in both secondary schools have been cut drastically."
However, she was impressed by lone vocal soloist Jordan Charette as "it takes great courage to get up and sing by yourself," and pianist Kayli Wilkinson who "performed a technically difficult piece with pizzazz."
Local actor/director Ryan Mooney kicked off the event with a hilarious skit that suggested he was putting off a "mid-life crisis," at age 24, to host the event, which he did very humorously. Donning his serious face, Mooney said "it's really quite something to see such talent within the community showcase at one single event."
