The best of Cayman talent delivered a showcase at the 24th annual Talent Xposition of the Arts held Sunday night at Harquail Theatre.
Organised by the New Self-Help Foundation, some 32 artists including poets, dancers, musicians, and musical theatre performers showcased a variety of talent in various genres of music, under the theme ‘Joy’.
The sold-out event comprised a two-act showcase including performances by the John Gray Elite Strings, Dequan Smith and Christa Bevilacqua, Radiance Dance, Moniesa Farquharson, Dreamchasers, Erica Assai, Abigail Jervis, The Williams Family, 345 Dancers, The Martinez Tribe, Rico Rolando and Centre Pointe Ltd.
The audience was visibly moved by the UCCI Dance Company performance of ‘The Vow’, about love, temptation and the fallout from betrayal. At its heart is a man torn between two women – his devoted wife and a seductive figure from his past. A tug-of-war unfolds between comfort and thrill, truth and fantasy.
Another standout performance came from young opera singer Iyanla Powell who impressed with her operatic range in her rendition of ‘Queen of the Night Aria’.
‘Extremely grateful’
Young Caymanian dancer Lé Bron Mekhi, who gave an emotive performance titled ‘Philein’ about the highs and lows of love, said his return to the Talent Xposition stage is because the show needs authentic expression.
“I feel that it needs people who are training, developing and coming back and showing what they have been doing in honing their skills, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to remind the audience that I’m here and I have something to say,” Mekhi said.
His dance journey began at 6 years old with a win at the Young Talented Stars competition in 2011. He has performed with local companies, representing the Cayman Islands at regional festivals such as CARIFESTA and Jamaica Dance Umbrella.
He recently returned to Cayman after graduating Edna Manley College at the top of his class with a bachelor of fine arts in performance and choreography. He also received the Bert Rose Award for Most Outstanding Performer, as well as the principal’s and chairman’s awards.
It was a nerve-wracking return to the stage, Mekhi said, adding, “I’m just extremely grateful for this opportunity and hope more young Caymanians come out and showcase what they’re doing and don’t be afraid to do it.”
‘Cayman has a lot of talent’
Singer and musician Colindra-Rodericka, 19, who has been involved with the show for eight years, said participating in the show was amazing.
“I love performing at this show. I love performing along with other young people who have such great talent, who are so gifted, and I love the vibes that the crowd gives back to us each time.”
She added, “I think Cayman has a lot of talent, especially when it comes to performing arts, and I don’t think there are enough opportunities for us to show that to Cayman and to the world and so every time I get the invitation to sing, I always go for it.”
Event organiser and founder and CEO of the New Self-Help Foundation, J.C. Connor, explained that due to missing a year because of Hurricane Ivan in 2004, the show’s 25th anniversary won’t be celebrated until 2026.
The foundation’s mission statement says it aims to inspire young people to promote positive self-esteem, foster economic development, and positively transform the lives of children, their families, and their communities.
In addition to sponsoring local scholarships, Connor said he hopes to have the initiative grow to give incentives to young people to further their growth and development.
Each year, he goes to schools, studios and various community events in search of Cayman talent.
“It’s very diverse this year, and it brings me joy to see the talent in Cayman, and I think we can compete with the rest of the world.”
‘Bigger and better’
Event stage manager Sophie Conolly said Cayman has so much to offer.
“It’s amazing we can come all under one roof and perform once a year. It’s only getting bigger and better every single year,” she said.
The full show is only rehearsed once, Conolly said, adding “it’s always really exciting to see what’s going to come year after year. It’s a wide range of talent … the variety is vast, it’s amazing how Cayman has so much talent to offer.”
With the event sold out each year, Conolly said that proves “Cayman is supportive of the arts and it’s a true Caymankind-type event. Everyone comes to it to support local talent and it’s amazing to see the warmth and the feeling everyone has when they sit and watch the show.”
This year’s proceeds went toward the foundation’s Community Youth Talent Training Programme of the Arts.