Presentation of proceeds to Principal Rita Celestine-Carty 
L-R Contestants: Celine Laurent, Charisma Chin, Kendelle Gumbs, Tyree Peters, Michelle Morancie & Alvanique Frank
On the evening of Saturday, July 4th, students of the Performing Arts Department of the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School (ALHCS) staged a display of talent dubbed, “So You Think You Can Perform?” which was held at the courtyard of Campus B. The training leading up to the night’s performances was directed by Performing Arts Teacher, Mrs. Trevreen Queeley.
The moderators for the evening were Regine Niles and Travis Carty. The event, which drew a rather large audience, was characterized as a stiff competition among six students, namely: Celine Laurent; Tyree Peters; Michelle Morancie; Charisma Chin; Alvanique Frank and Kendelle Gumbs. Displays included the spoken word, singing, dancing, acting and comedy.
Saturday night’s performances covered two segments: round 1 and round 2. Round 2 featured more intense displays than round 1. By the end of the four-hour function, comedian Kendelle Gumbs was proclaimed ‘The Ultimate Performer’ emerging in first place. 1st Runner-up was actor Tyree Peters, and dancer Alvanique Frank was 2nd Runner-Up.
The Anguillian had a conversation with Teacher Trevreen Queeley about the magnificent performances. She said: “The CAPE Performing Arts class was tasked with finding a problem within the community, and solving it with the implementation of a creative business. The class thought that there were not enough outlets to showcase youth talent other than the ALHCS Music Department, hence the performance-based competition, ‘So You Think You Can Perform?’ was held.
“Preparation for the show started by planning the show on paper. This included completing a field log and creating a business plan. This was followed by the recruitment of six young, talented individuals as contestants. Various meetings were held, including meetings with the judges, the team and support personnel, in order to familiarize everyone with the show’s format, rules, regulations etc.
“Preparations started last November, and the show was due to be held in March. Unfortunately, the event was put on hold in March, due to the lockdown caused by COVID-19 pandemic. Later, the team quickly selected a new date for the show — Saturday, July 4th. The executive producers (the students) swiftly put together the production in three weeks. Saturday night was, therefore, the culmination of thorough planning and dedication on the part of the Performing Arts students.
“CXC stipulates that the proceeds should go to a worthy cause within the school. Thus, the profits from the show were presented to the ALHCS Principal, Mrs. Celestine Carty, to be donated to the Performing Arts Department. The Performing Arts Department expressed interest in purchasing a Smart TV and 2-way radios from the donation.”
L-R Producers: Kalayah Gardiner, Severine Pradel,
Leasha Samuel & Tyree Peters
Apart from being an entertaining event, the students’ performances were assessed by a panel of judges who graded their individual work toward their CXC examination scores in the Performing Arts. This is a unique advantage for the students, since only Anguilla has been given that privilege of producing a public competitive display for their Performing Arts exams. As Mrs. Queeley claims, “It is a step above. I have always challenged my students by encouraging them to cater to the general public.”
The judges for Saturday night’s event were Mr. Alexis Ryan, Ms. Vanessa Croft and Ms. Farrah Banks. The audience was also entertained by items of song and music featuring Ethan Connor, Shemara Brown, Severine Pradel, Nu Kiid, Dumpa & Perry and a poem by Farrah Banks. Similar performance displays were held in 2013 and 2015.
- Staff Reporter, James R. Harrigan
