Forest Hills students shine in talent show
By Chuck Fieldman cfieldman@pioneerlocal.com February 8, 2012 4:46PM
Forest Hills School first-graders (from left) Sarah Carlson, Nora Kate Miller and Maggie Adler dance to the song "Tiki Tiki Tiki Room" by Wayne Brady during a talent show. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media
Article Extras
Updated: March 17, 2012 8:09AM
Maggie Pabst had just finished an Irish dance performance with Maeve Mikulski as one of the acts of the student talent show at Forest Hills Elementary School in Western Springs, and the first-grader was having trouble standing still.
“I’m just in the mood for jumping,” she said. “I love Irish dance. I took it in preschool, in kindergarten and now in first grade.
Maggie and Maeve, a fifth-grader who has only been Irish dancing since last summer, both said they enjoyed performing Feb. 8 in front of an audience that included fellow students, teachers and parents.
But despite the loud round of applause they received after their performance and having experience with Irish dance for about half her life, Maggie said she didn’t feel like a star.
“No, but my mom thinks I am,” she said. “This was fun because nobody knew how to Irish dance before, but now they do.”
Getting to jump a lot is the main reason Maeve said she enjoys Irish dancing. She has performed several times in the past for the talent show, but Irish dancing was new twist for her.
“I’ve been in the show so many times because it’s a lot of fun,” she said. “I’ve danced before, usually hip-hop, but this was different, and I was nervous.”
All Forest Hills students were invited to participate in the talent show, which was held Feb. 7-8, with different students performing each day.
“We just want them to have fun with it,” said Doreen Hill, a parent volunteer who was a co-coordinator of the talent show. “This is the only time in life where there’s no tryout; it’s a very supportive environment.”
“It’s a great opportunity for our students to show us some of their interests and talents beyond academics,” said Forest Hills Principal Debbie Farrell. “All of our students really have fun with this. The students who are not performing enjoy watching other students perform.”
For fifth-graders Kally Karkazis and Madison Murphy, their show-ending performance Feb. 8 marked the final Forest Hills talent show for them. They became best friends in kindergarten and have performed together several times in the talent show. Their final performance was a pom-pon dance routine.
“It’s sad,” Madison said. “I like the talent shows.”
Kally also was sad to say goodbye to performing in the talent shows. But she most likely won’t miss being nervous about being on stage.
“It’s really scary,” she said. “We’re done, and I’m still shaking.”
Third-grader Jasper Burns knows all about nerves being a problem. It’s the reason he opted not to perform at the variety show prior to this year. He and his friend Charlie Frantz sang the song “Stereo Hearts.”
“Before, I was kind of nervous, but I gathered up the courage and did it this time,” Jasper said.
Other students who performed in the show were: Josie Medema, Christopher Blaga, Izzy Lee, Charlie Greifenkamp, Gianna Chamberlain, Eleanor Musgrove, Olivia Neville, Elizabeth Russell-Jones, Brooke Bradley, Soledad Sapaula, Hoah Janicki, Charlie Watts, Maylani Sapaula, Pierce Wilson, Constantin Carrigan, Meara O’Connor, Grace Regan, Maggie Adler, Grace Dolliff, Emily Frantz, Sarah Carlson, Katie O’Malley, Ella Yates, Sarah Zak, Jordan Heatherly, Sacha Burns, Kailyn McHugh, Nora Kate Miller, Brynn Eulgen, Ryan Maley, Ava Hays, Ava Pike, Mikayla Rudolph, Samantha D’Aprile, Molly Michalak and Natalie Moran.
The performers for the Feb. 7 show were: Peyton Lee, Kaitlin Patt, Clare Hill, Sean Dolliff, Lily Dolliff, Charlotte Hank, Robert Lupetini, Claudia Kupec, Harper Hill, Morgan Kearney, Joelle Szumski, Ava Smith, Taylor Schullo, Ben Tarnow, Audrey Schissler, Niamh Griffin, Hannah Orndorff, Aidan Lee, Ava Reynolds, Ashley Pike, Julia Kral, Quinn Brennan, Nicholas Boxell, Aidan Hincks, Emre Ersahin, Drew Escamilla, Aidan Kearney, Dylan Nelson, Kevin Tiernan, Jack Zavisin, Jack Carsello, McCain Duffy, Brodie Hill, Will Kearney, Colin Magee, Jackson Page, Lucas Pender, Jack Pignotti and Patrick Vlahos.
Comments Click here to view or make a comment