Talent Show 2024: A Day of joy, laughter and unforgettable moments

19th May 2024 | Gloucester County Cricket Club

Our annual Talent Show, a day filled with inspiration, excitement, joy and creativity.

To kick off the event, we were treated to an incredible dance class led by our very own member Leo and his dance teacher Christina Andrea from the world-famous Pineapple Dance Studios in London.  Leo’s inspiring dance journey began during lockdown when he started taking Pineapple’s Zoom classes.  His passion and dedication have grown since then and he now has a scholarship and attends the London studio in person once a month and continues taking part in their Zoom classes whenever he can.

As Leo and Christina began teaching us an accessible dance routine to the classic tune Eye of the Tiger, the room buzzed with energy.  The routine was accessible to everyone, as it could be done seated or standing, the whole audience got into it, with so much laughter and smiles! It really set the tone for the day and was the perfect warm-up for the Talent Show to follow!

The talent show itself was a spectacular showcase of our community’s diverse talents.  We had 4 categories; The Mini Mojos (under 10’s), the Spotlight Squad (teens), the Encore Elite (young adults) and Vintage Talent.  Our Mini Mojo’s kicked things off with a wonderful performance from Arthur, who danced to ‘Under the Sea’ from the Little Mermaid, and Tom who sang a beautiful version of Best Day of my Life by American Authors.

Up next were out Spotlight Squad and Lois stunned us all with her rendition of ‘Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield.  Johnny also performed an energetic dance routine where the whole audience were cheering him on.

Onto the Encore Elite, who brought their own flair to the stage. Ian shared a creative story he had written about his wheelchair abseiling experience, and he read this with support from his carers using his eye gaze technology.  Winnie then dazzled us all with her video entry of her dog training skills and had the audience gushing!

Our vintage talent members were equally remarkable.  Ian sang John Denver’s ‘Country Road’ getting right into the audience for some participation.  John accompanied by his son Tom on guitar, rocked the stage with AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’.  Wayne, Helen and Lucy performed an uplifting dance to ‘Walking on Sunshine’.  Donna demonstrated her boxing skills, a new passion she is discovering, and finally Michael delivered a standout performance, dancing in full costume to Michael Jackson Thriller – What a way to end the show!

As the performances came to an end, medals and prizes were awarded to all participants, recognizing their talent and courage to perform. The applause and smiles were a testament to the joy and pride felt by everyone in the room.

This event was once again a wonderful celebration of our community’s spirit and creativity.  It provided a platform for our members to shine and share their passions, leaving us with wonderful memories.

A huge thank you to all our performers and a big thank you to Leo, Christina and Pineapple Dance Studios for making the day so special.  A special thank you also goes to our funders the John James Bristol Foundation and the Asda Foundation.  Julie from Asda Bedminster also joined our Judging panel on the day alongside Leo and our fabulous Chair of Trustees Sonia.  And finally, a huge thank you to our wonderful host Dasha from Frog Talk and our photographer/videographer Andrei Kurochkin.