Philipsburg:--- Coming off a successful Prom event in June and bolstered by the growing popularity their monthly paper crew of Teen Times is now preparing to host their largest annual event on Saturday, November 5: Talent Showdown 2011. Not held in 2010 due to unforeseen circumstances, the event is back and boasting its signature prize for all winners of its four categories of completion, an all expense paid trip to New York City.
Talent Showdown will feature young local talent in song, dance, rap and amateur DJ competitions. Registration for the show has been open for a few weeks and organizers have reported good responses thus far. The registration process will close at the end of September.
"Last year we messed with a formula that worked well for us since 2002 and paid the consequences. This year, we've gone back to our roots so to speak and are looking forward to an exciting show come November. Adding the New York trip back into the fold just ads to the excitement," Coordinator of Teen Times Mike Granger said.
The last time Teen Times took a group of approximately 20 students to New York was 2006, which at the time continued a proud trend for the organization. In taking youngsters from St. Maarten to New York, they became the first the island to make an appearance on Black Entertainment Television (BET). The dance groups were the first from St. Maarten to actually perform and compete against groups from the US on BET, placing second twice. They were also the first young people from St. Maarten to grace the stage of the world renowned Apollo Theater.
The winning group of dancers also got the opportunity to visit and perform at the prestigious Alvin Ailey Dance School and visited many of New York's best educational institutes. "We are very proud of our history when it regards affording our talented youth the opportunity to meet and learn from professionals in the music and dance industry," Granger said.
"We have so many talented performers with big dreams, but we always thought it important for young people to hear and see how much work they have to go through to get discovered in a crowded entertainment industry. It is one thing to perform in local competitions and have big dreams, it is quite another to know which steps to take to realize those dreams.
"Talent Showdown is used as a vehicle for young people to realize those dreams. St. Maarten has exquisite singers, talented rappers, energetic and artistic dancers. Talent Showdown recognizes this talent and continues to develop into the premier event through which it can be exposed. We expect a quality, clean even as usual again in 2011," Granger said.
Talented youth interested in competing in Talent Showdown 2011 can register with any Teen Times member, through its Facebook page (search: Teen Times) or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
