Was it the sharp, shimmery and spangly white attire of the tap dancing brother and sister combo, Eboni and Jeremiah Edwards?
Could it have been the silent yet sublime mime show by Paul DelVechio?
Or was it when Adrian Rodriguez rocked the mike while he rocked a fedora performing "Crazy Car" by the Naked Brothers Band, becoming in an instant Fairmount’s own version of the most famous son of Fairmount, Indiana, movie star James Dean?
As the uproarious auditorium audience cheered wildly, all signs pointed to a definite truism about the talented kids on stage: if you don’t know, now you know.
Variety of acts show off range of talents
Fourth-grade teacher Beth Bertin set the tone when she opened the evening show, the last of three performances throughout the day.
"Sit back, relax, and prepare to be amazed!" she exclaimed.
With that, the kids of Fairmount School proceeded to bring Broadway to Grand Avenue. As student emcee Sydney James kept things moving, the students moved a highly appreciative crowd of family and friends with a Technicolor display of talent.
Piano players Pierre Mascetti, Rhiannon Ramirez and Sophia Wright tinkled the ivories with a selection of soothing melodies.
Dancers such as Justin Davenport and the mother-and-daughter team of Margo and Shaye Calderon spun around stage, while Julianna Kowal and Rabi Odumosu twirled long purple ribbons as part of their routine.
Jamar Smith soulfully sang "With You" by Chris Brown. Noelle Lyback made some magic happen. Jenna Meyer performed a Fifties throwback act as she hula-hooped to the tune of the Hokey Pokey. And when Angelina and Daniella Carrion danced to "Let’s Get Loud" by Jennifer Lopez, that’s precisely what the crowd did.
In the midst of the joyful noise, second-grade teacher Jennifer Cenicola, who coordinated the event with first-grade teacher Kim Miranda and third and fourth-grade teacher Leah Mager, leaned over to her classroom colleagues.
"They’re all so good!" she said.
Proud parents and pupils talk about talent
The students who were so good performed with the full support of their parents. Paul DelVechio explained how he became a master of mime, an avant-garde art form never before seen on the Fairmount School stage.
"It’s just kind of good to not talk sometimes," said Paul, 8. "Sometimes you just need silence. Usually, you just hear everyone yell."
"We didn’t even know that he knew what mime was," said his surprised mother, Pedra DelVechio. "When I asked him if he knew what it was, he just broke into his act. It was entirely his idea and entirely his creation. It’s pretty impressive. And his sister says that she was just happy that he was quiet for five minutes."
"We’re going to ask him to mime a little more around the house," added dad Rich DelVechio with a smile.
Tap dancing is a part of life around the Edwards’ house in Hackensack. Omar Edwards, father of Eboni and Jeremiah, runs a dance studio in Harlem with his wife, who is also a professional dancer. Home-schooling has paid off for their children: first-grader Eboni, 7, will be performing on Broadway in the musical "Billy Elliot" this summer, while third-grader Jeremiah, 8, just auditioned for another Broadway show.
Tap dancing is not only in the Edwards’ home. It’s in their blood.
"My cousin is (famous tap-dancer) Savion Glover," said Edwards. "Tap sort of runs in the family. It’s an art form that isn’t so easy and has a lot of dignity and sophistication. My children learned how to tap dance like we all learned how to talk. It may be the family business, but I’ll be happy if they just become good people."
Jeremiah explained in his own words how good he feels inside when he talks with his feet.
"It’s fun and I like it because my whole family does it," he said. "It’s part of my life and part of my history. When I dance, I feel like I’m putting out expression for everybody to hear and see. I feel emotional inside when I do it. I get a really cool, happy feeling in my body."
Talent show both showcase and relief
After the packed performance (the proceeds of which all went to the Project Playground initiative at Fairmount), Cenicola explained how the Fairmount talent show, while inspired by the recent spate of television talent shows, differs significantly from what is seen on the small screen.
"We don’t eliminate anyone like they do on American Idol," she said. "We just let everyone shine. Everyone’s a winner here."
According to Bertin, there is another reason why everybody wins when they are drawn into participating and watching a good talent show.
"There is so much trouble in the world today," she said. "I think a chance to see children do something terrific with their talent shining lets people relax. It’s also a fun, positive way to end the year. The kids are already talking about what they’re going to do next year."
