About 50 kids puts their many talents on display at a music and dance showcase Saturday afternoon in Englewood dedicated to shifting the narrative about Chicago’s youth from defeated to optimistic.
“We see all the negative news about death and turmoil, but here we wanted to show our kids having fun and give them a chance to show off their talents,” said Natalie Manning, who co-founded the showcase with her son, Dorian Adams, when he was 11.
Attendees of this year’s 10th annual This Is Life Youth Talent Showcase & Resource Expo witnessed more than 20 performances from rappers and dance troupes who members were all under the age of 21 — with the youngest performer being only 6.
An appearance by West Side rapper El Hitta delighted the crowd and was a highlight of the event.
Nolan Bowers, 12, of Highland Park, performed at the showcase. He’s also a member of the all-boy dance company Phenom.
“I love dancing and coming up with my own choreography, especially hip-hop and Chicago street style,” said Nolan, who hopes to become a professional dancer.
Bowers’ group has previously showed off their skills at World of Dance competitions and he also performed during last year’s Lollapalooza music festival with J-Hope, a member of the South Korean boy band BTS.
Danielle King, whose daughter Danica performed at the showcase with the all-girl Bring Out Talent Dance Company, said practicing for such events helps the girls in the troupe learn “structure, hard work and the values of a sisterhood.”
The showcase was also an opportunity for community vendors to show off their wares, including decorative handmade pillows from Linda Meekins of Emma & Marie Designer Projects, and T-shirts by Lynn and Arthur Stevenson’s company, Soul 2 Soulee.
Lisa St. Cloud, a licensed massage therapist, was on hand with massages and had homemade body oils and infused shea butter for sale from her company, Hands of Cloud.
A furious dance battle closed out the event, with Nolan Bowers and Jaleyah Jones from Bring Out Talent Dance Company tied for top honors based on crowd cheers. Each were awarded $50.
Manning said she hopes the events will continue for years to come and will help “young people to realize their worth.”
