Holiday lights won’t be the only stars shining in Abu Dhabi this December – as a talent show debuts at Marina Mall in search of Abu Dhabi’s most entertaining kids.
Acrobats, kung fu fighters and dancers will be performing in Marina Mall this December in a kid’s talent competition judged by celebrities.
Kidstalent Show, which is the first of its kind, will run December 15-21. It will feature hundreds of contestants aged six-15 with talents that include gymnastics and martial arts, basketball tricks like spinning or juggling balls, singing and instrumental performances.
Kidstalent Events will be running the event. Company director, Denise Chamassian, says, ‘As a former ballet dancer, my passion is for performance. I founded Kidstalent Events last year because I’ve always regretted giving up my talent.’
Denise started dancing when she was only two years old and remembers dreaming of being a ballerina and travelling the world. She stopped dancing because her father believed it was getting in the way of her schoolwork. Denise believes that ‘even if you aren’t good in school you still have talents that others might not see.’ The Kidstalent show aims to draw attention to these skills that might otherwise go unnoticed in school and daily life.
The competition will consist of three stages. The first round of the competition will feature the 500 most impressive applicants and will run December 15-19, with 100 contestants performing each day 3pm-9pm.
From those, 50 will be selected for the semi-finals on December 20 6.30-9.30pm, then 20 will go on to perform in the grand finale.
Contestants will receive a score out of ten in different categories tailored to their specific talent from each judge. For example, singers will be judged on their vocals, appearance, confidence on stage and song selection.
Denise Chamassian will be a judge in all rounds of the competition. She explains, ‘The best contestants are those who bring something unique and creative to the stage. I look for contestants who have thought through their performance and whose appearance and presentation are matched only by their hard work and talent.’
Denise looks at all aspects of the performance. She says, ‘Last year a young girl performed a Bollywood dance. From her hair and costume, you would have thought she was a professional.’
Denise also remembers a trio of Filipina girls aged six, eight and 12 who formed a band called the Fashionista Girls. ‘They were unbelievable,’ she says. ‘They came up to the standard of adults and performed a dance like I had never seen before.’
Arab TV stars Moamen Nour and Houda Hamdan will be hosting the entire talent show and will be joined by several celebrity judges throughout the week. Khaled Najem from MBC’s hit show 04 will be joining Denise to judge the first rounds and the semi-finals. They will be joined by Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram and Arabs’ Got Talent’s Ali Jaber for the finale.
The highlight of the event takes place on the last day. On December 21, at 6.30pm, the 20 best performers from the semi-finals will compete for first, second and third place prizes which include Marina Mall vouchers worth Dhs10,000, Dhs7,500 and Dhs5,000 respectively as well as gifts including a mini-iPod, an iPhone, a karaoke system and Playstation. Nancy Ajram, an Arab Idol host since 2012, will then perform a song for children from her album Super Nancy.
The competition is open to all children living in the UAE. Registration will be open December 1-12 at the Kidstalent table in Marina Mall. Applicants must fill out forms indicating which talent or songs they will perform and provide a recording of themselves performing their skill.
The Kidstalent Show will take place on the ground floor in the exhibition area of the Marina Mall in Al Marina. Within the venue, there will be seating for parents and space for other spectators to stand.
Marina Mall, Breakwater. Free to spectators, Dhs50-Dhs90 for the 500 selected contestants. For details visit Kidstalent Events’ Facebook page, www.facebook.com/kidstalentevents (04 351 4146).
