RSI’s KARMA hosting youth talent showcase

ENFIELD: Youth in East Hants are being given a chance to showcase their talents—whether that’s through dance or music—during a night of performance on April 27, at Hants East Rural High School in Milford.
The event, which will begin at 6:30 p.m., is being hosted by KARMA Performance Group, which is a group of young dancers from Enfield-based RSI Danceworks. The cost for admission is $5 per person.
RSI Danceworks Artistic instructor Jocelyne Hope said the reason behind organizing an event of this magnitude is to allow residents to see the talented youth that live and call the East Hants community home.
“The inspiration comes from my love of watching my students perform and dance,” she said. “There’s not a lot of opportunity here for people to show their talent in this community. A lot of people know Makayla Lynn, have seen her on television, but there’s not much opportunity to see her perform right here.
“We wanted an event where KARMA could perform all of their routines, and we’ve asked other youth in the community to perform so we can see all of the talents, other than dance.”
Hope said names of other artists who will be performing came from a parents committee that suggested names.
“A lot of my students can sing, and I didn’t even know they could or have heard them sing,” she said. “It’s nice to see they can dance, and do other things really well.”
Among the artists scheduled to perform include the Brown Family of Elmsdale; Emma Jordan, a dancer with KARMA; Nicole Baillie, who is also performing in Hants East Rural High’s “Little Women”; adult dancers Funktion Dance Co.; and RSI Danceworks.
Emma McManus is thrilled to be part of the upcoming show.
“I think it’s really cool,” said McManus prior to a rehearsal for the big show. “It’s artistic and something that hasn’t really happened out here before so I just think it’s going to be really cool and a lot of people are going to show up. I think they’re going to like it.”
Besides the dancing and singing, an art show and silent auction will also be held during the night. A portion of the proceeds from the event will go to the HERH music and arts program.
“It’s going to be really neat and unique,” added McManus.
Brown isn’t worried about doing double duty as a dancer and singer in the show.
“I think it’s great that I get to do both, dance with these girls and sing, since I’m new to the group,” she said. “I do a lot of singing at HERH for school functions, so it’s pretty awesome to do it both.”
She said the event will put the spotlight on youth in the community.
“It will bring the limelight on everybody that is in it, and that more people can get motivated to do things like this,” she said.
Makayla Lynn—still on Cloud Nine after learning she will be getting to go to Nashville later this year after a performance in Toronto, Ont., and perform on stages where Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift have performed—is happy to have been asked to participate.
She said as soon as she was asked, she quickly said she would accept the invitation to perform at the KARMA event.
“It’s something to do for the community,” she said. “It’s nice to do because you’re helping people in the area you live. I’m starting to do it more, and I get asked to do it a lot more often, but this I knew right away I was going to do because it’s something nice for my community.”
Hope said she hopes it brings awareness to what talent is in our own backyard.
“I hope that it gets it out there that we have a very talented community, and our youth are extremely talented, doing extra-curricular activities is good for kids, helps their confidence, and keeps them out of trouble,” she said. “A lot of these kids in KARMA dance every night of the week, so they go to school and then come right here, so there’s not much opportunity for them to get into anything bad.”
Collective Uth Performing Arts takes place April 27, at HERH in Milford, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is $5 per person, with a portion of the proceeds going to HERH’s music and arts program. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling RSI Danceworks at 883-0264.
phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com