What is the Talent Show and why is it so important?

The all-school Talent Show is a Soundview tradition dating back to the school’s first year in 1989. The entire community is involved - from the Headmaster, who oversees final rehearsals, to the faculty who are instrumental in developing skits and monologues for reluctant performers, to the students themselves. The entire student body participates whether performing, directing, managing lights and sound, or serving on stage crew.

The show is a collection of original skits, musical performances, dances, and dramatic monologues allowing for a full range of artistic expression. Members of the Soundview faculty join the students in rehearsals and can often be found on stage performing with the kids in a variety of numbers. Every year on show day the theatre is packed with parents, grandparents, friends and family as the young actors and singers perform.

Talent Show is a vehicle for esteem-building and confidence enhancement.

It provides an opportunity for a student who may struggle with math to show the world that she can dance like there’s no tomorrow and even a young man who believes he has no talent gains self-confidence and poise singing and dancing with his classmates during the all-school opening number and finale.

Students are enthusiastic about the experience. “As a senior, one of the best parts is working with younger students and helping them to express their creativity,” said David Papiasvili, now a senior at Columbia University. “It’s a bonding experience where you spend time with kids that you haven’t worked with before and you make new friendships,” says 2007 alum Samantha Williams.