A national, French language talent show called Galala selected five local performers to participate in its Edmonton competition on Jan. 22. The students all hailed from École du Sommet (EDS), an impressive feat considering the fact that submissions for the show were gathered from all over Alberta.
“I’m very proud of it,” principal Karen Chalmers-Beaulieu said before the show. “Eight presentations will be performed, and out of the eight, three of them are from École du Sommet.”
The performers included Chloé-Lynn Morais-David, Lauren Tillapaugh, and Melanie Jubinville, a trio of Grade 6 singers; Annabelle Culham, a Grade 7 solo singer; and Milana Young, a Grade 4 student who performed a Ukrainian dance.
One winner was to be selected out of the Alberta group, with parallel competitions taking place in various regions across the country. The finals will be held on March 5 in Hawkesbury, Ont.
Chalmers-Beaulieu was the one who first informed her students about the auditions, which were carried out via Youtube.
Annabelle Culham, one of the chosen performers, has a long history of making music with her voice.
“My mom says that I always loved to sing when I was young,” she said. “I enjoy singing because it takes you to a different world, and you get to express your feelings through music.”
Culham said that a lot of work went into preparing for her Galala performance.
“You have to practice a lot, and you have to make sure you have everything under control – like what you’re going to wear, or how you’re going to do your hair,” she said.
Leading up to the trip, Culham admitted to being a little anxious about the show.
“Of course there are nerves. You always feel nervous about going on TV – at least I do,” she said. “You have to get those nerves under control in order to have a good performance.”
Overall, Culham was hoping to put on a good show in Edmonton, and, above all else, to just enjoy the ride.
“I’m hoping to have a good experience,” she said, adding that she is also looking forward to “the privilege of seeing it on TV, and showing all of Canada that I can really do this stuff.”
According to the show’s host, Nathalie Nadon, Galala hopes to provide a showcase for many different types of performers from ages five to 15.
“It’s for any form of talent,” she said. “There is a lot of music, and there is a lot of dancing, but we also have other things.”
Those “other things” include magic acts, karate demonstrations, and even a performance by a yo-yo champion. A local celebrity will select the winner in each city, and Paul Cournoyer, a local musician, was set to fill this role in Edmonton.
“The most important thing is the quality of the performance. You can have a great personality, but if you make a bunch of mistakes during your number, (it’s going to hurt your chances),” Nadon said. “The quality of the performance is really important, and then you add the personality, the originality, the passion, the charisma . . . the kids are going to be judged on all of that.”
Before the show, Nadon had a lot of positive things to say about the group of performers coming from St. Paul.
“For me, it was certainly the quality of French (that impressed me),” she said. “In some places, French is not as good as in other places. I was really, really impressed by their level of French, and their commitment. The kids are really, really good.”
A sixth Sommet student, Sadia Mansouri, also went down to Edmonton for the show, as she was selected to be the student correspondent for Galala. She was to report from various landmarks around the city, and also conduct interviews with the performers, both on the red carpet and backstage.
“She almost has more stuff to do than me,” Nadon said of Mansouri’s role at Galala. “The show is going to be broadcast across the country, so people in Newfoundland will get to see Edmonton through the eyes of Sadia.”
Though they planned to choose a winner at the show on Jan. 22, the information cannot be made public until all of the local competitions are complete. The show is set to air on the Unis channel sometime this spring.
