SAFRA Lil Stars: A Kids talents show that will help boost your child’s confidence levels.
It has been said that getting your child to perform in public helps to boost her confidence levels and discover her talents. And besides, almost every kid loves being the centre of attention and having an audience cheer and clap for them, right?
We had the opportunity to catch the finals of the SAFRA Lil’ Stars 2013 on 22 June 2013. Held at SAFRA Toa Payoh, this first-ever kids talent show contest gave kids aged 3 to 12 years old the opportunity to showcase their talents, while the organisers set out in their search for the next big kid star.
The young contestants were given the freedom to choose what to perform on stage, with the more popular ones being dancing, singing and playing musical instruments.
Preparing for showtime!
Preparation workshop for the SAFRA kids talent show, courtesy of One Learning Space.
To help the young performers put on a great show up on stage, SAFRA Toa Payoh collaborated with One Learning Space education centre to provide a complimentary preparation workshop for the contestants. Through this workshop, contestants were able to learn more about various performance skills such as voice projection, dealing with stage fright, making good eye contact, and maintaining a good stage presence. The kids had the opportunity to put these skills to practice as they rehearsed for their big moment on stage.
The first round of solo performances was held on 8 June 2013, where the judges picked the best performers from the lot. A total of 20 soloists were chosen to proceed to the final round on 22 June 2013, where they joined the performers from the group category.
Putting on a great show
The jazzy duo performing at the SAFRA kids talent show…
To say that the young performers put on a good show during the finals is an understatement. Initially, when we made plans to attend the SAFRA Lil’ Stars 2013 talent show, we were expecting to see the bright-eyed contestants making the audience go ‘awww’ by singing a cute song, telling their favourite story or playing a nursery rhyme song with a musical instrument. Boy, were we wrong!
SAFRA kids talent show: Drumming to the cheers from the crowd!
The talented finalists put on an ‘aww-some’ show which garnered lots of claps and cheers from the audience. One of the notable highlights of the event includes the performance of a 5-year-old drummer who wowed the crowd with the energetic patterns and rhythms on his drum set. But the best performance of all would have to be that of the 10-year-old duo, Lucas and Glenda, who gave a sizzling hot Latin dance performance which was inspired by the 1970s movie, Grease. And in true Grease fashion, they went all out with a unique motorcycle prop which they set up with a kick scooter. Apparently, the judges felt the same way about the Grease duo performance, as they were crowned the champion in the group category.
The atrium at SAFRA Toa Payoh was filled with loud claps and cheers from the audience – some even brought along some fancy-looking prop to wave around when cheering for the young finalists. We assumed that these enthusiastic people would have to be family members of the contestants who were performing on stage that day. And we guessed right! According to the event organisers, there was a Special Family Award to be given out to the most supportive parents who cheered the loudest with the most creative prop on hand. This was part of their effort to encourage family bonding, and to thank the parents for showing support to their kids during the talent contest.
Which family cheered the loudest?
A new perspective
The young contestants claiming their prizes during the SAFRA kids talent show
We definitely walked out of the event venue with a different view of kids’ talent contests. Gone are the days where you’ll find kids showcasing their talents meekly up on stage. Kids these days are confident and creative with talents that are truly amazing – with the potential to be developed further. Perhaps the next step for these young and aspiring performers would be to post up a video of their performance online and share with the rest of the world.
About the event
Thank you for coming to SAFRA Lil’ Stars 2013 – the first-ever kids talent show!
SAFRA Lil’ Stars 2013 is SAFRA Toa Payoh’s edutainment flagship event that gives children the opportunity to showcase their talents and boost their confidence through stage performances. SAFRA Toa Payoh offers a wide range of enrichment programmes for kids and adults, specifically NS men and their families. The centre aims to provide a conducive environment for its members to develop their interest and talents through its activities.