Lincoln Elementary School held its annual talent show on March 8 for family and friends with an encore performance for Lincoln students on March 15.

The talent show was under the direction of first grade teacher Nicolas James. Every grade at Lincoln Elementary was represented in the show, from kindergarten through sixth.

Student council members Micaela Cacho-Negrete and Mallory Hill emceed the show. Student council members Daniel Khani and Henry Mencia ran the music board and the ticket booth was manned by Sarineh Shahbazi, Katlyn Dols and Elizabeth Kim. The curtain rose on a brother/sister ventriloquist act starring Sophia and Alexander James and Brooke and Branden Bell.  From then it was an evening of music and dancing.

Dancers taking to the floor were kindergarteners Adamari Polanco, third graders  Lara Mahmoudi and Maya Jane Whitaker, fifth graders Casey Murray and Bailey Fleming. Brooke Bell gave a moving performance while dancing to “Daddy’s Song.”

Singers included first grader Kimberly Maurice, second grader Kaisa Lindman Marshall, third grader Jillian Roa who, with guitar, sang Taylor Swift’s song “Back to December,” and Seena Brown. Siona Bhasme, Isabella Reyes and Kyla Parracino performed “You Belong With Me.” Fifth grader Kalea Bringas had the audience clapping to her rendition of “Brighter Than the Sun.” Singer Adele was a favorite this year with sixth grader singers Sevana Shahbazi performing, “Someone Like You,” Adelina Minasian presented “Set Fire to The Rain,” and Mackenzie Falcone closed with “Rolling in the Deep.”

Another highlight was a gymnastics routine by fifth graders Audrey Ranek and Melissa Owens who cartwheeled and contorted to Maroon 5’s hit, “Moves Like Jagger.”

The show also featured piano pieces by our three gifted pianists: fourth graders Julia Pearson and Leeanna Azaryan and second grader Madeline Novak.

Fourth grader Nick Goldsmith played the clarinet and fifth grader Grant Hilburn impressed the audience with his viola. Sixth grader David Jung got patriotic on the trumpet playing “America the Beautiful,” and sixth graders Carter Walch and Grant Bolstad had all snapping fingers to “The Pink Panther” theme on saxophone.

Second grader Ella Wilson led a triumphant Lincoln Lion cheer to conclude the show.

The talent show is a fundraiser with half of this year’s ticket sales donated to the Glendale Humane Society.

Submitted by Nicolas JAMES