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By Max Jaeger
Brooklyn Daily
They’ve got talent, and they aren’t afraid to show it off.
More than 100 kids performed in 26 different acts in PS 238’s yearly talent show on March 25, and the performances were real labors of love, one organizer said.
“The kids give up lunch hours and their own time to rehearse,” said Ilene Mizrach, the Sheepshead Bay school’s music teacher and the talent show’s head organizer.
Students pitched routines to Mizrach and other arts teachers, and the educators chose the top acts for the show.
“Kids come in and show us what they can do — sort of American Idol-style,” said dance instructor Shari Ribiat.
They then spent about two months working with kids to refine their acts, Mizrach said.
In addition, alumni graced the school with special performances. Mizrach’s son played the piano, and former student Shauwl Germelus — now professional singer and guitarist — played an original song for the crowd.
For many at the school, the event was another chance to stand in the limelight, but the talent show also helped some kids come out of their shells, Ribiat said.
Shania Mack, a girl who is confined to a wheelchair, performed a religious “praise dance” at the urging of her grandmother, and Ribiat said it was one of the most moving performances.
“I was stunned,” Ribiat said. “This girl dances with such expression and passion.”
The yearly talent show is the largest fund-raiser for the school’s extensive arts programs, which includes music, dance, singing, and theater, according to Ribiat.
“Our school definitely has not forgotten the arts,” said Mizrach. “My principal is definitely behind that.”