D'Vine Path students 'Light Up the World' in talent show

FALLBROOK – On April 24, D'Vine Path held an exclusive talent show for parents, students, and staff, showcasing the talents and passions of all the students.

The "Light Up the World" talent show consisted of many different acts ranging from singing performances, unicycle riding, dances, poetry reading, and more. At the end of the night, the students came together to perform the song "Fireflies" by Owl City in American Sign Language. Then, the staff members performed a surprise dance number for the students. As guests were leaving, students, staff, and audience members danced to Justin Bieber's "Baby."

After noticing a wide variety of talents in the program, D'Vine Path Executive Director Lenila Batali was inspired to showcase each student to encourage their creativity and confidence.

"2020 was such a hard year for many of our students, but this talent show gave the students the opportunity to work together and use all of their different talents to create a positive experience for themselves and their loved ones," said Batali. "Participating in this talent show has brought our students a strong sense of accomplishment."

The students were ecstatic once the plan for the talent show was announced, and they all began carefully developing their plans for their performances. Whole, some students felt more comfortable performing in groups and with staff members, others were excited to take center stage. Many students wanted to perform multiple acts, and they were all enthusiastic and excited to begin rehearsals.

The talent show has given D'Vine Path students the opportunity to practice public speaking and working as a team. The students enjoyed working together to complete their performances. Students practiced their public speaking by selling raffle tickets to audience members and by presenting talks on their interests, like Alexandra Haddad's presentation on natural incense, Andrew Lily's lesson in viticulture, and Stefi Jimenez's presentation about her experience in D'Vine Path's hospitality program.

There is something for every student, and they all had the opportunity to showcase their skills. For example, Kaylee Rickles has experience driving quads and ATVs, so she decided to showcase this skill by driving the Gator Utility Vehicle and demonstrating how it is used on the ranch.

Andrew Lilly wanted to do something different, so he demonstrated the Virtual Reality "Beat Saber'' and projected what he was seeing through the VR glasses onto a screen. Chase Sales and Neriah Stafford participated in group performances and played an integral role in the show by encouraging audience participation by running across the stage holding an "Applause Sign" every performance.

Every student at D'Vine Path found a way to contribute and participate in this event. The students helped each other prepare, and they supported each other during rehearsals and the show by cheering for their peers and giving them positive feedback. No student was left behind, and the crowd was engaged and entertained by each performance.

Showcasing a wide range of talents and skills is beneficial to the students because they are all unique with different passions and interests, and being able to share these interests with the world helps to bring them confidence and pride.

After seeing the enthusiasm about the talent show from students, parents, and staff, D'Vine Path has decided to host an annual talent show.

Submitted by D'Vine Path.