Freeport, Bahamas – Asiyah Robinson, Elijah Stevens, and Tiffany Strachan emerged winners out of the seventeen hopefuls for the coveted three-week summer camp scholarship at the French Woods summer camp.
This competition was held on Saturday past at the Regency Theatre by the Grand Bahama Performing Arts Society. All participants were quite nervous but very hopeful just before their performances. At first the GBPAS were sending only two persons to the camp but both the judges and the committee were so pleased with the individuals and their talent and that they found a way to send one more.
Asiyah Robinson is 14 years old and has been studying music since she was 3 years old at the Orchestral School of Music. She has been the national winner of the E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival in piano, recorder and oboe many times. She is a year 10 student at Lucaya International School.
Elijah Stevens is a 14 years old and has been playing the piano for over 4 years. He began his studies at the Woods Music Academy, where he won many awards and distinctions, and now studies at the Orchestral School of Music. He is a grade 10 student at Jack Hayward Senior High School.
Tiffany Strachan is a 14-year-old dancer who has been dancing since she was four and studies at Georgia Taylor’s School of Dance and Theatre, where she has received numerous awards and lead roles. She is a 10th grade student at Bishop Michael Eldon School.
One of the judges for the competition was David Weinstein, assistant director at French Woods Camp in New York, said he thought the children who performed were nervous, but that they did their best and are very talented.
He said that one of the things he was looking for was stage presence and personality, “to show a spark of creativity, excitement or drive to really take the performing arts to the next level.”
Asked about the camp itself he said that the children would be able to do anything they wanted there in the performing arts. He said they offer about 100 activities every hour and they have one counselor per two students. There is always supervision and the only absolute is that the children are doing something all the time.
More information on the camp reveals that it offers summer camp programs in dance, theater, music, circus, magic, visual arts, film and video, sports, tennis, fitness, waterfront, skate board, rock and roll and horseback riding.
They cater to children from 7-17 years old and each camper designs his or her own unique summer experience.
Other judges for the competition were : Elaina Russo, technical director at French Woods; Micheal Higgs, dancer; Lois Desaulniers, music; and Delores Kellman-Jones, Theatre. President of the Society Mrs. Dalia Feldman was the judges’ liaison.
Mrs. Feldman thanked the sponsors of this event who were French Woods Festival of the Arts, who she said are providing partial scholarship for the students; Our Lucaya who provided accommodations for the visiting judges; Keen i Media for the graphic design; Cappuccino’s, Antoni’s Pizzeria and Agave, who fed the judges over the weekend, and The Bahamas Weekly, media sponsor.
Taking care of the rest of the sponsorship of the students is the Grand Bahama Performing Arts Society who will cover the the airfare with assistance from American Airlines.
By Yasmin Popescu
