Fort Hamilton High School held its annual Talent Show in the auditorium on January 26, 2024. The show was hosted by the flag section of the marching band and was organized by seniors Alessia Costanzo and Gigi Ma and physical education teacher Ms. Beruldsen. Local businesses and chaperones also helped with the talent show with the door prizes alongside numerous other teachers, including Mr. Oberle, Mr. Azarra, and Mx. Shields.
The show included acts by the flag team, various singers performing original songs, dancers, performers in jazz ensembles, and more. The show comprised eighteen acts, each around three minutes long. According to Ms. Beruldsen, the show was a veritable display of Fort Hamilton’s diversity, as every student was able to showcase their unique skills.
“That’s part of the fun at our talent show,” added Ms. Beruldsen. “It’s a revolving door with unique talent.”
Many students appreciated the way the show was able to unite different members of the Fort community.
“Working on the Talent Show means seeing many of my friends that I usually don’t see as often,” remarked senior Arya Liu, one of the performers in the show. “Not only that, but watching how all the acts come together is satisfying and euphoric to see.”
All students who wanted to participate in the talent show had to attend two interest meetings and three auditions. Afterward, students were invited to what was called a “winners circle,” a meeting congratulating the students who had gotten in, wherein practice dates were also discussed. This also happened to be one of the more difficult parts of the talent show for some.
“Working on the Talent Show, while fun, is also challenging due to our short rehearsal times,” said Liu. “Especially with my group, it was challenging to coordinate practice alongside our club meetings and other obligations.”
The show ended with a performance of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” as an homage to The Beatles.
Ms. Beruldsen said that her and the organizers’ goal was to ensure students left the show feeling loved, happy, and willing to support the scholarships Fort Hamilton offers.
“Especially as a senior, I want to end my year with strong connections to the Fort community and the knowledge that we all contributed back to our communities through the scholarships we fundraised for,” Liu said.
All funds from the talent show went to three scholarships for students: the Kristi Beth Kvalheim Scholarship, the Anthony Vigliati Scholarship, and the Jayden Qayyum Scholarship.
