On March 1, the school hosted the annual talent show in the Blackbox Theater. Seventeen acts participated in the show. 

Seniors Claire Piper and Ethan Eisenhart have been performing together for two years. Last year,  their junior year, they performed in the talent show, placing third overall. Now, for their second year, the duo came out victorious when they claimed the first place title with their dance to the song, “A Quiet Life.” 

“[A Quiet Life] is a very different style of song than what we’re used to. It allowed us to tell a powerful story through movement, something each audience member could relate to in their own way,” Piper said. 

Due to this year’s talent show being Piper and Eisenhart’s senior year, the performance held a mix of emotions. 

“I was definitely feeling a mix of emotions, but if I had to sum it up, it was a very bittersweet moment, one I will remember for the rest of my life,” Piper said. 

American studies teacher Carolyn Kline was one of the judges for the talent show this year. She felt there were multiple reasons that Piper and Eisenhart stood out as winners for the talent show. 

“The amount of effort that it took to put that song to an original choreography; and the amount of time it took to practice it to perfection. It was one of only two dance acts and again, the amount of practice was evident, as well as the talent it took to create a story out of that song, which was a relatively simple song with simple lyrics,” Kline said. 

Algebra II teacher Natalie Trimmer was also a judge. Trimmer was very moved by Piper and Eisenhart’s performance. 

“They captivated the audience with their performance. I found myself completely enthralled and couldn’t take my eyes off their performance. It held my interest and was beautiful to watch,” Trimmer said. 

Sophomore Camille Krug participated in the talent show. She placed third overall with her duet partner, sophomore Gabrielle Beldin. Krug was entranced by the performance Piper and Eisenhart gave. 

“I really loved watching their performance, and it was even more impressive that they choreographed it themselves. It was very different from the kind of dancing that you would normally see at a talent show,” Krug said. “It was just one of those really good dances. My sister is a dancer so I sit through a lot of long dance competitions, and every once in a while, there are dances that really captivate me and hold my attention. This was one of those dances.”

For Piper, she had no qualms about doing the talent show this year. 

“After performing last year, there was no question about wanting to perform again. Especially with it being senior year, it gave me one more chance to perform with Ethan,” Piper said. 

For Eisenhart, it was performing last year that made him want to do it again this year. 

“Performing in the talent show last year definitely put the idea to participate once again. What really did it for us was getting to have a chance to say a goodbye as the 2024 year closes,” Eisenhart said. 

Winning the talent show this year meant a lot to Piper and Eisenhart. 

“It feels very surreal, and I am extremely proud of the work we both put in to get to where we are,” Piper said.