Valerie Cassity
Special to the Sun

The Kern Valley Exchange Club held their Search for Talent Contest last Saturday, March 13 at the Kernville Elementary School at 6 p.m. Twelve young people of the Kern River Valley took the opportunity to show off their talents in dancing, singing, and playing a musical instrument that evening, and every child who was able to conquer their fears and perform in front of an audience is to be commended.

Once again, Andie Bolt, who won the Search for Talent contest many times while growing up in the Kern Valley, drove up from Hollywood to emcee the event, and her career has been growing. This past year, she has toured around the world with the Black Eyed Peas, and is the Executive Producer of Comedy for Will.I.Am’s website dipdive.com. In addition, Bolt’s sketch comedy group, Tang, is working on a pilot presentation for Comedy Central.

Brittney Burris took 2nd place with her rendition of the Beatles’ “Come Together” at Saturday night’s Search for Talent, sponsored by the Exchange Club of Kern Valley at Kernville Elementary School.

The show itself was, as always, very entertaining. In the primary division, age 6-9, there were only two acts; second place went to best friends Margarita Guarneros and Megan Lane, who did an energetic dance they had choreographed themselves to Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the USA.” First place went to 6-year-old Kinedy Thomey who impressed the judges with her jazz dance to Sweet Charity’s “If My Friends Could See Me Now.”

In the Junior division for contestants aged 10-14, third place was awarded to Marissa Skates, who performed an old school hip hop dance to Run DMC’s “Tricky.” In second place was Lela Loseth, who danced a jazz number choreographed by Tracie Whitman and Randi Kirby to Michael Jackson’s “Cheater,” and the first place winner in the Junior division was Lindsay Braswell, who performed a Broadway-style dance to Judy Garland’s “Come on Get Happy” wearing a man’s black tuxedo coat and fedora. Also competing in the Junior division were Jen Yule, who played guitar and sang a heartbreaking song she had written herself titled “Goodbye,” and Nick Mulliniks, who performed a lip synch and dance to Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.”

The Senior division was comprised of all singers, and third place went to Donathan Tuttle who played acoustic guitar and sang Oasis’s “Wonderwall.” Second place was awarded to Brittney Burris, who sang “Come Together” by the Beatles, and in first place was Emily Cardé, who played her keyboard and sang a song she had composed herself titled “Nowhere Left to Go.” Before she sang, Cardé dedicated the song to her great-grandparents; her great-grandmother was in the audience and had recently lost her husband. “This is a song about love that cannot be conquered even unto death,” she said. Also performing in the Senior division was Karissa Martin, who performed an a capella rendition of “You Raise Me Up.”

The first and second place winners in each division will move on to the regional contest, which will take place in Bakersfield on May 1, and the first place winners in each division on that day will then advance to the District competition, which will be held in June. The first place winners in each division at the District level receive a $1,000 US savings bond, and of course a very large trophy. Every participant at each competition level gets a trophy or award for participation.

The Exchange Club, a community service organization that is very active in the Kern River Valley, has been putting on the Search for Talent competition for over 15 years to encourage young talent to continue in their pursuit of excellence in the fine arts.