Helena-area musicians, singers, comedians, dancers and entertainers will take the stage Tuesday to entertain their audience at the 26th annual Night to Shine at the Helena Civic Center.
The production is a way to showcase some of the best local talent in area schools, said DECA adviser John Hollow.
Night to Shine is put on by students in DECA, a club to promote business, marketing and entrepreneurship skills in young people. Students are supported by Intrepid Credit Union, which has sponsored the event since it started 26 years ago. Employees help teach marketing and event management and Intrepid donates all of the profits to the local DECA programs.
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"This is an amazing opportunity for the performers to showcase their talents to the community," Hollow said. "It's also a great opportunity for our DECA students."
Night to Shine showcases some of the best acts from local talent shows, including music, dance, jazz ensemble and comedy.
One such performance this year is a rendition of "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele, which will be presented by Isabelle Melton, 18, and Noah Brooks, 17.
The students performed at the Capital High School talent show in December and placed among the top three in the competition. This led to another performance at a local showcase.
Melton said she has a long history with the song and originally performed it in fifth grade at the Hawthorne Elementary talent show. After pairing up with Brooks, a guitarist, the two decided to perform it again.
Performance and music have long been a part of Melton's life. She said one of her earliest memories is singing in her kitchen at home. She started doing professional vocal training at age 13.
Being chosen as on of the 20 acts to perform was a big moment for Melton.
"I was so proud to be chosen to perform next to so many talented people," she said.
Hollow said the DECA students do most of the work surrounding Night to Shine, including emceeing, marketing and organizing.
"It's great real-world experience for out DECA students and they also get a share of the proceeds," he said.
The program supports the Helena High School and Capital High School DECA programs and helps raise money for qualified students to travel to the national conference. This year the conference is in Orlando, Florida.
"Without an amazing fundraiser like this, many of our kids would not be able to go to the national conference that they have worked extremely hard to qualify for," Hollow said. "Most of our students are involved in numerous other activities and organizations that are all great. But in my opinion what separates this event from all the others is the hands-on experience that our students get during the process."
Night to Shine was a gift to the Helena community from former Intrepid CEO Gene Bowen. His vision was to provide a platform for students of area high schools to showcase their talents while providing a project-based learning opportunity for DECA students.
"The introduction of Night to Shine over 25 years ago provided an opportunity for organizations and individuals throughout the Helena community to demonstrate the spirit of cooperation," said current Intrepid CEO Greg Strizich.
Hollow said everyone is invited to see the final show, and noted that Night to Shine wouldn't be possible without months of hard work.