Students’ talent show is a feast for eyes and ears

By Charles Sercombe

There are school talent shows, and then there is a Hamtramck school talent show.

You could say the public schools here have set the bar very high. And we’re going to bet there is no other school district in the nation that has the depth and breadth of talent you can find in Hamtramck.

Wednesday’s 13th annual “Multicultural Celebration” at Dickinson East Elementary School was a feast for the eyes and ears.

These kids have amazing talent, and the complexity of some of the ethnic dances is jaw-dropping to say the least.

Hindu dancer Priyanka Laskar gave one of the more exotic performances, which was mature beyond her years.

The Bosnian Bosanski Ljiljani Dance Group was visually poetic, and could easily perform for any sophisticated adult audience.

Oh heck, they were all amazing.

In Hamtramck we sometimes forget – or maybe take it for granted – the unique diversity we enjoy. This is a community, remember, where over 20 languages are spoken.

Sometimes, though, we tend to remain isolated in our own ethic communities. It’s events like this one at Dickinson that remind us just how unique we are.

“You get to know other people’s culture,” said Abdu Saleh, who has a daughter in kindergarten at the school.

“You get to see how they live, and you realize we are all one nation.”