UK prides itself on being an institution that gives diverse individuals the opportunity to showcase their special talents, and nowhere was this truer than at “Step into the Spotlight,” a talent show put on by joint efforts from the Student Activities Board and Underground Perspective on Tuesday, Nov. 13, in Memorial Hall.

Step into the Spotlight was orchestrated by the two clubs to give students the opportunity to share their “unique” talents with the world. There were six different contestants, and the top three crowd-chosen winners were promised a prize at the end of the event.

Talents ranged from painting to dancing and everything in between. Throughout the event, music was deejayed to keep the crowd interested and excited between acts.

The first performer was Samantha Martin, who signed “Forward Motion.” Martin chose to sign this song because she wanted to “inspire people to learn sign language and realize what all can be done with knowing it.” The crowd’s reaction to Martin showed that everyone who attended had a real appreciation for the talents that were in queue that night.

Following Martin was Laian Alkeisi, who sang “Read All About It Part 3” from her heart. 

“I love to sing because I want to use my voice for something bigger than myself,” Alkeisi said.

Brianna Armstrong was next, doing a special kind of painting she called “Love Art.” She said her painting was inspired by the 13th amendment, and it took her only the period of playing “Letter to the Free” by Common for her to paint a complete portrait.

Another talented singer followed Armstrong. Siera Arena said she sang to get out of her comfort zone and share her story with the world. Arena sang with elegance and soul, and her entourage in the crowd cheered her on to finishing her beautiful ballad.

The last two acts shifted from vocals to dancing. First up was Implicit Dance Crew. They performed a hip-hop routine to a mix that they created themselves. Their reason for attending the showcase was to bring publicity to their art and showcase the raw passion that the individuals in the crew had for dance.

Last but not least, Alexa Halliburton, a modern ballet dancer, performed a routine that she made for herself.

“I wanted to finally show the world how talented I really am,” Halliburton said. “I hope [the crowd] likes it.”

In fact, the crowd liked it a lot. The audience voted Halliburton as the third-place winner of the night. Arena was the first runner-up, and Implicit Dance Crew took the crown as the number one victors of the showcase. All the winners were invited backstage for a prize.

Step into the Spotlight was one of the many ways that UK students could show the world what makes them special.

The main takeaway that both Underground Perspective and SAB wanted attendants to take from the event was that “everyone is talented, and the bravest come onto this stage and show the world.”