Cultural Youth Festival
display of young talents
CAY HILL--“Thank you for a marvellous afternoon,” Queen Beatrix told the crowd gathered at Raoul Illidge Sports Complex before leaving the Cultural Youth Festival late Saturday afternoon. In her short address she told those present she had had an “unforgettable” day in sharing this year’s St. Maarten Day celebrations. One of the highlights of the day was undoubtedly the youth festival.
The Queen, her delegation and the many spectators in the stands and on the field were treated to a well-organised show of all kind of youth organisations and activities.
The show opened right on schedule with a parade of drum bands, Scout groups and sporting organisations. After that, various groups and organisations presented a showcase of young talent in a show consisting of song, dance, music, skits and poetry.
Moderated by radio personality Cedric “CJ” Peterson, there were presentations by Ebony Steel Youth Band, Boy Blue, Victorious Living, Shaniqa Richardson, Soualiga Capoeira, and Imbali Centre of Creative Movement, while Motiance Dance School presented excerpts from the Broadway musical Lion King.
Queen Beatrix witnessed only the latter part of the festival, after she had visited information stands of various youth organisations, among them Victorious Living Foundation and No Kidding With Our Kids Foundation. She was welcomed at Raoul Illidge Sports Complex by Director Elton Jones and Youth Carnival Princess D’Shnay York.
Led by Soualiga Stilt Walkers and Capoeira and Lion King characters, the uniformed troops paraded before the queen, after which the programme continued with Song Suite SXM and Young and Positive performed by school youths.
The show further consisted of a dramatic skit performed by St. Dominic High School students, and a choreo-poem performed by Edwina Hodge and a group of little dancers during which a doves were released from the stadium. The festival culminated in a grand finale during which the Ponum was danced on stage.
Before leaving the festival Queen Beatrix was presented with a gift by Gisella Hilliman, St. Maarten’s contestant for the 2006 Miss Universe Pageant. The festival and the Queen’s visit ended with the playing of the national anthems of the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles and the St. Maarten Song by the Ebony Youth Steel Band.
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