(Sorenson Ad Plays)

(Deaf’s Got Talent Intro Plays)

Melissa: Hello everyone and welcome to Deaf’s Got Talent where you can show off for a good cause! This competition’s goal is to raise funds to support Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness, Inc. (GLAD), who provides services for deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, and deaf disabled people in the Greater Los Angeles area.

This show is free to watch and we ask you to make a donation of any amount you can share. To donate, visit DeafsGotTalent.com and there will be a donate button at the top. Now, before we begin, we have a special message from the current CEO of GLAD.

GLAD CEO: Hello everyone! I’m Dr. Patty Hughes, CEO for GLAD. Wow, it’s hard to believe we’ve been dealing with the impact of COVID for a year already. All of our offices are closed, only open on videophone, still supporting our consumers completely. Wow, I want to thank our Judges, our MC, and our staff for joining us, and our sponsors for helping make this event happen.

You know, we tend to host events annually to gather, and now because of COVID, we’re video streaming this event instead. And wow, the judges will have a hard time judging everyone, plus you get to vote, too! It’s important for us to continue fighting and serving, in different, creative ways. Many thanks, and really have fun joining this event! Thank you very much, bye.

Melissa: How will this competition work? We have a variety of contestants with different talents who will perform. The judges will watch each performance, provide their feedback, and give a score. After we finish, is that all? No! You, yes, you, the audience, will get to vote for your favorite performer! The top performers will then get to move on to the 2nd and 3rd Rounds for a chance to place in the top 3!

You’re probably wondering who are our judges!

First off, we have the great dancer, Antoine Hunter!

Antoine: (strikes some poses, points at camera)

Melissa: Next, we have beauty, fashion, and travel guru, Kaye Faith!

Kaye: (flips hair, waves hands)

Melissa: And finally, we have the up-and-coming performer, Raven Sutton!

Raven: Hello everyone!

Melissa: So, Judges, how are you three feeling about this competition?

Raven: I’m so excited & looking forward to all the amazing talent, I can’t wait!

Melissa: Me, neither! Antoine?

Antoine: I can’t wait to see more deaf talent, that! I know it’s out there, but did y’all show up here? C’mon, bring it on!

Melissa: Yes, yes! Kaye?

Kaye: I’m so curious about all the different talent from across the world! It’s not just North America, also the world! I’m really looking forward to this.

ALL: Yeah!

Melissa: I am just as excited as you are to see how this goes. Ready for our first performer?

Melissa: Our first contestant is B. White, who will skateboard (signs ‘skateboard’ a few different ways) I’m not sure what the sign is, but the point is, they will skateboard! I’m curious now!

(Video plays showing B. White coming out of red stage curtains with a black shirt and red skateboard)

B. White: “Skateboarding. Hello, my name is Brandon White *name sign*

(Video shows B. White doing several tricks on a skateboard with “DEAF” painted on it for 1 minute, then bows and exits through red stage curtain)

Judges & Host: (cheers)

Melissa: Wow, that’s some talent, seriously. Judges, what did you think? Let’s start with Antoine.

Antoine: I liked the creative style there! The energy, the pace. I dig, I dig.

Melissa: Kaye, your thoughts?

Kaye: Wow! When he jumped, flipped, and stood back on it…like…how???

Wow, wow. Amazing!

Melissa: I know, yes! Raven?

Raven: I’m blown away. I agree with Antoine & Kaye—the creativity and the talent! I can’t do that, I’d break my neck for sure, if I tried! Nah, nah. Leave that to him and his talent. Kudos, good job. And with the basketball—what?? Yup, good job.

Melissa: Wow, yeah! Now, I want to see your scores. Our Judges all have scorecards with numbers. When I say go, flip your score cards at the same time to show your scores! Okay, ready? Go!

(Raven scores 5, Antoine scores 3, Kaye scores 5)

Melissa: 5, 5, and 3! Okay, let’s applaud. And next, we have Darionna Jackson doing makeup! Let’s watch.

Antoine: Ooh, I love makeup!

(1-minute video plays showing Darionna Jackson applying a full face of makeup on their own face, smiling at the end)

Melissa: (snaps) Beautiful! I wish she’d come over to do my makeup.

Raven: Cute.

Melissa: I’ll start with Raven, what do you think?

Raven: Looks good! I like seeing how they edited it to show the whole process, skin, blush, full makeup. And I love how nice the end result looks!

Melissa: The whole face! Kaye?

Kaye: Beautiful! Looks like a pro already, the whole face so fast.

Melissa: Right! Antoine?

Antoine: I really appreciated the coordination. You know, I’ve taken makeup classes before, yeah, I’ve experienced that. So she obviously has talent. The glow, the highlighter, it’s all on point. On point!

Melissa: Right, makeup really is art. It’s not simply putting things on your face, it’s art on your face. Really talented.

Raven: Definitely, definitely!

Melissa: Ready for your scores?

Go!

(Raven scores 4, Antoine scores 4, Kaye scores 5)

Melissa: Oooh. And next, we have Spicy Celestial performing poetry! Let’s watch.

(1-minute video plays. Title “Cam Van Zuiden: Tell You What To Do”. Cam, in cheetah print tank top signs in ASL with English captions.

Cam: Every question in my head, I’m not sure if I response or leave unsaid. There are good and bad factors, But still, my identity does matter. Stand up and fight. I’m allowed to express, don’t make me smite. I CLEARLY do not need your bless. You are the mender. Keep doing what you love to do. Do not obey them genders, they don’t tell you what to do. So let me be who I am. I work hard to come through. If you don’t like me, then scram. They don’t tell me what to do. Yes, I am transgender. What are you going to do about it? Not everyone is a gender, the “standard” does not fit. Why is that so prominent to you?)

(Antoine starts using the scorecard papers as a fan to cool himself off)

Melissa: Snap, snap, that was a powerful message. Expressing yourself is important. Kaye, your thoughts?

Kaye: Of course, expressing yourself is so important—don’t hold back. Do what makes you feel comfortable with who you are, don’t hide. Express yourself, it is 2021, and—just, wow. Hearttouch.

Melissa: Yes. Antoine?

Antoine: I have to say, that was really beautiful. The words, the expression. That’s art, within the expression. Embrace that. You matter. Yes.

Melissa: Aw, yes. Raven?

Raven: Yes! Very bold. I love when people stand up and express their truth. Don’t let people oppress or criticize you, we have enough of that in the world. So wow, sharing that with us—really, thank you. I enjoyed your poem, thank you.

Melissa: Yes. We’re all for freedom of expression and authenticity. Yes! Okay, ready for your scores? Go!

(Raven scores 4, Antoine scores 4, Kaye scores 4)

Melissa: Cheers. Now, next we have Unique the Deaf Dancer who will…dance!

Raven: Dance! Ooh, I’m excited.

(1-minute video plays showing Unique the Deaf Dancer dancing in front of a forest in the snow, wearing a hooded one-piece with the snowman from Frozen on it)

Melissa: That was definitely unique! You wouldn’t expect dancing in the snow.

Antoine, as a great dancer, what do you think?

Antoine: Like you said, definitely unique! When they were dancing and signing “cold, cold”, I was like….yes, it looks cold! I think my favorite part was throwing the snow in the air. That.

Melissa: That snow, yes! Raven, as another dancer, your perspective?

Raven: Yes, I agree! One thing about dancing is—it is art, too. And dance tells stories. You can see there’s a story to share, and I loved the different environment! Being outside, and in the snow? I applaud. I know it’s cold, I’ve done videos out in the cold, I get it! Good, good job.

Melissa: Yes. Kaye?

Kaye: I thought it was something different! And that outfit from Frozen, throwing snow in the air, like “let it go”, you know? Let it snow, let it go… And dancing while it’s actually snowing? Wow, something different. This is gonna be easy for me to remember, most videos are inside, this one was outside.

Raven: Yes, agree.

Melissa: Love how you made that connection to Let It Go from Frozen, the snow, the outfit, tossing the snow. Give the dance a whole new meaning. Ready for your scores? Go!

(Raven scores 5, Antoine scores 4, Kaye scores 2)

Melissa: Cheers, cheers. And next, we have another dancer, Jasmine A., who will dance.

(1-minute video plays showing Jasmine A. in a gray sweatshirt, black pants, and black hat dancing to a fast beat in a garage.)

(Judges & Host start moving along to the beat)

Melissa: Raven, what’d you think of Jasmine’s dance skills?

Raven: It was a vibe, a vibe! Loved the energy. Loved it, makes me wanna dance with you. If I saw that out on the dance floor, I’d join, for sure. Really enjoyed watching that, it was good.

Melissa: Kaye?

Kaye: Well, I agree with Raven—it was a vibe. I felt like joining along with the beat, just moving along. Beautiful talent.

Melissa: Antoine?

Antoine: What was it? (repeats a dance move from Jasmine’s video) That, cheers. I think you have great energy. Moving slow, then fast, and the choreography and the setup was—it was nice.

Melissa: Yeah, I don’t think many people realize how much effort goes into dance. Thinking of choreography, not just improvisation, but really choreographing. Right, yes. Ready for your scores? Go!

(Raven scores 4, Antoine scores 5, Kaye scores 4)

Melissa: Let’s applaud, pretty good. Now, we can say deaf people really do have talent.

Raven: Yass!

Melissa: We have more, right after this ad break.

(ad break)

Melissa: Yay, welcome back! Ready to see more? (Judges cheer) Don’t forget, you can donate on our website, DeafsGotTalent.com. Allright, ready for more performances? Next, we have Alientiful who will sign ASL poetry!

(1-minute video plays, title reads “Blooming Flowers Poem: Written & ASL by Nicole Greene.” Alientiful, with medium purple hair and black shirt, in front of a gray wall, signs a poem in ASL)

Melissa: Wow, another powerful message. What’s stopping us from changing the world? I’ll start with Kaye this time.

Kaye: The words, the descriptions—wow, so true. Good point, I felt that.

Melissa: Yes. Raven?

Raven: They did great! I really enjoyed the poem. Also loved the ending, “what’s stopping you?” Made me think—yeah, what is even stopping me? Really good ending, I’m still thinking about it now, so good job!

Melissa: Antoine?

Antoine: I definitely felt they had a powerful message behind the poem. One thing that caught my eyes was the editing. Because they’re signing so beautifully, and then it cuts. Hm, I think it’s an interesting artistic practice, cutting throughout the video, and the signs still flow. I thought it was a very interesting process.

Melissa: Right, signing, cutting, and sending a powerful message, too. What are your scores for them? Ready?

Go.

(Raven scores 3, Antoine scores 3, Kaye scores 5)

Melissa: Cheers, cheers. And next, we have Hula Bella doing hula hoops!

Raven: Oooh, hula hoops, okay, let’s see!

(1-minute video plays showing Hula Bella in bright blue hair, green pants and black sweater doing tricks with a neon green hula hoop. In background, a wall covered in bold black, blue, yellow, and white graffiti art.)

Melissa: Amazing!

(Judges all cheer)

Melissa: Lots of movement, plus the coordination…amazing. I found my jaws actually drop while watching! Let’s start with you, Antoine.

Antoine: Wow, when I saw the hula hoop, I thought it’d just go around the hips, but no! So much other things you can do with that hoop. The flips, throws, all of it was amazing. I wasn’t expecting that much, for them to give us a lot! The vertical camera was a bit hard to see, but the energy was so big with the hoops, oh, I saw it.

Melissa: Yes. Kaye?

Kaye: Yeah, it was a little hard to see the hoop with the colorful background, but it didn’t matter. I could see and understand they are incredibly talented. Amazing! I can’t do the coordination to pull off those tricks! Wow. Beautiful, beautiful talent.

Melissa: Yes, Raven?

Raven: I still can see the energy, the twirls—just wow. Such talent. And I’m sure they had to maintain that energy without getting tired, to do all those movements. How many hours of practice did that take? How many re-dos? Wow, feels like a workout, you know? And to maintain coordination with the hula hoop. Like, I’m thinking to myself, if I hula hooped…I’d get the hoop around maybe twice then it’d hit the floor! How they could flip it above, and through their body, amazing. Cheers, good job!

Melissa: Yeah! You know, a secret—hula hooping is actually one of my talents. I won some hula hooping contests growing up. I love hula hooping! But watching her do all of those tricks—whoa, my tricks are nothing compared to that!

Raven: Teach me, teach me!

Melissa: Haha okay, let’s see your scores! Go!

(Raven scores 4, Antoine scores 5, Kaye scores 5)

Melissa: Cheers. Our next performer is Graciela, performing some music. Let’s watch.

(1-minute video plays showing Graciela, wearing white shirt, black scarf, and blue cardigan signing a part from Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” song.

Graciela: And I can’t sweep you off of your feet

Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?

Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks?

And, darling, I will be loving you ’til we’re 70

And, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23

And I’m thinking ’bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways

Maybe just the touch of a hand

Well, me—I fall in love with you every single day

And I just wanna tell you I am

Melissa: So what’d you think of her signing? It was very captivating. What did you think, Kaye?

Kaye: Beautiful and smooth. There wasn’t any slip-ups, everything was smooth. I wish I could sign songs as smoothly as she does. Beautiful.

Melissa: Raven?

Raven: It was nice to see some dance with the signing, shows real coordination. Feel the music, so that the people who watch can match and feel the music, to move with it. It’s nice, showing that emotion with their signs.

Melissa: Put your emotions out there, right. Antoine, your thoughts?

Antoine: I definitely felt their soul, like, snap, snap, I felt that. My suggestion to all signers is to be careful with lighting behind you. Because it looks more powerful when you have lighting in front of you signing, it captures more. That. But I felt that to my soul, snap.

Melissa: With that being said, are you all ready to score?

(Raven scores 3, Antoine scores 3, Kaye scores 3)

Melissa: Oooh. Cheers!

Melissa: The next performer is Selennart, creating beautiful art! I’m curious to watch.

(1-minute video plays showing Selennart draw and paint, in fast motion, a canvas. The final image shows a circle with both the Sun and the Moon, decorated with brightly colored flowers and makeup. In background, purple-blue blur. Text at end says “Thank you for watching!”)

Selennart: Hi, I’m Selennart, and my talent is, well, making beautiful art!

Judges: Wow, wow.

Melissa: Amazing art. Wow.

Beautiful, I get why she said “creating beautiful art”. Antoine what did you think?

Antoine: My jaws were on the floor. Wow. Really, it’s trubiz wow. The whole thing. At the beginning I was like, okay, what is this going to be? And then, wow. You can see how much training—well, training isn’t the right word. Spending a lot of time to train their art. That’s a lot of time spent into that. Wow.

Melissa: Yes. Kaye?

Kaye: Honestly, art always has so many different expressions. Plus, I feel like this one has some astrological connections. There’s a story, so much thoughts and expressions packed together to become this one artwork. My jaws dropped, I wish I could draw like that. Absolutely beautiful and talented, cheers.

Melissa: Definitely a beautiful talent, yes! Raven?

Raven: Amazing. They made it into a time lapse, speeding it up to make it shorter. One minute, 30 seconds, however long that video was, but I can imagine all the actual time invested into making this art. Wow. That’s something we don’t often see. We usually see the art as a finished product. But the process throughout? The work? We don’t see that. So it’s nice to see the process, the details, really what makes this unique and creative. I love the finished product, it looks great! Yeah, I love it!

Melissa: Oh, yes. You’re right, the whole process of art, plus the skill of getting your camera to capture those moments, is another skill in itself. Yeah, ready to see your scores! Go!

(All three Judges score 5)

Melissa: I think that’s our first one with all fives in this show! Wow, cheers. Really, art comes in many forms, with many different ways to express. And we have all of them in our Deaf communities! I want to see more talent, but wait, a message from our sponsors.

(AD BREAK: ….)

Melissa: Welcome back! We have more performers in our line-up. Our next performer is Hardi Didie, doing…dance for us!

(1-minute video plays showing Hardi Didie in red Mickey Mouse pj shirt and shorts in a living room. The video starts with Hardi Didie sleeping with a blanket and pillow on floor, slowly waking up and break-dancing throughout the video.)

Melissa: Wow! First I was watching them seem all sleepy. Then they started dancing, whoa! Raven?

Raven: I see everyone’s trying to steal the show! The game’s on point! Sleeping at the beginning, and then rising up…I didn’t know what to expect! Oh okay, they’re on their head, glad they didn’t hurt themselves, like okay, okay! I liked, really enjoyed that.

Melissa: Wow, yes. Give us another dancer’s perspective, Antoine?

Antoine: (yawns, then breaks into dance moves) Really, that was far out. I really liked the creativity, the character of “waking up”. And not just dancing, but really in the character of waking up. There’s acting skills behind that dance. You notice, the sluggish moves, like they’re trying to wake up—

Raven: —wake up, right, exactly!

Antoine: That, I really liked. You know, my suggestion to all dancers, be sure you get your full body, frame all those moves. Capture your talent! Understand, your moves, the vibe, whoever’s an artist, you all make sure your moves capture that, know what I mean? So go ahead, do that, and bring it on!

Melissa: Yes, bring it on! Kaye, your thoughts?

Kaye: Very cute and creative! When I saw them with the blanket up to their head, I was like, what is next? What’s going on? I’m curious—oh, breakdancing! This is called breakdancing, one of the most tough dances to do, I really enjoyed it, such a cute idea to act like you’re sleeping.

Melissa: Like a performance and a dance, combined. Have your scores ready?

(Raven scores 5, Antoine scores 5, Kaye scores 4)

Melissa: So…yes, deaf people can dance, of course.

All Judges: Yes, yes!

Melissa: Anyway, the next contestant is Freestyle Sewati, who will show us…freestyle dance? No, football tricks? I’m curious now, let’s see!

(1-minute video shows Freestyle Sewati, inside a gym, doing freestyle tricks with a football/soccer ball)

Melissa: Wow, okay! Obviously it’s not American football, haha. I imagined people throwing a ball with their hands, no, the International sign is this for futbol. Yeah, that’s what I was told. You can see the footwork is fancy! Kaye, you seem to know about futbol, your thoughts?

Kaye: That futbol player showed their talent, and had another secret, and showed their struggle, they didn’t hide. Everyone does makes mistakes! That’s part of talent, showing that they do it, too. Amazing, beautiful effort.

Melissa: Yes, I like how you framed that. Raven?

Raven: That’s one thing I noticed! Yeah, to show messing up, falling, and keeping at it. As an artist myself, I mess up a LOT. Everyone always sees the end, all beautiful and magical. They don’t see the struggle, the frustration, the repetition. So I can relate to them showing the fall, and then doing what? Getting up, trying again. Allright, kudos, kudos. Loved it, enjoyed it. Good job.

Melissa: Hats off for those who keep it real, yes. Antoine, thoughts?

Antoine: Well, it makes a lot of sense! F-o-o-t ball uses your foot. Americans use our hands, they use their feet, duh. Understand, a lot of the coordination is mental. Keeping on. Control, training, and showing the process of art. Dedication and not giving up! I liked—no, loved it. Like, this is who I am. You know, most people send the perfect edit, all good. But they went ahead with the process. I built a relationship with that person, rooting for them. Can I take a class?

Raven: Pfft! I can’t even begin to know how to kick the ball, keep the ball in one place, while kicking and playing. Looks so complicated!

Melissa: I always say I’m fine with sports, but it can’t involve a ball. Nah. Hats off to that. Ready for your scores? Go!

(Raven scores 4, Antoine scores 4, Kaye scores 3)

Wow, only a few contestants left, you know. Almost done, wow. Next, we have Anthony Arrosères who will do VV, you know, Visual Vernacular. Very expressive. Ready? Let’s watch.

(1-minute video shows Anthony Arrosères with black shirt and black background expressing a story in VV)

Melissa: VV really is amazing. It’s not exactly signing, but it’s really visual movement, and it’s a special talent.

Raven: Like 3D.

Melissa: 3D, right, Raven! Let’s start with Antoine, what’d you think?

Antoine: Really, I liked the angle, turning the shoulders a little to the side. The angle wasn’t bad. You don’t always have to look at the camera straight, you know? To the side, you can play with expressing yourself and framing. Really nice. It was challenging, black shirt, black background, but their hands and arms were still captured.

Melissa: True, good perspective. Raven?

Raven: Yeah, I found it really interesting to see the black background, black clothes, because of the white hands and face. Reminds me of like, what is it called—I don’t know the name, but it blends together. Like the point is to see the hands moving, the face expressions, and focus on that. It was clear, like I said—3D, 4D, it popped out! Vivid and creative, I really liked that.

Melissa: Yes. Kaye?

Kaye: I can’t describe how clear and visual that was! And the signing, simple but so clear. I loved it, a beautiful expression. Stories can be told. They don’t have to be signed. There’s so many ways to use your hands, so many meanings. It isn’t just sign language. That expression was art, period.

Melissa: For sure, definitely art. Ready for your scores? Go!

(Raven scores 5, Antoine scores 3, Kaye scores 5)

Melissa: Next, we have another dancer named Melisa Ozerska who will dance. I’m curious to see!

(1-minute video showing Melisa Ozerska dancing in three different settings: outside, on stage, at a dance floor)

Melissa: Wow, dancing in different spaces, at a performance, by yourself. Antoine, your thoughts as a dancer?

Antoine: Really showed, like, “I can dance anywhere. Anywhere! Inside by myself, with a dance team, in a club, wherever. I dance anywhere. I am fearless when it comes to dance”, that’s what I’m seeing.

Melissa: Yes. Raven?

Raven: Very unique, I liked that. Like Antoine said, showing different places. And not being afraid—like, that others might battle you, you’ll freestyle, we got to see different sorts of environments. I liked how that video took me to different places.

Melissa: Yes. Kaye, what’d you think?

Kaye: Deaf communities are so small! I actually know—no, I saw her at Reims, France, dancing off. Her dancing caught my eyes, she wasn’t even part of the dance group but joined them. And now I see her for the second time, dancing! Very good. Dancing, Antoine is right, she dances everywhere, improvising. 

Melissa: Yes! Represents us, you know deaf people can dance, of course. So, are your scores ready?

(Raven scores 4, Antoine scores 3, Kaye scores 5)

Melissa: I hope those who are watching are enjoying this as much as I am! Remember, you can support this show by donating at DeafsGotTalent.com. All proceeds from this will support Deaf, DeafBlind, Deaf Disabled, and hard of hearing people in LA County.

Our final contestant, last but never least, is Robbie the Magnificent who will do magic!

Raven: Ooh, magic! I’m hard to fool, so let’s see!

(1-minute video showing Robbie wearing all black clothes with black background do a magic trick: put a large coin inside of a black cloth, then makes a dollar bill appear)

Robbie: Hello, my name is Robbie *name sign*. For my talent, I’ll show a trick with my magic cloth. Ready? I need money. No, not that, it’s too small. See? Bigger money, please. Wow, this coin is good. Sorry, okay I’ll give your money back. Oh well, thanks for watching, audience! Bye, ILY!

Melissa: Aw, that was a cute magic trick. Antoine, what’d you think?

Antoine: It was really a surprise! I was expecting to see the large coin back, but I saw the dollar bill instead! It caught me off guard. It surprised me. You know I was expecting a trick, but that was a surprise. Can you do a $100 bill? Haha!

Melissa: That’d definitely be a magic trick! Raven?

Raven: Same, agree with Antoine! I expected that large coin back again, but they switched it with the dollar, whoa, wait. Makes me wanna take a hard look, see what happened. But that just fooled me! Good one.

Melissa: Yeah! Kaye?

Kaye: Beautiful and cute little magic show! The money kept getting bigger and bigger. Well, that was a good trick!

Melissa: Who knows, maybe a $100 bill is possible! Ready for your scores? The final score for the final performance! Thinking a bit…okay, go!

(Raven scores 4, Antoine scores 4, Kaye scores 3)

Melissa: Cheers, wow.

Melissa: Wow, I know you three have a hard time judging. You know, scores, ugh, but I hope everyone realizes that their scores don’t matter, and don’t define their talent. Your talent is talent, period. Right?

(All judges agreeing)

Raven: I really enjoyed all the shows.

Melissa: After watching everyone’s videos, now it’s time for you to go ahead and vote! Yes, let us know who you think should advance to the top 10 in the next round! To vote, visit DeafsGotTalent.com, and click on vote at the top!

All: Vote, vote!

Melissa: Remember, you have 72 hours to vote! Thanks for watching and don’t forget to follow us on social media to see who moves on to the next round!