Aging Gracefully, Performing Beautifully: Canterbury's Annual Talent Show

_{September 25, 2023}
Amidst the cozy confines of Canterbury Villa of Alliance, the stage was set for an unforgettable evening at our annual Talent Show! Residents, staff, and families came together to celebrate the incredible talents that reside within our walls, proving that age knows no bounds when it comes to creativity and performance.

The lineup of talent was remarkable from start to finish! The show began in the 80's with resident Joe "playing" the electric guitar and wearing an 80s-style mullet with a full-on rock-n-roll tongue. Resident Virginia "played the drums," which were complete with light-up drumsticks, and many of our residents sang along with the chorus.



Chef Adam was next with his belted-out version of an old ACDC hit. Resident Evelyn sang a heartfelt religious song she penned herself. Activity Director, Deanna, sang "Echo Holy," which gave all of us a moment to pause and think about the things that are most important to us. Resident Jean recited a poem written by her father and sang a religious hymn.

One of the best highlights that we will never forget is when our Administrator, Shannon, sang "Goodbye Earl" because she got many residents involved. Shannon was the lead singer with residents, Cookie and Virginia, playing Mary Ann and Wanda, and Resident Joe playing husband Earl. Resident Renita joined in by playing the cop who was looking for Earl. It was a great performance! Shannon had returned home from vacation at 3:00 AM the night before and still made it there. That truly shows the dedication our staff has to making our residents smile.

Another exciting moment of the show was the bikini contest! The Residents and staff "modeled" bikinis, which were painted bathing suits on cardboard, of all colors and designs. All bikinis were designed and made by Luann. Even the male residents had bathing trunks! It was quite a sight to see!



To end our show, we all sang "God Bless the USA" with staff waving sparklers and popping party poppers and families and residents waving American flags. There was not a dry eye in the house! The whole day was wrapped up in love with a family picnic, where we gathered for the talent show and enjoyed delicious grilled food, prepared by Chef Adam and Shay.

A huge thank you goes out to the Activity Department for the many months they put into organizing and planning this event. Another thank you to each staff member and family that had a hand in making this event a success. Canterbury certainly has the best staff and families. Seeing the residents' and families' smiling faces made it all worth it. Jennifer, a long-term resident, even shared, "No one would ever know we lived in a nursing home with all the fun and crazy things we do!"

Stay tuned for our next big production "Straight Out of Bethlehem," which is a Christmas story-inspired musical!

We love creating special memories for our residents at Canterbury Villa of Alliance through activities, events, outings, and more. To stay up-to-date on our current events, be sure to like us on Facebook!

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