Celebration of Music - Talent Search

Hello, my name is Sidney Shanahan, and I am a sixteen year-old dancer from Shelton, Connecticut. I started dancing three years ago at Thrive: The Essence of Dance and instantly fell in love with the craft. I was inspired by all of the passionate dancers and teachers, who all become my second family. They are all incredibly supportive and kind. When I’m not dancing, I love to go out with friends, walk my dogs, work on art projects, bake desserts, and find delicious and healthy recipes to make. My sisters and I hang out all the time when they come home from college, whether it’s target runs, beach days, shopping trips, or lunch dates. My family is incredibly supportive of me and my dancing. I dance every day of the week, and they are always willing to drive me to and from classes, no matter how rigorous the schedule. My dad works tirelessly to keep up with all the expenses and my mom is right by my side in all of the endeavors that come with it, from early morning train rides into NYC in the freezing cold to exhausting dance conventions in Philadelphia. I love performing, especially for my family, and could not have accomplished any of what I have without all of their love and support. Dance is my escape from the stress of everyday life, as things like the heavy load of schoolwork can be extremely overwhelming to keep up with. I can express myself and release all the tension I carry throughout the rest of day, all while perfecting my dancing. I am a high honors student and work very hard to maintain my A+ grades. Every day at school I look forward to getting to dance that night, where I can be active and have fun with my best friends. I’m so grateful for the opportunities that have come and are coming my way, such as performing in this past October’s New York City Choreographer’s Forum, gaining an IMDB credit after performing in Times Square for a youtube show, competing nearly every weekend with my studio, and more. I’ve had the honor of winning Miss Starquest Emerging Artist as well as being a featured model in Catherine Fiehn’s latest photography editorial. I’ve met incredible people such as the director of A & C New York, Alberto Santiago, who invited my mother and me to the 61st annual Emmys in New York City on April 14th. I’m incredibly lucky to have such amazing people in my life that make all of this possible! My submitted performance is to the song “Soon We’ll Be Found” by my favorite artist, Sia. I love the sound of her voice and how real her music is; she sings about relatable and challenging situations or feelings that many other artists tend to avoid. I chose this piece as a way to relate to the more vulnerable side of the audience, which may include obstacles people have overcome. Sia sings about how she is tired of fighting and wants a break, which many people can understand. I hope to touch the audience and bring light to unfortunate occurrences that may have led to these distraught feelings. Thank you for this chance to be on PBS’s Celebration of Music, ad I hope you enjoy my performance!