‘Vimont Has Talent 3’ raises $1,181 for spring graduation
Annual Christmas show stars CDC Vimont students
Published December 16 , 2009
By Martin C. Barry • TLN

In a year when the whole world seemed to catch Michael Jackson fever following the famed entertainer’s sudden demise, it was fitting that the students and staff at the Vimont Competency Development Centre decided to end their 2009 Vimont Has Talent show with a song and dance number based on Jackson’s Thriller, the most successful music video of all time.

Talent showcase
The student/staff version of the Jackson classic was based on the unmistakable moves and distinctive choreography of the 14-minute video which has had a lasting effect on popular culture. The Jackson number was only a small part of a show that is put on annually at CDC Vimont just before Christmas, to showcase the talents of students, as well as to raise money for their graduation ceremony which is held each spring.
This year, the students managed to raise $1,181 for their graduation through their stage presentation. CDC Vimont provides an invaluable service in Laval’s northeastern sector. Students who’ve often been unable to complete their high school studies going the regular route end up at CDC Vimont, where they get a second chance to earn a high school leaving diploma and win back their self-respect in a relatively stress-free environment. Each year, local elected officials make it a point to be among the guests in the audience.

A chance for students
Seated in the front row were Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board chairman Steve Bletas and Vincent Auclair, the Quebec Liberal Member of the National Assembly for the riding of Vimont. “This centre gives a chance to students who have had difficulties at one time in their lives,” said Auclair. “They come here and become aware they can do something better.” By now, Nancy Sher, a social studies teacher at CDC Vimont who’s been organizing Vimont Has Talent for the past three years, should have the hang of it.
According to Sher, while everybody gets a chance to audition, “we wanted to fine tune and make sure we had some good solid acts,” she added. “For me, it’s a learning process. Because of the time constraints and the fact that most of them work, all of the rehearsing and organizing has to be done on lunch hours and during break times.” A lot of work went into the final act, the Michael Jackson number, she said. It was based on a concept Sher learned about on the Internet, a flash mob. Individuals learn through text messages that a spontaneous dance event is about to take place in a pre-determined location where they show up.