Apollo Night at Troy University

by: Kianna Collins

Photos by: Heather Alleman Apollo Night, hosted by the NABJ, showcased the talents of eight individuals and left it to the crowd to decide who was the most talented. The announcer, Juan Starks, made enthusiastic comments throughout, even if things didn't go so well for the performers. The performances were entertaining, but one truly stood out to the crowd. That man is Edward Hardy. He performed what he described as “a story through dance.” The story depicted someone going through hardships in their life. They drink and drive with someone else and end up crashing. The passenger did not make it through, but Edward's character did. The crowd was fully entranced by the dance, and they even started to cry dissent when Edward put his fingers up like a gun to his head. The performance was very moving in and of itself, and it appeared that the crowd had almost already decided who the winner was going to be prior to the applause. The crowd was also very vocal about who they liked. This was extremely evident when they chose the winner of the competition. The suspense was hanging in the air as the contestants were slowly sent offstage. Three were sent off, and only five remained. The crowd voted again for the winner, and it was Edward Hardy. The NABJ event overall was a success. The theater was full and the crowd was fully into the experience.