THEY SANG AND DANCED. They lip-synced. They showcased their musical prowess on musical instruments.
It was clear that St. Norbert Catholic School has talent.
ST. NORBERT CATHOLIC SCHOOL’S EIGHTH-GRADE CLASS GATHERS FOR A PHOTO DURING THE SCHOOL’S MARCH 26 TALENT SHOW. PHOTOS BY ALAN WENDELL/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
The campus in Orange hosted its annual talent show on March 26 in the school gym with a performance during the school day and another that night. The entire school community, parents and extended families packed the gym during the school day to see students in third- through eighth-grade showcase their performance abilities with 23 separate acts, not including the opening and closing numbers.
“Welcome to the 2026 Talent Show!” said Assistant Principal Marian Quiroz. “At St. Norbert Catholic School, we strengthen our abilities and we discover our God-given gifts. We use them, we celebrate them and we celebrate the gifts of others.”
ST. NORBERT SIXTH GRADERS DANCE TO “GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN.”
Students filed into the gym clutching snacks as they took their seats for the show. Two students from every grade opened with a nostalgic lip sync (for the parents) of NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” complete with the iconic choreography. From there, the students showed off what they’ve got, including a rhythmic gymnastics routine by Lucy Nguyen, a Rat Pack-dressed Ethan Adeva singing “Strangers in the Night,” Matthew Aparicio playing Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” and third-grader Sammy Pluard singing “Dream a Little Dream” in a pink ballgown.
Fourth-graders Natalie Sur, Jossalyn Krebs and Sophia Moreno danced in cowboy hats and boots to their own original choreography for “Texas Hold ’Em.” The three friends have been preparing for about three weeks by running the routine on campus and talking on the phone, said Sur. Performing in the talent show was nothing new for the 9-year-old girls, but this was their first year as a trio.
“I did it last year and it was really fun to do, so I wanted to do it again with my friends,” Krebs said.
The finale brought out the soon-to-be-graduating eighth-graders for four-part performance featuring two dances by the girls, one dance by the boys and the entire class singing “Somewhere Only We Know.”
The final performance of her St. Norbert’s career was a fun experience — a little sad, but also a relief, said eighth-grader Sydney Lu, 13. Lu has played the piano in every talent show since she joined the school in third grade. This year, she played and sang “When We Were Young,” a song about being young and capturing memories. Then she danced alongside her graduating classmates.
“It’s a fun experience honestly, because we all make up dance moves,” Lu said. “When we mess up, it’s not a big deal because you laugh it off with your friends.”
Lu said it’s nice that her peers get a chance to showcase their abilities at school. She encouraged others not to “leave it hidden in the dark.”
Seventh-grader Morrisa Herman, 13, had a similar feeling. Herman, who helped open the show and has performed at it every year since third grade, encouraged the younger students to sign up next year.
“I think if you have talent, you should share it,” Herman said. “That’s what I think. Even if you don’t and you have passion, you should share it.”