ROUND SQUARE'S GOT TALENT

Well, they weren't quite Ant & Dec ... but the presenters of the Round Square's Got Talent show promised us a veritable smorgasbord of cultural diversity and we were not disappointed. There is something both special and surprising about watching students from other countries show us what they can do.

Creativity is not one of the six IDEALS but it sure as hell should be. We had singers and pianists and rock bands and violinists and film makers and karate experts and dancers ... and dancers ... and the dancers just kept on coming ...

What is it about the dance that so perfectly captures the essence of a culture? Perhaps it is the fact that without words, there is no language barrier? Perhaps it is the naturalism of the body language, movements and physical expressions of the performers? But above all, the colourful, exotic, exciting costumes! We are used to the idea in British drama that we dress up to be what we are not, but tonight's dancers were dressing up to be who they are ... And they were so proud of it.

The talent within the Round Square family is clearly immeasurable but not just in terms of the performances themselves. Ant & Dec they weren't, but the presenters kept us thoroughly entertained throughout and managed the changeovers with panache and style. Surely these confident and articulate showmen and showwomen were not the same shy and gangly teenagers who had introduced themselves with a nervous giggle and cocked up their lines earlier in the week? Round Square's real talent is in providing the circumstances and situations for blossoming transformations that any butterfly would be proud of.