“Sit down, I say! Sit down and don’t be nervous!” Parents of the finalists in the national elimination competition unsuccessfully tried to calm each other down, and their children. The finishing touches were being hastily applied in the make-up rooms. The excited competitors were warming up, singing quietly. There were only a few minutes left before the live broadcast. Together with a large support group of very young but genuine performers The Day spent time behind the scenes of the gala concert that took place last Saturday.
Despite the fact that this Eurovision is for children, there was nothing childish in the attitude of the young competitors, none of whom was older than 14. For more than a week, 10 of the most talented boys and girls, selected by a jury from various corners of Ukraine, worked diligently, honing their singing, acting, and dancing skills at a special “star camp.” The young actors, most of whom are not just performers but also composers of their songs, put on a real show with amazing costumes and incredible dance feats in the best traditions of Eurovision. Without exaggeration, the national elimination competition was a sight to be seen.
The expectations of those who came to the First National TV Channel studio and those watching the song competition on television were justified. “The atmosphere here is amazingly friendly,” said a schoolgirl named Katia. “I’m a big fan of the ‘adult version’ of Eurovision”, but I liked the ‘children’s’ one a bit more. All the children are so talented!” In fact, the young performers appeared to be no less professional than their adult colleagues attending the workshop: Tetiana Nedielska, the Alibi duo, the band Ex-Presidents, and Assol, a peer of the boys and girls, who also took part in the concert.
“Well done!” says an excited mother, congratulating her daughter’s performance. “Attagirl! Super! That’s it, I’m going for a smoke!” The energy in the audience is no less passionate than behind the curtains. Parents, friends, and ordinary spectators are so excited that some are close to tears. The most important part is still ahead: the voting. The winner was selected by the most objective method, with television viewers voting for their favorite performer.
Despite the tough competition, all the competitors presented an amazingly united front. They gave each other wholehearted support, congratulated parents, and were disinterestedly happy in a way that only children are capable of being.
“There is no competitiveness among us,” says one of the finalists, Victoria Petryk. All the boys and girls are already my friends. I like to be with them and wish them all success. Of course, I would like to represent Ukraine at Eurovision, but the most important thing is for our Ukraine to be the best-not some other country, but ours.”
There was only one boy among the 10 finalists - the energetic and fantastically attractive Nazar Sliusarchuk. During the competition he sang a song “A Rock’n’Roll Boy,” the first song that he has ever written. Nazar, who is only 14 years old, lives and studies in Ternopil oblast. He sees a future for himself as a performer, and he has already taken his first important step to making his dream come true. Nazar will represent Ukraine at the international children’s Eurovision, to be held in the Romanian capital of Bucharest. This cheerful and joyful boy made the strongest impression on the audience, winning 5,000 votes.
All the finalists received prizes and souvenirs from the competition sponsors. Everything is just beginning for Nazar and his mother Tetiana. Bucharest is next, because, as the president of First National Channel, Vitalii Dokalenko, rightly admitted, “Nazar is going for nothing less than victory.”
