Nursing manager Leanie Bessinger may not have been on the winning team, but she stole the show when Ron Smith Care Centre staff and residents took to the stage for a morning of laughter and unexpected talent.
The first Ron Smith Care Centre (RSCC) Got Talent competition took place on October 23, giving residents and staff a chance to step out of their comfort zones and entertain friends and colleagues.
Occupational therapy and recreation manager Simoné Botha said the morning was filled with ‘laughter, surprises and moments of awe’ as individuals and groups showcased their talents.
The RSCC admin team kicked off the performances with a synchronised swimming act, with Leanie providing plenty of laughs and stealing the spotlight.
The event also showcased the centre’s more heartfelt side. Ethelda Bodila delivered a moving poetry recital, while Charles Power read Rudyard Kipling’s If –.
Mike O’Toole and front office staff member Tanya Switala had the audience cheering as they performed an energetic jive ballroom dance.
Iris Radebe brought the latest ‘news from ‘the most talented home’ with a hilarious report about happenings at RSCC.
Resident Ethelwynne van Eck inspired the audience with her beautiful paintings, which she painstakingly recreated with her left hand after relearning how to paint following a stroke.
Resident Ria Milburn and care partner Susan Esbend brought smiles and applause with their guitar performance and lively rendition of Daar kom die Alabama.
Maggie Zwane and Phyllis Mbatha showed that the rhythm is still alive as they danced to Joe Mafela’s Shebeleza, while the River Lodge 3 staff group impressed with creative costumes, energetic dancing and acting in their performance of Yvonne Chaka Chaka’s Umqombothi.
The REC Team added a touch of mystery and magic to their act, even finding some of the judges’ mysteriously missing objects.
With so much talent on display, judges Ulricka Beukman, Jana Bezuidenhout, Catherine Dube and Sean Graham had a difficult task deciding on the winners.
The admin team’s synchronised swimmers and Mike and Tanya shared third place, while the River Lodge 3 group took second. The REC Team magicians claimed first place.
Simoné congratulated all the participants, saying taking to the stage required courage and that every performer deserved recognition for stepping out of their comfort zone, sharing their talents and bringing joy to others.
RSCC is already looking forward to seeing what hidden talents emerge at its 2027 Got Talent competition.
