Dancers and pianists win big at the record-breaking Dixie’s Got Talent 2022 finale

Written by Ammon Teare
January 28, 2022

ST. GEORGE — Under the bright lights of the M.K. Cox Performing Arts Center on Thursday, this year’s best and brightest entrants in “Dixie’s Got Talent” performed musical acts, dance routines and even yo-yo tricks as part of the annual university fundraiser.

Vladimir Simillien, winner in the adult category for Dixie’s Got Talent 2022, dances to a Michael Jackson-inspired music mix, St. George, Utah, Jan. 27, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News

The competition brought together 20 finalists – 10 adults and 10 youth – as performers in the talent show’s 12th incarnation. As in years past, participants vied for a grand prize of $500 ($250 for runners-up) in their respective categories.

Vladimir Simillien took home the first place prize for the adult category with his Michael Jackson-inspired choreography.

To prepare for the competition, Simillien took time off work and made other arrangements to fully devote his efforts to improving his dancing. Winning was a welcome reward for his hard work, Simillien said.

“I feel really good about it, since it’s the result of countless hours of working and practicing and also a lot of people supporting me,” he said. “I just want to say thank you to everyone: my dad, my mom, Craig Nelson, my manager – even the other people competing with me. They were all encouraging me.”

Joining Simillien as a top finisher was 13-year-old Zach Wilhelmsen in the youth category. Wilhelmsen wowed the audience with his performance of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.” In addition to singing and playing the piano, Wilhelmsen even learned the harmonica to fully emulate Joel’s performance style.

Zach Wilhelmsen, winner in the youth category for Dixie’s Got Talent 2022, plays “Piano Man” by Billy Joel on the piano and harmonica while singing along, St. George, Utah, Jan. 27, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News

“His piano teacher actually suggested this song, and he polished it with piano and voice, but then we thought it would be really cool if he could add harmonica to it,” Noelle Wilhelmsen, the winner’s mother, said. “So he just watched a YouTube video and taught himself. It was fun to see all the really hard work earn him a prize and some recognition.”

Technical difficulties made it difficult to hear Zach Wilhelmsen’s voice at some points, but rather than giving up, he took it in stride. During the last verse, he called for the audience to join him in singing and led the crowd in singing the classic rock song.

He said was pleased to have done so well, but he plans to take a break from performing for at least a little while.

Another pianist, Charles Taylor, took home the runner-up prize in the youth category. To demonstrate his talent, Taylor played a medley of 13 Marvel movie themes in two minutes. The runner-up for the adult category was Aly Johnston, who performed a contemporary dance piece set to the Jonas Brothers “Remember This.”

Almost 900 students, local residents and family members gathered in the auditorium at Dixie State University for the Thursday evening talent show, St. George, Utah, Jan. 27, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News

Organized by the Dixie State University Alumni Association, the yearly talent show benefits students at DSU by funding alumni, general and needs-based scholarships.

John Bowler, director of alumni relations, said he was awe-struck by the talents on display and enjoyed seeing how the audience engaged with each performer.

“I couldn’t be more pleased,” Bowler said. “The team that put this together just did a wonderful job, and we’re just so grateful for all the talent that showed up, the volunteers and all the donations. All the contestants that auditioned and didn’t make it, we always tell them, ‘Come back! It’s not the end of the journey; it’s just a delay.’”

Despite fears of the omicron variant interrupting the in-person performance, the event organizers were pleasantly surprised by the large turnout. Bowler said around 900 tickets were purchased, just a couple hundred shy of packing the large auditorium.

Winners were chosen by combining the score awarded by a panel of independent judges and the ranking of participants in terms of total funds raised. The “people’s choice finalists,” Jade Flake and Charles Taylor, raised over $2,800 while still in the audition process.

Nelson 6, a family instrumental band, perform their musical talent, St. George, Utah, Jan. 27, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News

Through an online and text-based donation system, audience members could contribute any amount of money to the scholarship fund in a contestant’s name.

Ultimately, this donation system, combined with ticket sales and sponsor donations, contributed to the total amount of funds raised to benefit students.

“It was our best year ever,” Bowler said. “In total, we raised just over $29,000, and net proceeds – after we pay everybody and pay for the lights and things like that – might even double what was raised last year.”

This year’s emcee was Amy Nay, weekend anchor at Fox 13. Nay was joined by last year’s winners, Trevyn Karkula and Karley Garrett, in introducing the finalists before their performances, and Karkula and Garrett even performed musical acts of their own as the voting results were finalized.

A recording of the evening’s performances by entrants and invited guests is available on the Dixie’s Got Talent YouTube page. 

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ammon Teare has always considered Southern Utah his home away from home, having spent summers and holidays visiting family in Cedar City and St. George. With a love of the wilderness and a passion for writing, he’s dreamt of becoming a reporter since his elementary school days. After moving from Texas to New Mexico to Utah as he grew up, Ammon wound up studying journalism at Utah State University, where he graduated in May 2020. In his free time, you’ll find him watching the Utah Jazz or playing a board game with his wife, hiking in the great outdoors, or sprawled someplace comfortable reading a fantasy novel.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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