Dotts sisters take first place at Midvale Miner’s Jubilee talent show
Stone Creek duo wins with patriotic duet as local performers showcase music, dance and yo-yo skills.
The winners of the talent show were Isla and Aria Dotts, first place; Maggie Smith, second place; and Azael Ajanel, took third with his yo-yo skills.
Teri Stein
One young talent show contestant wanted to address the crowd after his thrilling yo-yo performance at the annual Midvale Miner’s Jubilee festival talent show Sept. 6 at the Midvale Community Park.
“I’m not here to be average, I’m here to be awesome,” said Azael Ajanel of Dennison.
It was true, because he had added five new yo-yo tricks to his routine since he won the 13 and under group at the First Town Days festival in July. But he wasn’t the only contestant to ascribe to that philosophy, all the others showed up to prove the same thing.
In a tough contest, the winners of the show were two Stone Creek sisters, Isla and Aria Dotts. The girls performed a guitar and violin vocal duet to “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home,” by Justin Moore.
The sisters have been piling up the wins at area talent shows the past few years with various songs. They decided on their song for the Midvale show because the festival’s theme this year was honoring military veterans.
Though they have been performing as a duo, only Isla Dotts would like to go on to have a career in music. Aria Dotts would like to have a career as an architect.
Winning second place was Maggie Smith of Newcomerstown. She sang “All I Want” by Emma Bale. She is happy to be singing and performing in public again.
“I joined choir my fifth-grade year, and then I wasn't in choir until my sophomore year. My junior year, when I went to Buckeye, I had to drop choir because of my lab being in the morning, and I really missed it,” Smith said.
Another event in Dover at the Reeves Museum led her back into singing.
“I went to Songs on the Steps in July of 2024 and I was like, I want to get back into this,” Smith said.
She then discovered that festival talent shows were a good outlet and began performing in them this summer at the First Town Days festival in July.
Azael Ajanel won third place with his yo-yo trick performance to “Your Way’s Better” By Forrest Frank. He has been yo-yoing for almost one year and says it helps him overcome life challenges.
Prizes included $100 for first, $75 for second, and $50 for third place. No-one left empty handed though, each contestant got to select their choice of a door prize item and a gift card to either the Quaker Cinema or Miller's Creamery.
Other contestants included Mia Brinkley of Tuscarawas, a dancer who changed up her talent for the Midvale contest and sang “See You Again” by Miley Cyrus. She proved she was talented at both song and dance, which she has been doing for nine years.
Jacob Maize of Dover, who goes by the stage name of J Humble, sang “Something In The Orange” by Zach Bryan. J Humble has been singing, rapping, doing freestyle, drums and making music for five years.
Judges for the competition were Kristi Prucha, choir director at New Philadelphia High School; April Linard, band director and instrumental music instructor at Claymont City Schools and Emma Hinkle, the executive director of the Tuscarawas County Philharmonic.
While the judges were tabulating their scores, Sarah Wright of Dennison entertained the crowd by singing “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac.
The talent show was hosted by Marc Davis of New Philadelphia. Davis thanked the Dover-Phila Federal Credit Union for sponsoring the show, Travis Green and Hitchcock Sound Co. for providing sound services, and Lynette Kopp, a member of the festival committee, for helping to organize the contest.
