Chapter 76: The Talent Show
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
The Chief Editor of “Models” Magazine was a middle-aged man with sharp eyes, and the Vice Chairman of the China Figure Photography Association was a smiling elderly man. The principal of the modelling school that sponsored the competition was a lady that still retained her graceful upbringing, and Xie Feng was a new prominent fashion designer in China.
When the host announced No.22’s turn, Ouyang Fen held his head high and turned around before Qin Guan. Qin Guan still did not understand why Ouyang Fen was acting so hostile that day.
According to the order of appearance at the preliminary competition, Qin Guan was supposed to get on stage right before Ouyang Fen. Yet Ouyang Fen was No. 20 in the local final, so he was right before Qin Guan. He must have some kind of connection.
If Ou Qiang could read Qin Guan’s thoughts, he would have broken into tears. When he had gotten the notice from the organizing committee, he had begged the assistant in charge of the order of appearance. He had cried on his knees for three hours to get that result.
What kind of connection does he have? Can he rig the competition despite the fact that there are so many contestants? If he really had a connection, he wouldn’t need to appear first, he would just win.
Ouyang Fen performed a popular song and danced powerfully before the judges.
He looked at Qin Guan proudly when he returned backstage.
As soon as Ouyang Fen finished his performance, the judges started talking in low voices.
“What do you think?”
“He sang well.”
“His best feature are the angles on his face.” It’s a talent show. Could you comment on his talents, dude?
“He wasn’t out of tune, and his dancing steps were correct. You can’t set high standards for models.” That’s true for any talent show.
“He was outstanding compared to the previous contestants.”
“I agree!”
“Me, too.”
It seemed that the judges had liked Ouyang Fen’s performance. Then they were pleasantly surprised by Li Xiaoli’s ten-minute embroidery. Xie Feng decided on the spot that he would hire her as a backstage assistant for his next fashion show.
An assistant, not a model. The news made Li Xiaoli mad with joy. This was worth participating in the contest. The award itself meant nothing to her.
As she went behind the curtain happily, the host announced in his microphone, “The next competitor is No. 21. Qin Guan will tap dance for us.”
Tap dancing sounded original to the judges. They paid special attention to Qin Guan, who struck a pose on the stage. Wow! Handsome! A fitting suit! Broad shoulders and long legs. His figure was outstanding.
The music started playing. It was “Irish Etudes I”. Qin Guan was going to perform a traditional Irish tap dance. It was different from American tap dancing, as the Irish dance combined art performance, elegant movements and the surprising physical agility of the dancer.
Keeping his upper body still, Qin Guan hung his hands down naturally and followed the music slowly. He was getting faster and faster as the music progressed. Tap, tap… Tap, tap, tap… Tap, tap, tap, tap… The sound hit the hearts of the judges. What a beautiful performance! It was the lively rhyme and energy that made professional dancers stand out.
The music slowly came to an end. Breathing heavily, Qin Guan waited for feedback on the stage. The judges talked in low voices.
“Who has studied dance? How was it? This dance is too niche.”
“I have no idea, but it seems great. Has he studied abroad? It’s really fashionable.”
“It’s hard to tell, but we should keep an eye on him. A good figure and a handsome face are more than enough.”
“I agree.”
When they finished their discussion, the Chief Editor spoke first.
“Your tap dance refreshed our experience. You showed abundant energy, which is essential for a model. During your furious dancing, your still upper body showed your control, while your smart steps showed your coordination. It was a successful performance. Congratulations.”
The judges stood up and applauded Qin Guan. It was the first time in the competition that all four judges had stood up before a model. Qin Guan took a deep bow and got off the stage. Sister Xue hugged him tightly. It was the most striking performance of the whole competition. All the other models considered Qin Guan a potential rival, especially Ouyang Fen, who was grinding his teeth on the sidelines.
The first round was over by noon. After a quick lunch backstage, the second round began. While the contestants were getting ready, the host announced the score of the first round. With a score of 9.95, Qin Guan was first.
Cursing, Ouyang Fen turned around and saw Qin Guan fasten a wide military belt around his waist and put black bandages on his arms and legs to make the giant uniform fit. Taking a deep breath, Ouyang Feng encouraged himself, “It’s just ordinary camouflage clothing. I have a fitting suit. I will win this round!”
Groups of models walked on the stage from two different runways. They stood on the stage for about one minute, showing their outfits before they turned around to leave.
The judges discussed the contestants’ performance and graded them.
