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Lawrence students, teachers celebrated at Ovation! talent show; creator returns to perform

by Photos by Nathan Kramer
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Dance Hues Studio's STAMPP Performance and Competition Company opens the Ovation! talent show with “Freedom Renaissance," Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026 at the Lied Center.
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Community members gathered Sunday evening for the 10th annual Ovation! talent show, spotlighting the showmanship of Lawrence Public Schools students. 

The event is a fundraiser for the Lawrence Schools Foundation. Dena Johnston, director of the foundation, said Ovation! has raised $140,000 to date. 

Sunday’s show featured former district spokesperson Julie Boyle as master of ceremonies. 

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Boyle, who retired last year following a 27-year career with Lawrence Public Schools, is perhaps best known across the community for her phone calls announcing snow days. She walked onto the stage to “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” from “Frozen.” 

In addition, Graham Edmonds, the Lawrence High School alum who created Ovation!, returned to Lawrence and gave a surprise performance.

Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times Julie Boyle
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times Dance Hues Studio’s STAMPP Performance and Competition Company opens the show with “Freedom Renaissance,” choreographed by Amber Martin, Brianne Samuelson, Demetra Beers, Malyiah Finch and Carmela Douglas.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times Free State High School sophomore Ishaan Rao performs the allemande of Bach’s Partita No. 1 in B Minor on violin.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times Elizaveta Smirnov, eighth grader at Lawrence Virtual School, performs Variation from Don Quixote, choreographed by Marius Petipa and with music by Ludwig Minkus.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times Free State sophomore Alexus Walker sings “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid.”
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times The Galway Girls — Free State High School senior Aleisha Lohfeld and sophomore Amelia Lohfeld — perform an Irish step dance routine.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times Ava Baranski, a sixth grader at Billy Mills Middle School, performs an aerial lyra routine to “This is Me” from “The Greatest Showman.” The choreography was by Baranski, Maebelle Hamlin and Deanna Mylander.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times Free State sophomore Harrison Leiszler performs Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” on violin/loop station.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times Sarah Song, a seventh grader at West Middle School, performs her self-choreographed Dunhuang dance to “Qing Lian” (Green Lotus).
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times Free State’s Eric Bradshaw (left) and Bryce Jones and New York Elementary’s Catherine Meihaus were selected for the 2026 Crystal Apple Awards for their contributions to arts education in Lawrence schools.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times Catherine Meihaus (right), art teacher at New York Elementary School
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times Bryce Jones (right), theatre teacher at Free State High School
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times Derek Kwan (left) presents a check to Eric Bradshaw, band director at Free State High School.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times The O&Co. Jazz Trio — consisting of Free State seniors Owen Börk, on piano; Annah Steele, on bass; and Anders Benson, on drums — performs “Happy Cooking” by Kazua Yashiro.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times Ja’Liana Ayala, a junior at Lawrence High School, sings “Survive” by Lewis Capaldi.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times Owen Börk was announced as this year’s winner of the Graham Edmonds Standing Ovation Award and student scholarship, named for the alum who started Ovation! a decade ago.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times Graham Edmonds returned to town from Los Angeles and gave a surprise performance of an original song, “Ride Back to the Sunflower State.”
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times Zoe Kaul (center) and members of the Lawrence Ballet Theatre perform “Perpetual Awakening,” with music by Ludovico Einaudi and choreography by Catie Deitz-Griffith.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times

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Nathan Kramer (he/him), a multimedia student journalist for The Lawrence Times since August 2024, is a senior at Free State High School. He is also a news photo editor for Free State’s student publication, where he works as a videographer, photographer and motion designer. See more of his work for the Times here.

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Environment

Kaw Valley Almanac for Feb. 2-8, 2026

by Ken Lassman
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These geese are flying over a cottonwood. This time of year, it’s easy to hear the honking flocks of geese, particularly in the morning and evening skies, and it’s a great time of year to spot many other birds such as ducks, hawks, eagles, gulls, doves and more.

Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Dance Hues Studio's STAMPP Performance and Competition Company opens the Ovation! talent show with “Freedom Renaissance," Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026 at the Lied Center.
Arts & Events

Lawrence students, teachers celebrated at Ovation! talent show; creator returns to perform

by Photos by Nathan Kramer
Share this post or save for later

Community members gathered Sunday evening for the 10th annual Ovation! talent show, spotlighting the showmanship of Lawrence Public Schools students. 

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Kaw Valley Almanac for Feb. 2-8, 2026

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