Hazel Schwantes was moments from stepping onstage Monday night, but she didn’t want to talk about it. She felt a little nervous. She was about to perform with her mom, Maria Dosal, who said they’ve been singing together since Hazel was two.
“Sometimes she will take the lead on it, and we’ll finish each other’s sentences, but we just kind of feed off each other’s energy when we’re up there, whether we’re singing at home or on stage,” she said.
Four-year-old Hazel is from Dillingham and the youngest performer at this year’s Natives Got Talent in downtown Anchorage. The event is a fixture of the Elders and Youth Conference, a multi-day gathering that brings together hundreds of children, teens and elders from all over Alaska for workshops and performances. The annual talent show is a chance to celebrate culture, community and just have fun, with singing, dancing and storytelling…