Kidz Starz winners rock Dubai

Dubai: Three Dubai youngsters walked away with prizes worth Dh150,000 in gift vouchers from retailers of Dubai Festival City last Friday after winning the finals at Kidz Starz, the first in-mall children’s talent show.

Theertha Vinod, 12, from India; Nouelle Shama Zamora, 14, from Philippines and Callum Thomas Bell, 13, from the UK were judged winners in the Dance, Music and Singing categories respectively.

A total of 150 children between the ages of six and 15 were auditioned for the competition which was launched on October 25. And the winning trio were picked out by apanel of judges from a total of 15 finalists.

Dance and music

Vinod set the dance floor on fire with her fusion of Indian folk and western dance styles. She began her routine at the finale with some folk steps, dancing to the tunes of the South Indian track Elantha Pazham.

And as the rhythm of the track switched from its original version to a remixed one, Vinod too altered her steps and momentum, adopting a peppy western style to match the song’s mood. And she was impressive in both dance styles.

Filipina teen performer Zamora dedicated her performance to the victims and the families of those affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The youngster played the piano and sang the touching track Wings of an Angel. Appropriately dressed in an angel outfit complete with wings, she sang the song to perfection as the crowd whole-heartedly cheered her right through the performance.

Teen singing sensation Callum Thomas Bell displayed his outstanding vocal prowess as he belted out the self-composed anti-bullying song Unbreakable. A die-hard Adele fan, the 14-year-old singer is popular in town having won a studio recording session after a win in a talent contest earlier. He also played the title role in the musical Oliver at Madinat Theatre.

Prizes

Apart from the top three finalist, prizes were also given to some other performers. “The talent levels were so high that we could not limit ourselves to giving away prizes to just three children. We also identified some other talents deserving scholarships,” said Scott Marshall, choreographer and owner of The Diverse Performing Arts School. The institute awarded five scholarships — two for musical theatre and three for dancing.

“The children will train at our institute for two terms and will also perform at our annual show,” added Scott who was one of the judges at the event.

Other winners

The scholarship winners were Sheena Mae Ann Celis and Natasha Adelina Eric for musical theatre; Ryan Somaiah, Apurva Prashant Kaimal and Vinod for dance.

“We were blown away by some of the performances by six- and seven-year-old youngsters. They performed with unbelievable maturity,” said David Robinson, regional general manager, shopping malls, Al Futtaim Group Real Estate.