The Shadow
Two local young ladies will have the chance of a lifetime in July.
Rialeigh Conner, 7, and Jadyn Brown, 4, the daughters of Krista Conner and Ian Brown of Iron Gate, will audition at the IPOP! Event in Los Angeles, Calif.
Their journey toward this opportunity began during an audition to be on television at the Sheraton Hotel in Roanoke on Saturday, February.
They auditioned against 400 children from the surrounding areas, and they were two of 25 children picked that day.
They were called back to talk to the scouts from Los Angeles, California the next day, Sunday, February 12.
On that day they signed along with 25 others to be in a showcase (another audition for agents and an IPOP! Representative) and before the showcase they were formally trained by a coach from New York City and a coach from Blacksburg.
“They practiced every weekend from February 18 to March 10 as well as practiced at home thru the week. They worked really hard,” said Conner.
The girls performed for the Children’s Hospital at Roanoke Memorial Hospital on March 4 in hopes of bringing some joy to the sick kids in the area.
On March 10, they showcased their talent at The Hotel Roanoke in front of agents as well as friends and family of the 25 participants.
At the showcase, Rialeigh and Jadyn were in a fashion show, as well as Rialeigh performed a monologue and Jadyn performed a commercial.
They were the youngest two out of the 25 that performed.
“Rialeigh and Jadyn did an excellent job showcasing their talents,” said Conner. “They made some great friends and had a blast with this experience.”
At the showcase, the IPOP! Representative was allowed to pick 15 out of the 25 to offer the next audition, which would be held in Los Angeles, Calif.
“She advised everyone that evening that if you were picked and if you got a call back, meaning she wanted to meet with you and your parents,” Conner explained. “The next day you would need a down payment in order to reserve your spot at the IPOP! Event which will be held in July.
“We received a call after the showcase saying they were two out of nine to be picked,” Conner said. “The representative from IPOP! could have picked 15 but did not.”
The girls will get to stay in Los Angeles at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel where they will have the opportunity to meet 400-500 agents and be discovered for television.
A trip to Los Angeles, Calif., isn’t cheap, and the girls have been working on fundraisers in preparation for the opportunity.
Conner said they are grateful to the community for its support.
“They are so excited and feel very blessed to have this chance. We hope that the community will want to contribute in helping the girls reach their dream,” said Conner. “I know some of you may be skeptical and think this is not worth contributing toward, however if the community helps us and the girls do make it on television we will bring a lot back to this community and put our towns and cities on the map.
“We want to thank you today and hope to see you at our other events,” Conner concluded.
For more information, log onto www.ipopla.com.
