KUCHING: Aleysha Shareef was thrilled as she proudly accepted a scholarship from the esteemed New York Film Academy after her outstanding performance and gold medal win at the 27th World Championships of Performing Arts.
“I was really excited when they mentioned that I got a gold medal and a champion, but I was mostly happy with my scholarship from the New York Film Academy,” she said.
Standing alongside his sister, Ryan Zachary Shareef Van Der Horst reflected on the competition’s impact, highlighting the value of opportunities beyond medals.
“When you win gold medals – you’re very happy and then when you win bronze medals and stuff. You’re (also) very happy, so when you go home you just put it somewhere when you look at it.
“But then, if you get a scholarship, those are opportunities, so then after the competition you have better opportunities to do something right?”
Looking ahead, Aleysha has been approached by Disney and other industry professionals for potential collaborations, including music recording and film opportunities.
“I usually do pop and R&B, but I just decided to join Broadway in WCOPA and that was the genre I got the gold medal and champion for, which I really didn’t expect,” she said.
She highlighted her unexpected success and also noted that her favourite Broadway song was, “Never Enough” from The Greatest Showman, as a source of inspiration.
Ryan then shared that the competition’s experience was really good and that he was excited for it.
“But now when it’s over, I still kind of miss it,” he said.
Both siblings forged lasting friendships with participants from Kazakhstan, South Africa, UAE, and New Zealand during their WCOPA journey.
Both of them from Sarawak, Malaysia, excelled at the 27th World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA). Aleysha won gold in Broadway Vocal (ages 11-12) and was named Division Winner.
The twins secured bronze for their Pop Vocal duet in the Junior Division. Together, they earned another gold in the grand finals, totaling five medals at WCOPA 2024.
Meanwhile, their mother, Shirley Hasmani explained further that the scholarship by New York Film Academy was for the summer youth programme, with potential opportunities also being explored for Ryan.
“We’re going to proceed with the New York Film Academy. They also offered Ryan, not in the award letter, but because they went together to see the producer. We’ll see if two of them can be put together.
“For now, it’s just Aleysha. Now, we put Aleysha first, but if we go over there, we’ll bring him as well,” she said.
Shirley described the experience as a positive one for her as a mother, especially for her children who got to meet people from all around the world.
“It’s very nice to represent, they love to represent, always mentioning Sarawak, Malaysia. Malaysia Boleh all the time (with the) Malaysian flag.
“It’s something patriotic right, to represent your country, it’s also fun, it’s a good experience and a happy experience together with the training and all they seem to enjoy it,” she said.
She then said that both Aleysha and Ryan want to pursue more in this line to get to the top later in their career.
Their vocal coach, Dewi Liana Seriestha, commended Aleysha and Ryan for their diligence and growth during rehearsals, noting significant improvements in their vocal skills and commitment to learning.
Likewise, their modelling coach, Viviana Lin Winston also praised both siblings for their dedication during training, highlighting Ryan’s surprising ascent to the top 5 and Aleysha’s commendable efforts.
