KUCHING: Talented twins Aleysha Shareef and Ryan Zachary Shareef, aged 11, departed for Kuala Lumpur and then Long Beach, California, USA, to participate in the 27th World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) scheduled from June 28 to July 6.
They represented Malaysia after delivering a stunning performance at the national WCOPA held at the City Theatre, Kuala Lumpur, last January.
WCOPA, known as the Talent Olympics for aspiring entertainers, attracts participants from over 60 countries annually.
When met by reporters before boarding the plane yesterday, Aleysha and Ryan Zachary both expressed excitement.
Aleysha informed that they had been attending intensive classes in both vocals and modeling for the last two months or so.
“Our sole target is to win. When we achieve that, I want to proudly announce to all viewers that we are representatives from Sarawak, Malaysia,” she stressed.
Ryan Zachary echoed his confidence in competing and expressed his determination to give his best for the country, especially Sarawak.
“We’ve been eagerly anticipating this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a long time and are thrilled to compete with the world’s best talents,” he added.
Aleysha will showcase her solo talents in three vocal genres: Rock & Ballad, Pop, and Broadway, with formal and casual attire for the modeling category. She will also perform two duets with Ryan Zachary.
Ryan Zachary will participate in the Pop and Open vocal genres, presenting formal and casual outfits for the fashion show, along with duets alongside his sister.
It is worth noting that several Malaysian contestants, including renowned Sarawakian entertainer Bob Yusof, have clinched gold at WCOPA.
Dewi Liana Seriestha, vocal coach to Aleysha and Ryan Zachary, earned gold for classical opera, three silver medals for contemporary, world music, and various vocal categories, a special Industry Award, and the WCOPA classical champion medal in 2014.
Datuk Eddie Abdullah and Datuk Saniah Yak, the twins’ coaches and friends were also present to give them strong support.
