By Suzanne Schmidt
Two Wesley Chapel girls are hoping to make their dreams come true at the International Presentation of Performers in Los Angeles in January.
Kara Bush, 12, and Leah Bush, 7, were invited to attend the talent competition through their audition at the Young Actors Studio recently. The girls are still trying to raise another $6,000 for the experience.
Virginia Bush said she enrolled her daughters in the Young Actors Studio in Tampa nine months ago so they could pursue their dreams. They have been learning about what to do at auditions through many of the regular classes at the studio while also taking a boot camp to prepare them for IPOP.
“It is like a career fest where agents go to get the best of the best,” Virginia Bush said. “Sometimes people are offered contracts right on the spot. All the talent agents are there looking for the next big thing. This could give them a career boost and put them in the forefront of the industry.”
Kara said she has been dreaming of being on television since she can remember.
“I have wanted to become an actress since I was 2,” Kara said. “I would see all the people on TV and I knew I wanted to do that. I want to see myself on TV. I think it is fun to pretend to be different people.”
Leah said she would love to realize her dream of starring in a movie with Ariel from “The Little Mermaid.”
“It is my dream to be in a movie with Ariel and for me to be her twin sister,” Leah said.
Both Leah and Kara aspire to be on Disney sitcoms or shows produced by Nickelodeon. They said they would love to be on “iCarly,” “Hannah Montana” or “Wizards of Waverly Place.”
Through the studio, Kara and Leah are learning how to get the audition right.
“I have learned how to do a cold read,” Kara said. “I learned how to hold the paper when I am reading and how to keep eye contact. I learned how to stand still and not flit around or touch my clothes. They are giving us good tips on how to be in front of people.”
Kara said she has been using what she has learned in school as well like when she gave a speech for the Tropicana Speech Contest last school year.
“All my friends said I sounded like someone on the news,” Kara said. “I wasn’t really scared of getting up in front of people before, but I have learned to be more confident. I feel better because I feel like I know what I am doing.”
Jason Bush, Kara and Leah’s father, said he is really happy with the changes he sees in his daughters due to the training.
“They have both always been confident, but I think this has been very beneficial for them,” Jason Bush said. “Whether or not they go into careers through this, I still think it has helped them.”
Virginia Bush said she was impressed with the emphasis on education. She said they tell the girls that school is their first job and modeling or acting is their second.
“One thing I like about it is the emphasis they put on getting good grades,” Virginia Bush said. “The girls can not get a C or lower in any class. If they do then they can’t go to the competition.”
The family has had a few fundraisers already but they still need to raise money to get to the event. Beef ‘O’Brady’s, 21539 Village Lakes Shopping Center in Land O’ Lakes, is supporting the girls. If a person mentions that they want to donate to the girls’ cause, the restaurant will donate 10 percent of the price of their meal to the girls. The family will also be raising money through selling raffle tickets at Classy Consignment at 23020 SR 54 in Lutz.
Many people might be skeptical about the validity of the program, but Donna Slagill said she has found success through the recent IPOP talent search in Las Vegas. Her son was also taking classes at the studio.
“He was taking classes at the Young Actors Studio when he auditioned for IPOP,” Slagill said. “We didn’t know what it was at the time. It is a chance for people to beintroduced to people they wouldn’t normally have access to. Kids get in front of agents from Los Angeles to New York.”
She is currently in Los Angeles with her son Connor, 13, talking with talent agents.
“We have already met with a legitimate agents,” Slagill said. “They represent actors on iCarly and Hannah Montana. We were really skeptical at first, but for us it has worked out. Now we have to just make a decision about who we want to sign with.”
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