Sarawakian Twins Shine at World Championships of Performing Arts
Aleysha Shareef Secures Gold and Scholarship
KUCHING: Aleysha Shareef stood beaming with pride as she accepted a prestigious scholarship from the renowned New York Film Academy, following her stellar performance and gold medal victory at the 27th World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA).
“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,” Aleysha shared, her excitement palpable.
Opportunities Beyond Medals
Standing alongside his sister, Ryan Zachary Shareef Van Der Horst reflected on the true value of the competition, emphasizing the significance of the opportunities it presented.
“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?” Ryan remarked.
Future Collaborations with Disney and More
Aleysha’s remarkable performance caught the eye of Disney and other industry professionals, opening doors for potential collaborations in music recording and film projects.
“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,” Aleysha noted, expressing her surprise and joy at her unexpected success. She also mentioned her favorite Broadway song, “Never Enough” from The Greatest Showman, as a significant source of inspiration.
Reflecting on the WCOPA Experience
Ryan shared his sentiments about the competition, stating, “The competition’s experience was really good, and I was excited for it. But now when it’s over, I still kind of miss it.”
During their journey at WCOPA, both siblings forged lasting friendships with participants from Kazakhstan, South Africa, UAE, and New Zealand.
Medal Wins and Division Victories
Aleysha and Ryan, hailing from Sarawak, Malaysia, excelled at the 27th World Championships of Performing Arts. Aleysha clinched gold in the Broadway Vocal category (ages 11-12) and was named Division Winner. The twins also secured bronze for their Pop Vocal duet in the Junior Division. Together, they amassed a total of five medals at WCOPA 2024, including another gold in the grand finals.
Scholarship Details and Future Plans
Their mother, Shirley Hasmani, elaborated on the scholarship from the New York Film Academy, explaining that it was for the summer youth program, 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,” Shirley explained.
A Positive Experience for the Family
Shirley described the experience as incredibly positive for her as a mother, especially for her children who got to meet people from 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.
Pursuing Their Dreams
Both Aleysha and Ryan are eager to pursue their passions further and aim to reach the top in their respective careers.
Their vocal coach, Dewi Liana Seriestha, praised Aleysha and Ryan for their diligence and growth during rehearsals, noting significant improvements in their vocal skills and commitment to learning. Similarly, their modeling coach, Viviana Lin Winston, commended both siblings for their dedication during training, highlighting Ryan’s surprising ascent to the top 5 and Aleysha’s commendable efforts.