The 10th annual World Championships of Performing Arts held from August 5 through August 12 culminated in a Worldstars Grand Finals showdown at the Hollywood Palladium this past Sunday. Hosted by Michael Copon, the Worldstars event book-ended the whole-week competition, where different categories in the performing arts: acting, modeling, singing, and instrumental from junior and senior divisions competed for the Grand Final.

Pam Ward from USA team who sang the signature song of Dreamgirls’ “And I Am Telling You” won the Senior Over-All WCOPA Grand Performer of the World (the same category Jed Madela won last year) while junior ballroom dancing team Inna Bila (7 year-old) and Maksim Panchenko (12 year-old) from Ovidiopol, Odessa region, the country of Ukraine, won the Junior Over-All Grand Performer(s) of the World – the two highest awards given to Worldstars.

In an exclusive short interview with Pam Ward she noted what was her greatest fear, “The Philippine teams are so talented we are all afraid to compete with them. They make it look like all Filipinos are great singers. I wasn’t expecting at all I would get the Over-All top prize,” she admitted while holding her big glass trophy.

Here is the complete list of winners during Grand Finals competition:
Juniors: Vocal Group – Cercado Sisters (Philippines); Dance Group – Inna Vila/Maksym Pachenko (Ukraine); Actors – Robert Webb (South Africa); Female Model – Chanri Hitge (South Africa); Male Model – Abraham Griffith (USA); Instrumentalists – Nadje Leslie (Jamaica); Dance Solo – Mansur Musayev (Russia); Vocal Solo – Moldir Bakytzhanoba (Kazakhstan).

Seniors: Vocal Group – Projek 5 (Trinidad and Tobago); Instrumentalists – Estuardo Linde (Guatemala); Actors – Rafael Cuesta, Jr. (USA); Dance Solo – Roxana Timoshenko (Austria); Female Model – Yanina Kiseleva (Russia); Male Model: Zachariah Griffith (USA); Dance Group – PAGA (Hungary); Vocal Solo – Pam Ward (USA).

The country with most number of entries: (1) South Africa (2) Trinidad and Tobago (3) Guatemala; Director with most number of entries is Lama Smith from the Caribbean; Best National Costume is Trinidad and Tobago, 2nd place – Jamaica, 3rd

Among in the Philippine team who competed for the Grand Finals/Over-All Championships are the (duet) team of Jonalyn Viray and Brennan Espartinez, Kim Flores (vocal junior division), Jeremie Antiporda (vocal senior division), and the Cercados Sisters (vocal group junior division).

Here are the complete names of Worldstars competitors from the Philippine team and their respective winnings:

Vocal Junior Division:
Kim Flores (4 Golds: broadway, gospel, original, pop/ Industry Award: female vocal solo/ 3 Plaques: Overall Champion Female Vocal Solo for broadway, original, pop);
Cercado Sisters (4 Golds: broadway, gospel, original, pop/ 1 Plaque: Overall Champion Vocal Group for pop/ Grand Champion Vocal Group);

Vocal Senior Division:
Jonalyn Viray (5 Golds: broadway, original, pop, r&b/jazz, variety/ Industry Award: female vocal solo/ 3 Plaques: Overall Champion Female Vocal Solo for broadway, original, pop); Brenan Espartinez (5 Golds: gospel, original, pop, r&b/jazz, variety/ Industry Award: male vocal solo/ 4 Plaques: Overall Champion Male Vocal Solo for gospel, original, pop, variety); Jonalyn Viray and Brenan Espartinez (Vocal Duet/Trio)/ 2 Golds: pop, r&b/jazz/ Industry Award: vocal duet/trio/ 1 Plaque: Overall Champion Vocal Duet/Trio for pop, gospel, broadway);

Jennifer Bautista (2 Golds: broadway, rock/ 1 Bronze: r&b/jazz/ Industry Award: female vocal solo/ 1 Plaque: Overall Champion Female Vocal Solo for broadway); Jon Joven (1 Gold: broadway/ 2 Silvers: pop, opera/ 1 Plaque: Overall Champion Male Vocal for broadway); Dex de Rosa (3 Golds: broadway, pop, rock/ Industry Award: male vocal solo/ 1 Plaque: Overall Male Champion for Vocal Solo); Jeremie Antiporda (4 Golds: broadway, contemporary, original, pop/ 1 Silver: r&b/jazz; Industry Award: female vocal solo/ 1 Plaque: Overall Female Champion for Vocal Solo);

Rachel Alejandro (1 Gold: rock/ 2 Silvers: contemporary, original/ 1 Plaque: Overall Champion Female Vocal Solo for rock); Juaquin Tungol (2 Golds: contemporary, gospel/ 2 Silver: broadway/ 1 Bronze: opera; Industry Award: male vocal solo); Bim Mangubat (1 Silver: original/ 2 Bronzes: contemporary, pop); Faith Cuneta (2 Medals -details yet to be confirmed); Siblings (3 Silvers: original, r&b/jazz, world)

Instrumentalist Senior Division

Angelo Ortiz (1 Gold: classical/ 2 Silvers: original, open/ Industry Award: instrumentalist/ 2 Plaques: Overall Champion Instrumentalist for classical, Overall Champion for Instrumentals); Glenn Cadampog (2 Bronzes: contemporary, original)

Acting Senior Division
Rommel Luna (2 Medals - details yet to be confirmed)

THE PROGRAM
Michael Copon opened the ceremony singing Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Wanna Be” before Final competition started. “The show was fast-paced and very entertaining. My mom and I really enjoyed watching the Finals,” commented Akeelah and the Bee star Sean Michael Afable who was also in the audience.

Last year’s Grand Over-All Champion Jed Madela wowed the audience and received another standing ovation from the crowd when he sang “I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing.” During the ceremony, President of WCPOPA Griff O’Neil thanked not only the industry supporters and the participants but the parents, and other guests who attended.

Joan See, President of the School of Film and Television Academy in New York, corrected Mr. Griffin during her speech by saying, “it was not $50,000 but $85,000 worth of scholarship grants that was distributed from last year, given by the School Academy for the winners of 2005 WCOPA.” Before the announcement of the Grand Champs, Katie Benko sang the new theme song of the WCOPA.

PANEL OF JUDGES
Among notable “movers and shakers” in the Hollywood industry in the 12 panel of Final Judges last Saturday at the Hollywood Palladium were:

Laney Filouk, former professional dancer and now co-owner of BLOC, a talent agency (with offices in Los Angeles and New York City) boasting the tops in professional dancers, choreographers and skateboarders. BLOC recently represented choreographers and dancers from movies Little Miss Sunshine, the HBO film My Life In Idlewild –starring Outkast, and the much anticipated Dreamgirls – starring Beyonce Knowles and Eddie Murphy.

Beverly Garland, A “Hollywood Legend” who has starred in 41 movies and 700 television shows, and played opposite Frank Sinatra, Bing Brosby, Clint Eastwood and Michael Douglas. She is best recognized as Fred MacMurray’s wife on the hit comedy My Three Sons. Her star is on the Hollywood Walk of Fame … and is now appearing in her one-woman show, “Beverly Garland’s First 50 Years in Show Business.”

John Pardee, a successful feature film screenwriter, writer/producer of numerous tv hit series (Cybil, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, etc.).

Cody Longo, an Abercrombie & /Fitch model who has worked with famous photographer Bruce Weber. His first pilot was F.I.S.T. and soon to launch his acting career. His first lead role is Hip Hop Kidz to be released next year.

Marina Mena, Director of film and television at FirstCom Music, a leading provider of music services via CD and the Web, with 12 years of experience including with A & R at Windswept Pacific, and the Walt Disney Music Company’s Publishing/Creative Department.

Raul Rodriguez, pioneered the design of hundreds of magnificent award-winning floats for the Tournament of Rose Parade in Pasadena. Among his renowned design credits include: World’s Fair in New Orleans, Philadelphia’s “We the People 2000” Parade, the Olympics in Los Angeles, Las Vegas Flamingo Hilton Hotel, Radio City Music Hall, Harley Davidson and the Walt Disney Company.

Larry La Fond, a casting director who began his tv career when he joined the 5th season of All That in 1998 as a casting assistant. He is the casting assistant for All That, Zoey 101, season four of Drake & Josh, the final seasons of Kenan & Kel and The Amanda Show as well as projects for Fox Family Channel, Disney Channel, Discovery’s FitTV, TV Guide Channel, Noggin, and Comedy Central.

Chanel Kong, formerly with Identity Management in Hollywood, is a print and commercial agent for Wilhelmina Model Agency, and currently works for School for Film and Television in New York.

Ted Maier represents over 100 actors and models for movies, television shows, commercials, music videos and print modeling jobs and has recently booked clients on films: Pirates of the Caribbean 2 & 3, Princess Diaries 2, The Hulk, Charlie’s Angels2; TV shows such as: Alias, Boston Legal, CSI: New York, Las Vegas, King of Queens, Gilmore Girls, Drake and Josh; literally every soap opera; series regulars on Nickelodeon, MTV and CBS; music video bookings; Wil Smith, Janet Jackson, Jay-Z, Eminem, N’Sync, Incubus, Dirks Bentley, Pink, Trace Akdins, Gavin DeGraw.

Victoria Morris is a Senior Agent at the Talent Agency Kazarian/Spencer & Associates whose offices serve talent in Los Angeles and New York City. She was a featured dancer in the John Huston directed film ANNIE, and cult feature XANADU, the highly acclaimed theatre piece STREET HEAT, countless videos, commercials and prime time variety shows. In the ten years she has spent heading the KSA Equity Department, she has represented Broadway’s best and now heads offices on both coasts.

Joey Murphy (with writing partner John Pardee), for fourteen years, have been successful film screenwriters as well as television writers/producers. Murphy serves as Co-Executive Producer of that enormous television hit, “Desperate Housewives.”

And lastly, Steve Dorff, one of the world’s most successful music composers: NSAI Songwriter of the Year, 40 BMI and 11 Billboard #1 awards, three-time Grammy nominee, Emmy nominee for five television compositions, nine #1 film songs and 15 top 10 hits. His many songs have been sung by some of the greatest artists of our time, such as Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, George Strait, Vanessa Williams and countless others. He currently has three projects making their way to Broadway.

Copyright 2006 Oliver Carnay HollywoodFLIP.com - All rights reserved

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