Taryn heads to the States
Seventeen-year-old Taryn de Klerk from Selcourt has her eyes set on the United States, as she has been selected to represent South Africa in the Applause Rising Talent Showcase (ARTS), taking place in July.
It was in October when de Klerk’s agency afforded her the chance to audition for the opportunity, which involved her performing on stage in front of talent scout and director of ARTS, Kim Myers.
The auditions took place in Johannesburg.
“The audition was an opportunity for me to showcase my talent in four different categories,” explains de Klerk, “and from there, I was selected to go to America in July, where I will get the chance to perform for international talent scouts from the big agencies there.”
De Klerk, who is a quadruple threat, will showcase her talent in the areas of dance, modelling, singing and acting during ARTS.
She will also be afforded the opportunity to go to Orlando, Florida, and the New York Film Academy and attend some of the courses offered in the areas of performing arts, during her visit.
“There will also be an opportunity to perform and meet talent scouts there,” she elaborates, “so it is basically a tour around America to show-off the talent we have, in hopes of getting our big break in the industry- on a larger scale.”
Taryn, who attends school at Veritas College in Springs, explains that she started as a modern dancer at the tender age of five and ventured into tap-dancing at age seven.
She also started playing the piano at a very young age.
“Since a young age, I have always been musical and very much into performing,” she says, “so the stage has always felt like home to me.”
This passion, and the immeasurable support from her family, is what Taryn attributes to being able to balance the demands of being a matric learner and the demands of her performing arts career.
“It gets very stressful to balance everything, but because I love it so much and it’s my passion, I find a way to make time for everything,” she says passionately.
“My family’s support has also been amazing,” she expresses in gratitude, “my mom and dad have always believed in me and supported my dream, while giving me the courage to pursue it at all costs.”
Taryn hopes to be the next Charlize Theron (who is also her role model), is very grateful and excited about the opportunity she has been given and aims to expose local talent to the international world of performing arts,while allowing the experience to enrich her and her skill set.
“I aim to make the best of every moment of this wonderful opportunity,” she affirms, “I would like to see how far I can take my arts and hopefully get feedback from top talent agencies.”
“My aim is to make a difference and put Springs on the map.”
