For three Bradford residents, an annual competition offers the opportunity to share their skills with the nation.
Singers, Cassie Acevedo, 20, and Finley Thomson, 18, plus dancer Marielle Shvaitser, 13, have all entered the Canadian National Exhibition’s (CNE) Rising Star competition in the youth category for the chance to be named the grand champion on Sept. 1 — a title that comes with the pride of accomplishment and a prize of $3,500.
“For more than three decades, (now in its 37th year) the CNE Rising Star competition has provided a platform for emerging artists in the community to showcase their talents at one of Canada’s largest events and stages,” Randi-Lynn Paul of CNE media relations said.
Each of Bradford’s three competitors have some level of familiarity with the competition, in which Acevedo participated in 2016 when she was just 12.
“I was a lot more nervous back then,” she said. “I only made it to the first stage.”
Since then Acevedo explained she’s gained more experience with both performing and competing in front of an audience and is ready to return to the CNE and give it her all.
“I just want to use it as a platform to not only get better but also get myself out there more,” she said.
Based on a long-standing love of the British singer-songwriter’s work, Acevedo plans to perform All I Ask by Adele.
“It was the first song that I sang that made me push my voice more,” she said. “She sings very high and I was scared of singing like that, but I chose to sing that song in another competition and it actually worked out really well.”
While she began singing at age six, Acevedo said she later took lessons before learning musical theatre with a performing arts group and later began singing solo and entering competitions.
More recently, she began writing and releasing her own music, which can be found on her Spotify page.
Acevedo revealed her favourite thing about singing is connecting with the audience and helping them experience the emotions of the music.
“Even if I didn’t experiencing the things being sung about in the song, it was kind of like acting,” she said. “You just put on another persona and you try to convey the message from the song to the people who are watching.”
Finley Thomson is returning to the competition for a second time after becoming a semi-finalist last year.
“It was just such a good experience and everyone was so kind,” she said, adding her family have been going to the CNE her whole life. “I’ve always seen it there and I just decided to enter last year. I loved it so much, I decided to enter again this year.”
Thomson said she’s been able take last year’s feedback from judges and continue improving her skills as part of her daily life.
“Growth is my No. 1 goal, but winning would be awesome as well,” she said.
This year, Thomson plans to perform the song In My Dreams from the musical Anastasia, with which she feels a real connection.
“It’s just such a beautiful piece and it’s something I’ve never done before,” she said. “It’s a little more challenging, but I wanted to push myself, and it’s a fun one as well.”
Thomson explained she’s been singing since she was four and appreciates how it can be an outlet for emotions, both good and bad.
“Every time I sing, it just makes me so happy. It’s my safe place,” she said.
Some of her performances are available on her YouTube page.
In addition to offering opportunities for learning, Thomson called the competition a “really awesome place to be.”
This summer marks Marielle Shvaitser’s third year in a row entering the Rising Star competition, where she was the fifth runner up last year.
Shvaitser has been dancing since she was two and said she was inspired to join the competition after watching her brother compete for several years before.
“I always looked up to him,” she said.
While winning the competition would be nice, Shvaitser explained her main goal is to entertain the audience.
“I mostly just want to dance for the audience and make the audience feel the dancing,” she said.
It’s a strategy that paid off earlier this year, when Shvaitser and her partner won the junior Latin, Ballroom and 10 Dance categories at the 66th Canadian Closed DanceSport Championships in mid April.
At Rising Star, she plans to perform a solo contemporary dance, as she finds the contemporary movement best allows her to express herself in a calming manner.
“I find it’s a very easy way to just move and forget about everything else, and it makes me happy to just move, to just dance,” she said.
Win or lose, Shvaitser said Rising Star and the CNE is always “a really great experience.”
In addition to the title of grand champion there are three runner up positions that come with prizes ranging from $800-2,000.
As part of the CNE — which runs from Aug. 16 to Sept. 2 at Exhibition Place in Toronto with a variety of rides, games, performances and exhibits — the Rising Star competition is set to run from Aug. 20 to Sept. 1 on the International Stage in Hall B, at the Enercare Centre, where guests can watch starting at 7 p.m.
Admission to watch the competition is included in the general admission tickets, which can be purchased in person at the CNE or online at www.theex.com/tickets.
— With files from Chris Simon
