ZIMBABWE’S eight representatives at this year’s edition of the global talent show, World Championships for Performing Arts (WCOPA), are expected to fly to the United States today ahead of the competition, which kicks off on June 30.
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
The WCOPA, which will run until July 19, is an international performing arts talent competition and educational showcase held annually in the US and has often been viewed as the Olympics of the performing arts.
Zimbabwe Championships for Performing Arts (ZiCOPA) co-founder and national director, Nyarayi Jessica Tandy, told NewsDay from her base in South Africa on Friday she was confident the contestants will bring more medals this year.
“The team started off with 29 contestants selected in a round of three auditions held between August 2016 and March 2017 under the theme Soaring High. However, due to financial support challenges, we have eight contestants that finalised everything and are ready to compete,” she said.
“In terms of the actual technical training, I am proud and confident on the work and effort that the contestants have put in. They have spent numerous hours perfecting their performances and I am confident that we are going to bring more medals this year.”
Tandy said they have received support from Zimbabwean well-wishers based in the US, with Norma Gandary rallying her friends in Los Angeles to support the team.
“We had a great journey as a team, achieved so much as a collective effort and have been each other’s cheerleaders. This year, will have two parents travelling with us, supporting their daughter,” she said.
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“We have also seen some parents, who have been so involved in getting us to where we are, even though they are unable to travel with us. The moral support they have given to their children and the team has been breathtaking.”
Zimbabwe made its debut at the event last year with a team of contestants — guitarist Sylent Nqo, beatboxer Probeatz and model Timothy Hogo — that brought home a collective 15 medals.
