Team UAE – World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) have once again demonstrated their extraordinary talent on a global stage.
Competing at the prestigious event held at the Long Beach Convention Center in California, the UAE team, particularly the Filipino delegates, brought home numerous accolades, reaffirming their status as some of the best performers in the world.
During the competition, the WCOPA UAE team bagged a total of 51 gold medals, 47 silver medals, 9 bronze medals, and 17 Division Champion awards. Among the 20 delegates, 11 Filipinos won numerous awards, namely: Elipas Sibua, Pau Camarines, Peter Rosalita, Zairah Alexine Ragat, Martinus Miguel, “The Castle” (Lexus Castillo and Alexa Castillo), John Paul Alviz, Marc Samuel Antillion, and Patrick Morales.
Below are the list of their names and their awards:
1. Elipas Sibua
Award: Excellent Director of the Year
2. Pau Camarines
Award: Best Choreographer of the Year
3. Peter Rosalita
Awards:
– Junior Grand Finalist – Gold Medal
– Semi-Finalist – Silver Medal
– Gold in Vocal Broadway
– Gold in Vocal Gospel
– Gold in Vocal Open
– Gold in Vocal Opera
– Gold in Vocal Rock
– Silver in Vocal Pop
– Silver in Vocal Jazz
– Division Champion in Rock
4. Zairah Alexine Ragat
Awards:
– Junior Grand Finalist – Gold Medal
– Semi-Finalist – Silver Medal
– Gold in Vocal Gospel
– Gold in Vocal Self Accompaniment – Broadway
– Silver in Modeling Formal
– Division Champion in Vocals with Self Accompaniment in Broadway
5. Martinus Miguel
Awards:
– Junior Grand Finalist – Gold Medal
– Semi-Finalist – Silver Medal
– Gold in Vocal R&B Soul Jazz
– Gold in Gospel with Self Accompaniment
– Gold in Vocal Contemporary
– Gold in Vocal Gospel
– Silver in Instrumental Open
– Silver in KEM Trio Contemporary
– Bronze Medal in Vocal Open
– Division Champion in Gospel with Self Accompaniment
6. “The Castle” (Lexus Castillo and Alexa Castillo)
– Awards:
– Junior Grand Finalist – Gold Medal
– Semi-Finalist – Silver Medal
– Semi-Finalist – Gold
– Gold in Dance Hip Hop
– Gold in Dance Open
– Silver in Modeling Photo
– Division Champion in Dance Hip Hop
7. John Paul Alviz
Awards:
– Senior Grand Finalist – Gold Medal
– Contemporary Piano – Gold Medal
– Semi-Finalist – Silver Finalist
– Gold in Classical Piano
– Gold in Jazz Piano
– Gold in Open Piano
– Gold in Contemporary
– Division Champion in Piano Contemporary
– Division Champion in Classical
– Division Champion in Jazz Piano
– Division Champion in Open Piano
3. Mother and Son Duo
Awards:
– Semi-Finalist – Silver Medal
– Gold in Gospel
– Gold in Original Works
– Gold in Open
– Gold in Opera
– Gold in Broadway
– Silver in Pop
– Silver in Country
– Division Champion in Opera
– Division Champion in Broadway
8. Marc Samuel Antillion
Awards:
– Junior Semi-Finalist – Silver Medal
– Gold in Pop with Self Accompaniment
– Silver in Jazz
– Bronze in Country
– Bronze in Gospel
9. Patrick Morales
Award: Bronze in Vocal Contemporary
Delegates from other countries also made their countries proud, such as Craig Fernandez, Micaelyn Coelho, Erinne Lopez, Keer Wang, Rania Tahiri, Khalifa Budiarsya, Kadek Rasmawan, Jerusha Dsouza, and Vedha Arun Nair.
1. Craig Fernandez from Portugal
Awards: Junior Grand Champion of the World in Instrumental
2. Micaelyn Coelho from India
Awards:
– Junior Grand Finalist – Gold Medal
– Semi-Finalist – Silver Medal
– Gold in Vocal Jazz
– Silver in Vocal Broadway
– Silver in Vocal Country
– Silver in Vocal Open
– Silver in Vocal Pop
– Silver in Casual Modeling
– Silver in Formal Modeling
3. Erinne Lopez from India
Awards:
– Junior Semi-Finalist – Silver Medal
– Gold in Vocal with Self Accompaniment (Pop)
– Gold in Vocal (Pop)
– Gold in Vocal (Rock)
– Gold in Vocal (Open)
– Silver in Vocal (Contemporary)
– Silver in Vocal Group (Pop) KEM Trio
– Divisional Champion in Vocal Contemporary
– Divisional Champion in Vocal with Self Accompaniment (Open)
4. Keer Wang from China
Awards:
– Junior Semi-Finalist – Silver Medal
– Gold in Vocals Open
– Gold in Piano Instrumental Jazz
– Gold in Piano Instrumental Open
– Silver in Piano Instrumental Classical
– Silver in Dance Contemporary
– Bronze in Dance Open
– Division Champion in Piano Open
5. Rania Tahiri from Morocco
Awards:
– Senior Semi-Finalist – Silver Medal
– Silver in Vocal Original Works
– Bronze in Acting Open
– Bronze in Acting Contemporary
– Scholarship for Summer Intensive Program at New York Conservatory for Dramatic Art ($1,000)
– Division Champion for Acting Open
6. Khalifa Budiarsya from Indonesia
Awards:
– Junior Semi-Finalist – Silver Medal
– Silver in Broadway
– Silver in Pop
– Silver in Pop KEM Trio
7. Kadek Rasmawan from Indonesia
Awards:
– Senior Semi-Finalist – Silver Medal
– Gold in Guitar Contemporary
– Gold in Guitar Jazz
– Silver in Guitar Open
8. Jerusha Dsouza from India
Awards:
– $15,000 Scholarship from New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts
– $1,500 Music Consultation with Jeff Webber
– Gold in Vocal Gospel
– Gold in Vocal Open
– Gold in Vocal Country
– Gold in Vocal Pop
– Silver in Vocal Broadway
– Silver in Vocal Jazz
– Silver in Vocal Contemporary
– Bronze in Vocal World
– Division Champion in Vocals Open
– Division Champion in Vocal Jazz
9. Vedha Arun Nair from India
Awards:
– Silver in Vocal Broadway
– Silver in Vocal Pop
– Bronze in Vocal Country
The accomplishments of these talented individuals highlight the UAE’s diverse and vibrant performing arts community. With 11 Filipinos among the winners, their achievements are a testament to the exceptional skill and dedication of the Filipino community in the UAE.
