Children achieving ambitions

The Bunyip X Factor children’s talent show continued to achieve its ambition of providing young performers with stage experience with acts from Trafalgar through to Pakenham performing at the sixth annual event recently.

Talent show winner from last year Illana Massaro opened the show with a rendition of Roxette’s Listen to Your Heart. Following her success at last year’s show, Illana has since gone on to perform at many events.

The talent show included a dance section for the first time, with Butterflies Ballet dance school in Bunyip donating the trophy. The highly commended trophy was awarded to the Longwarry Dance Troupe. The Longwarry Dance Troupe comprises of eight children from Longwarry.

Olivia Squires, 11 of Bunyip, and Jessica Soutar, 12 of Drouin, tied for runner up.

Olivia sang Flame Trees while playing guitar, while Jessica played a piano medley and topped off her act with a dance routine.

This year’s winner was nine-year-old Mayuri Guhadas, who sang Jessie J song Just Like Fire.

Judges included Tony and Carmelina Arrigo and James Peden, with 2015 winner Megan Carew also returning to complete the judging panel.

Davina Veenstra of Bunyip Community House said the popular event was again a success, providing performance experience for the participating children.

“Each of the performers were able to receive a medallion for the first time this year thanks to sponsorship from the Bunyip branch of the Bendigo Community Bank,” she said.

“Some just went for the experience of performing in front of a crowd.

“We had some as young as five-years-old get up on stage at the end while the crowd was still hanging around. “As long as we can keep doing it, we will.” Event organisers are already looking forward to the next Bunyip X Factor, which has been scheduled for October 19 next year.