Global Pulse

分类： entertainment

  • UNESCO adds Brazil’s Amazonia theaters to the World Heritage List

    UNESCO adds Brazil’s Amazonia theaters to the World Heritage List

    In a landmark decision announced on Monday during the ongoing World Heritage Committee session in Busan, South Korea, UNESCO has inscribed two iconic Brazilian Amazonian performance venues to its coveted roster of sites of outstanding global value. The dual addition brings Brazil’s total number of World Heritage sites to 26, marking a new milestone for the country’s cultural preservation efforts.

    The two newly listed sites, collectively named the Amazonia Theaters, are the Theatro da Paz in the northern Brazilian city of Belem, Para state, and the famous Teatro Amazonas in Manaus, capital of Amazonas state. Both cultural landmarks were constructed in the late 1800s, at the peak of the global rubber boom that transformed the Amazon region into a major global commercial hub. Built at a time of unprecedented economic growth in the rainforest, the two structures embody the era’s political and urban development ambitions, blending cutting-edge European architectural design trends with locally sourced materials and region-specific symbolic motifs that root the buildings firmly in the Amazonian landscape.

    Theatro da Paz, which opened to the public in 1878, was designed to cement Belem’s status as a critical strategic port for the global rubber trade, while Teatro Amazonas, inaugurated nearly two decades later in 1896, mirrors the explosive urban growth that turned Manaus into one of South America’s wealthiest late 19th-century cities. Brazil submitted a joint nomination for the two venues, arguing that they share a cohesive historical context and represent a unified 19th-century project to modernize the Amazon region and integrate it into global commercial and cultural networks.

    “Architecturally and artistically, they blended imported influences and materials with local woods and forest-inspired motifs, creating a distinctive aesthetic that was at once cosmopolitan and deeply Amazonian,” the Brazilian government noted in its official nomination statement.

    UNESCO’s annual World Heritage designation is one of the most prestigious cultural recognitions in the world. Sites granted the status join an elite list that includes some of humanity’s most celebrated cultural landmarks, from China’s Great Wall and Egypt’s ancient pyramids to India’s Taj Mahal and New York’s Statue of Liberty. Beyond the symbolic honor, World Heritage status typically delivers significant long-term benefits, including expanded global tourism opportunities and formal international protections to preserve the sites for future generations.

    This year’s committee session, which runs through Wednesday in Busan, has already added several major global sites to the list. On Sunday alone, the body added France’s Normandy D-Day landing beaches and Greece’s iconic Mount Olympus, among other sites from around the world.

    Beyond the two newly inscribed theaters, the Brazilian Amazon is already home to another UNESCO World Heritage site: the Central Amazon Conservation Complex, a vast protected area located at the confluence of the Negro and Solimoes rivers in Amazonas state. UNESCO recognizes the complex as one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, hosting a wide range of Amazonian ecosystems including intact upland rainforests and seasonally flooded varzea lowland forests that support thousands of endemic plant and animal species.

    This coverage, reported by The Associated Press, receives funding from multiple private foundations for AP’s climate and environmental reporting, with AP retaining full editorial control over all content.

  • Rapper Yung Filly testifies at his rape trial in Australia

    Rapper Yung Filly testifies at his rape trial in Australia

    High-profile British rapper Yung Filly has taken the witness stand at his ongoing rape trial held in Australia, telling the court that interactions between himself and the woman who has brought the accusation against him were entirely positive following a nightclub performance.

    The performer, who has built a significant global fanbase through his music and online content, appeared before the court to give his account of the encounter in question. According to his testimony, the atmosphere between him and the alleged victim was relaxed and mutually enjoyable after he finished his set at the local nightclub venue. His statement marks the first public account of the incident from the artist himself since the legal proceedings began.

    The trial, which is being held at an Australian court, is ongoing as prosecutors and the defense present their respective evidence and witness accounts to the jury. Legal processes continue to move forward as the court works toward a final verdict in the case.

  • Musk takes ‘crusade’ to Europe with Armie Hammer film

    Musk takes ‘crusade’ to Europe with Armie Hammer film

    In late June, a low-budget, widely panned violent thriller called *Citizen Vigilante* exploded from obscurity into global streaming charts, propelled not by marketing budgets or critical acclaim, but by a single boost from the world’s richest person: Elon Musk. The film, from German director Uwe Boll and starring Armie Hammer, follows an American vigilante on a killing spree across an unnamed European country. His targets include dozens of police officers, judges, a gang of rapists, a random civilian, and an entire refugee Muslim family – all framed as a righteous crusade against Muslim migration and so-called “woke” government elites. Long after German film regulators refused to grant it an official rating, the movie would have likely faded into obscurity if Musk had not stepped in, making it free to view for 48 hours on his social media platform X, formerly Twitter. The sudden flood of attention pushed the film to the top of streaming leaderboards on major platforms including Apple TV and Amazon Prime, turning a schlocky, little-seen project into a flashpoint for discussions about Musk’s growing entanglement with far-right politics across Europe.

  • Millions see leaked copy of The Odyssey movie on X

    Millions see leaked copy of The Odyssey movie on X

    One of the most anticipated film releases of the year, Christopher Nolan’s big-budget epic *The Odyssey* starring Matt Damon and Zendaya, has become the center of an unusual high-profile copyright incident days after hitting theaters. The auteur director, famous for his commitment to analog film and premium theatrical experiences, has repeatedly emphasized that audiences should experience the three-hour feature on the largest possible screen — a vision that was upended when a full HD copy of the movie was illegally posted to the social platform X over the weekend.

    Per entertainment industry publication Variety, the embedded video of the entire film racked up 2.1 million views in just two and a half hours on Saturday before the account responsible for the leak was suspended by platform moderators. The unexpected leak sparked waves of reaction across social media, with one user posting a wry joke playing on Nolan’s theatrical ethos: “The full odyssey movie in a tweet, as nolan intended.” Another user posted their surprise at the leak, writing, “Someone leaked *The Odyssey* in HD. I thought it was fake but it’s true.”

    A day after the initial high-quality leak, industry outlet *The Hollywood Reporter* confirmed that a lower-resolution copy of the film was also posted to X on Sunday. That copy amassed nearly 50,000 views over two hours before it was removed from the platform.

    *The Odyssey* is a landmark release for both Nolan and Universal Studios. It is the first full theatrical release ever to be shot entirely on IMAX 70mm film, a large-format high-resolution analog stock that delivers unmatched clarity and scale designed specifically for giant theater screens. Nolan opted to shoot the entire three-hour runtime on the premium format to double down on his long-running advocacy for the theatrical moviegoing experience.

    In an official statement responding to the leak, Universal Pictures, the studio behind the production, confirmed that it moved quickly to address the unauthorized content. “We became aware of the unauthorised posting of the film and immediately initiated takedown protocols,” the studio said. “We take copyright infringement seriously and will pursue all appropriate remedies to protect our content and intellectual property rights.”

    Industry analysts do not expect the leak to meaningfully damage the film’s commercial performance, which has remained robust in its second week in theaters. *The Odyssey* added $215 million (£160 million) to its global gross over its second weekend in release, pushing its total worldwide box office haul to $640 million (£480 million) — a strong figure that suggests the film is on track to become one of the year’s highest-grossing original releases.

  • Lucas Museum to display unseen ‘Star Wars’ pieces, curator says

    Lucas Museum to display unseen ‘Star Wars’ pieces, curator says

    When the long-awaited Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens its doors to the public in Los Angeles on September 22, it will bring with it a trove of never-before-displayed treasures from the cultural phenomenon that is *Star Wars*, its lead curator has confirmed. Speaking exclusively to AFP on the sidelines of this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, curator Ryan Linkof shared new details about the institution, a passion project decades in the making from *Star Wars* creator George Lucas and his wife, business leader Mellody Hobson.

    Housed in a striking futuristic building spanning more than 9,200 square meters, the museum will distribute over 1,300 collected works across 33 dedicated galleries. While the institution’s collection spans the full breadth of narrative art — from iconic illustrations by Norman Rockwell, Jessie Willcox Smith, and N.C. Wyeth to fine art pieces by Frida Kahlo, Jacob Lawrence, Charles White, and Robert Colescott, and original cartoon works from legends including Winsor McCay, Jack Kirby, and Frank Frazetta — it is the unshown *Star Wars* material that is poised to captivate fans around the world.

    As the official home of the Lucas Archives and all Lucasfilm production materials, the museum will host a dedicated *Star Wars* exhibition featuring one-of-a-kind items that have never been put on public display before. Linkof noted that narrative art, the category the museum centers, is often overlooked by traditional cultural institutions, with few major art museums dedicating space to collecting or exhibiting this popular, accessible art form. As a result, much of the material set to go on display is extremely rare, making the museum a unique cultural destination.

    For many *Star Wars* fandom members, however, the Lucasfilm production archives will remain the crown jewel of the institution. Linkof also opened up about the challenges the project has faced over its decades-long development, including significant disruptions caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these hurdles, the curator frames the museum as the culmination of Lucas’s celebrated 60-plus-year career, echoing Hobson’s framing that Lucas has two defining legacies: his first was creating *Star Wars*, and his second is building this museum to share his collection with the public.

    Now 82 years old, Lucas remains actively involved in every step of the project’s final preparations ahead of opening. Linkof confirmed that the legendary filmmaker is deeply pleased with how the institution has come together. Last year marked Lucas’s first ever visit to Comic-Con’s iconic Hall H, where he traveled specifically to share updates on the museum with pop culture fans. This year, Linkof took the stage at the convention alongside guests including actor Keke Palmer and DC Comics President Jim Lee to preview the coming attraction.

    Lee, who joined the museum’s panel at Comic-Con, shared his enthusiasm for the institution’s mission. “I think that if you go to this museum, you will see art that you will recognize and have seen your entire life, through commercials, through comic books, but you will see it in a different way that will hopefully enlighten and inspire you,” Lee said. “This is amazing art, we have it all around us, how lucky are we?”

  • Ryan Gosling to join Marvel Cinematic Universe as Ghost Rider

    Ryan Gosling to join Marvel Cinematic Universe as Ghost Rider

    In a dramatic, fan-fueled reveal at the 2026 San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios has officially announced that Academy Award-nominated actor Ryan Gosling will be joining the iconic Marvel Cinematic Universe as the titular anti-hero in an all-new standalone Ghost Rider feature film, slated for a 2028 theatrical release. This upcoming installment will mark the third big-screen iteration of the flame-wreathed, motorcycle-riding character, following the 2007 original *Ghost Rider* and 2011’s *Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance*, both of which starred Nicolas Cage in the lead role.

    The surprise announcement was opened by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, who took the stage to address a long-running question from fans and media alike: when would Ryan Gosling, one of Hollywood’s most in-demand stars, finally make his MCU debut? After Feige teased the big news, the stage went abruptly dark. When house lights rose again, Gosling walked out to meet a roar of cheers and screams from thousands of packed convention attendees.

    For Gosling, the role of Ghost Rider is the culmination of a years-long personal desire to bring the character to life. “Wow, is this really happening?” the actor told the cheering crowd, echoing his long-stated public interest in the part. As far back as March of this year, Gosling already confirmed during an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s *Happy Sad Confused* podcast that he had been holding active discussions with Marvel executives about joining the franchise for this specific project.

    For those unfamiliar with the character’s core lore, Ghost Rider is the supernatural anti-hero alias of Johnny Blaze, a skilled motorcycle stuntman. Blaze’s origin story centers on a fateful deal he strikes with the demonic villain Mephisto to save the life of his terminally ill surrogate father; in exchange, Blaze becomes bonded to Zarathos, the powerful Spirit of Vengeance, granting him otherworldly superpowers tied to justice and retribution.

    Helming the new Ghost Rider film will be director Shawn Levy, a frequent collaborator of Gosling’s who the actor called the “only” person fit to steer the project. Levy already has extensive MCU experience, most recently coming off the high-profile release of *Deadpool & Wolverine*, and is currently in production on *Star Wars: Starfighter* alongside Gosling, which is scheduled to hit theaters in 2027. Levy shared with the Comic-Con crowd that the idea for the Ghost Rider film grew organically out of casual conversations between him and Gosling during downtime on the *Star Wars: Starfighter* set. “As Ryan started talking about his vision for this character, we started riffing, and I finally said, ‘bro, let’s ride,’ so guys, we’ll see you in 2028,” Levy told the excited audience.

  • Meghan calls Harry ‘a charmer’ during MasterChef Australia appearance

    Meghan calls Harry ‘a charmer’ during MasterChef Australia appearance

    In a surprise television appearance that has divided critics and viewers across the globe, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, stepped into the role of guest judge on the hit cooking competition series MasterChef Australia this week, with an unplanned cameo from her husband Prince Harry that sent audiences and contestants buzzing.

    The episode was filmed in Melbourne back in April, during a four-day private working tour of Australia that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex undertook after stepping back from their official senior royal roles. The trip balanced engagements with local charitable organizations with commercial events, a standard structure for the couple’s post-royal public appearances.

    From the opening moments of the episode, Meghan pushed back against formal royal title conventions, asking her fellow judges and contestants alike to “call me Meghan,” even as the weekly cooking challenge tasked competitors with transforming a common staple ingredient into a dish “fit for a duchess.” When asked early in the show to name her favorite home-cooked dish, Meghan opened up about family life with Prince Harry and their two children, Archie and Lilibet. She joked that catering to different tastes at home is no easy feat: her British-born husband prefers classic hearty meals of meat, potatoes, and cream sauce, while she leans toward lighter grilled fish. She added that both of her children love helping in the kitchen and are adventurous eaters, saying “we’re really lucky on that front.” Before tasting contestants’ dishes, she urged the homegrown chefs to share the personal story behind their recipes, encouraging them to cook food that felt authentic to them.

    The most talked-about moment of the episode came mid-taping, when Prince Harry placed an unexpected check-in video call to his wife. Producers passed the phone to Meghan, who greeted him with “hi, my love” before introducing him to the shocked studio audience and competitors. She gushed to Harry that the contestants’ dishes looked incredible and held the phone up to show off the spread, before the Duke signed off politely, apologizing for interrupting and telling her to enjoy the rest of the judging. After the moment, Meghan affectionately described Harry as “a charmer.”

    Meghan’s guest appearance and Harry’s surprise cameo have drawn sharply mixed reactions from critics and social media users alike. UK publication The Sunday Times dismissed the entire episode as “one big gush-fest,” with columnist Charlotte Ivers arguing that the appearance offered no meaningful insight into Meghan’s personality and added nothing to the actual competition. On the other side of the debate, Hello Magazine praised Meghan for her warm, natural presence, writing that “The Duchess of Sussex gave personal time to all the contestants, proving that she’s always so effortlessly elegant,” and noting that she had made the episode her own. Social media reactions mirrored this split: one viewer called Meghan “warm, gracious and a delight to watch” while another dismissed Harry’s unplanned cameo as “cringe.”

    This guest spot on MasterChef Australia is not Meghan’s first foray into food-focused television. She currently fronts the Netflix lifestyle and cookery series *With Love, Meghan*, where she shares cooking and home hosting tips alongside celebrity and personal guests. The series recently earned a nomination for a Daytime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Lifestyle Program category.

    The appearance comes amid a busy few weeks for the Sussexes. Earlier this month, the couple traveled to the UK with Archie and Lilibet for a private visit, where they held a quiet meeting with King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House. Meghan did not make any public appearances during that trip, amid an ongoing dispute over personal security arrangements for the couple when they are in the UK. Earlier this week, Meghan shared a carousel of family photos on Instagram capturing the Sussexes’ ongoing summer holiday, featuring multiple candid shots of Archie and Lilibet enjoying time together.

  • Eastern Rosellas! – Meet the seven-year-old behind viral song

    Eastern Rosellas! – Meet the seven-year-old behind viral song

    What started as a young child’s simple tribute to a colorful native Australian bird has turned into an unexpected internet sensation, capturing the attention of millions of listeners across the globe. Seven-year-old Miles Phillips, the creative mind behind the now-viral track “Eastern Rosellas!”, has seen his homemade song rack up more than 1.5 million views on digital platforms, a milestone that has turned a small personal project into a mainstream cultural moment. The charming, unscripted tune has resonated so widely with audiences that it has even earned a spot on radio playlists, bringing Miles’ infectious enthusiasm for these bright-plumaged parrots to even more listeners outside of social media. The viral success of the young artist’s work highlights how unfiltered, authentic content created by children can cut through the noise of polished mainstream media, connecting with people who crave lighthearted, genuine moments online. What began as Miles’ simple fascination with Eastern Rosellas has now become a global talking point, proving that creativity at any age can capture the public’s heart.

  • Chinese literature attracts readers at Egyptian book fair

    Chinese literature attracts readers at Egyptian book fair

    Egypt’s iconic Bibliotheca Alexandrina International Book Fair, one of the most prominent cultural gatherings in the Middle East and North Africa, has wrapped up its 2026 edition with Chinese publications emerging as an unexpected highlight, drawing broad attention from Arabic-speaking readers across academic and general audiences alike.

    Hosted by Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt’s leading national library and cultural hub located in the coastal city of Alexandria, this year’s fair brought together nearly 100 Egyptian and Arab publishing houses and welcomed around 1,000 registered participants before organizers extended its run by three extra days to accommodate higher-than-expected visitor turnout. Curated alongside major Arabic and global literary titles, Chinese works occupied a dedicated space at the fair, reflecting the event’s commitment to fostering cross-cultural dialogue and encouraging readers to engage with diverse intellectual and civilizational traditions.

    The curated selection of Chinese titles spanned a range of topics designed to resonate with local reader interests, including deep dives into traditional Chinese arts such as ceramics and tea culture, alongside scholarly works examining centuries of historical interaction between Chinese, Arab and Islamic civilizations — content that highlights the long-standing, deep-rooted people-to-people and cultural ties connecting the two regions.

    For Chinese language students in Egypt, the presence of these publications at one of the country’s biggest international book fairs represents far more than a simple literary display: it is a critical platform for strengthening bilateral cultural exchange and breaking down outdated stereotypes about China. Salma Sameh, a Chinese language student and visitor to the fair, explained that the collection fills a key gap for both students and the general Egyptian public.

    “For students, the fair provides access to up-to-date academic references that are hard to find through other local channels,” Sameh said. “For the general public, it is an opportunity to discover China through Chinese voices rather than secondhand stereotypes, helping to build genuine, nuanced cultural awareness.”

    Sameh emphasized that high-quality translation plays an irreplaceable role in bridging civilizational gaps. “A translator does more than transfer words — they convey the spirit of the text and its underlying culture to Arab readers. Translation is therefore a fundamental bridge connecting the two civilizations,” she added. Echoing the sentiment of many local readers, Sameh called for more Arabic translations of Chinese works, particularly contemporary Chinese novels, as well as titles covering history, science, arts and technology.

    “Contemporary Chinese literature offers vivid, first-hand insights into modern Chinese society and everyday life,” she noted. “It can attract a much broader audience, especially young readers, making Chinese culture accessible far beyond academic circles.”

    Hager Rizk, another Chinese language student attending the fair, shared that access to authentic Chinese publications marks an important milestone in expanding Arab readers’ understanding of China through reliable, diverse source material. “Books remain one of the best ways to understand Chinese civilization, history, and philosophy. Specialized titles on Chinese ceramics and the historical exchanges between China and the Islamic world provide valuable academic resources for researchers and Chinese language students like me,” Rizk said.

    Like Sameh, Rizk highlighted the growing demand for more high-quality, accurate Arabic translations of Chinese works that can paint a comprehensive picture of Chinese civilization, including its most distinctive cultural heritage elements such as traditional arts, tea culture and porcelain craftsmanship.

    Rizk stressed that these Chinese publications do more than expand the collections of Egyptian and Arab libraries: they deepen overall cultural exchange between Egypt and China. “These books provide researchers, students, and the general public with a clear window into Chinese civilization, contributing to mutual learning between civilizations and strengthening knowledge exchange between the two peoples,” she said.

  • Dancing with Shakira at World Cup was ‘very, very, very, very, very good’ – Ghetto Kids

    Dancing with Shakira at World Cup was ‘very, very, very, very, very good’ – Ghetto Kids

    For a group of young Ugandan dancers who grew up amid hardship in Kampala’s underprivileged neighborhoods, a once-impossible dream became a tangible, life-changing reality this summer when they stepped onto the world’s biggest sports stage: the halftime show of the men’s football World Cup final. Performing alongside global superstars Shakira and Burna Boy, the Ghetto Kids dance collective marked another career milestone that capped off a years-long journey of perseverance, community support, and unwavering commitment to their craft.

    Ten-year-old troupe member Sierra summed up the experience with unfiltered, childlike enthusiasm: “very, very, very, very, very good.” While some critics argued that adding a large-scale, Super Bowl-style performance to football’s most prestigious match diluted the sport’s traditional spirit, the children’s energetic routine drew hundreds of millions of viewers from across the globe, turning the young dancers into overnight inspirations for millions.

    Speaking to BBC’s Newsday programme, the young dancers and their manager, Dauda Kavuma, opened up about the challenges of rising from humble, often difficult beginnings while balancing growing fame with their primary commitment: schoolwork. Sierra, who says dancing gave her the chance to access education she otherwise could not afford, shares a simple, powerful message for other young people facing barriers: “Never give up… pray to God. Listen to your parents, education is first, that’s all.”

    For 11-year-old Josephine, the highlight of the day at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium – where Spain defeated Argentina to claim the World Cup title – was getting a glimpse of the sport’s biggest icons. “I saw Messi and Lamine Yamal!” she exclaimed, referencing Argentine captain Lionel Messi and Spanish teenage star Lamine Yamal. Recalling the rush of performing for a global audience, she added, “I was so happy to see Messi and people watching us. I felt so excited and I was smiling, and a little bit nervous.” For Sierra, the warm kindness of Colombian pop legend Shakira stood out most from the experience.

    When the performance wrapped, the children ran to embrace both Shakira and Nigerian music icon Burna Boy in a spontaneous moment of joy that was captured in viral photos. Manager Kavuma was quick to emphasize that the hugs were not a scripted part of the routine, but a natural outpouring of affection for the stars who gave the young dancers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Kavuma recalled the group’s reaction when they first learned they had been selected for the halftime show: the children ran in circles, cheering and shouting with excitement at the news.

    The collaboration with Shakira was particularly meaningful, Kavuma explained, because the Ghetto Kids had already performed her hit Waka Waka – a remake of 1980s Cameroonian classic Zangaléwa by Golden Sounds – during their 2023 run on Britain’s Got Talent. “But it was now a great moment to see that Shakira invited us… to perform with her. It means a lot and it’s life-changing,” he said.

    Kavuma’s own story laid the foundation for the Ghetto Kids collective. As a child, he lived on the streets of Kampala before a teacher’s kindness changed the trajectory of his life. Determined to give back to the community that helped him, he became a teacher himself before founding the dance troupe for children who were homeless or unable to afford school fees. His core belief? There is no shortage of raw talent in Uganda’s ghettos – it just needs support and opportunities to shine.

    Blending dynamic traditional African dance styles, playful comedy, and infectious joy, the group quickly caught the attention of regional stars, including Ugandan musician Eddy Kenzo, who cast the kids in several of his music videos. Leveraging the power of social media to reach global audiences, the Ghetto Kids earned their first major mainstream break in 2017, when they appeared in French Montana’s music video for Unforgettable. To date, the video has racked up more than 1.9 billion views on YouTube, opening doors that would have otherwise been closed to the young performers.

    That viral fame catapulted the group to new heights: they reached the final of Britain’s Got Talent in 2023, then competed on America’s Got Talent the following year. The growing platform has also allowed Kavuma to expand his community project, providing housing, food, and school tuition to hundreds of disadvantaged children across Uganda.

    The 2026 World Cup final halftime performance marks the group’s biggest stage to date, but it is far from their first major sporting event. In 2023, the troupe met French star Kylian Mbappé and performed at the halftime of a top-tier French league match between Paris Saint-Germain and Reims. Most recently, a documentary feature titled *Ghetto Kids Documentary: No Plan B* was released to tell their extraordinary story to a wider audience.

    Even as their fame grows, the group has stayed grounded thanks to a strict “education first” rule instilled by their parents and Kavuma. All content for the troupe’s millions of social media followers is filmed on weekends, leaving weekdays fully dedicated to classroom learning. When the kids travel for international performances, they attend online classes with their Kampala teachers and catch up on missed assignments immediately upon returning home.

    Both Sierra and Josephine say they plan to pursue careers as doctors when they finish school, but they will never give up their lifelong passion for dance. “Dancing changed my life – I went to school because of dance,” Sierra says. Josephine echoes that sentiment, noting, “Dance is what I know and that makes me happy because that’s my talent.”

    When asked what message they have for other children growing up with talent but limited opportunities, Josephine had a warm, encouraging response: “To love themselves, believe in God, and pray. Be with their talents – don’t deny them. And we love them.”