2020 AEGT FIRST LIVE AUDITION

Wellington, FL – January 31, 2020 –

DISCOVER DRESSAGE and AEGT, American Equestrians Got Talent, first Live Auditions were held on Wednesday, January 29th at the Kontiki Raw Bar in Wellington, Florida,

Chip McKenney of McKenney Media was Master of Ceremony along with celebrity judges; Sarah Kessler long time Dressage enthusiast, Steffen Peters, USA Olympic Dressage Rider, Ashley Holzer Olympic Dressage Rider and PJ Rizvi, USA Grand Prix Dressage rider created an awesome atmosphere for the talented competitors.

A total of nine contestants, Matt Stone, Carly Cantor,Jessica Russo, Jennifer Russo, Allıya Antoniadis, Lauren Galin, Hannah Lisec, Kalman Grigg and Alliana Belatovis, entertained the local and equestrian community of Wellington with their incredible talent. The judges were amazed by all the performers.

The top five competitors Carly Cantor, Hannah Lisec, Jessica Russo, Matt Stone & Lauren Galin moved on to a second round determined by the judges scores.

The final top four: Matt Stone, Jessica Russo, Carly Cantor & Lauren Galin were awarded with the Golden Ticket which sends them straight to compete for the $10,000 Grand Finale on Sunday, March 15, 2020 at the Adequan Global Dressage VIP tent located in Wellington, Florida.

Lauren Galin: Impressive stage presence

The local fifteen-year-old has been staying up until 11pm every night rehearsing for an upcoming show, but that didn’t stop her from being well-prepared and energized last night. Singing a chilling rendition of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s ‘Think of Me’ from the musical Phantom of the Opera revealed Lauren’s vulnerability and her capacity to sing different styles. She hypnotized the crowd and made it to the final four.

Steffen Peters mentioned: “I loved it. You were amazing, it’s a 10 for me”

Companion Judge Sarah Kessler commented “ That was wonderful. Thank you for showing us your vulnerable side. You have such an incredible voice. Congratulations it’s a 9.85.”

Carly Cantor : New Kid on the Broadway Block

Carly Cantor, an eleven year old singer and one of the youngest contestants, came back this season stronger than ever. She started the first round with the famous ballad “Who’s Loving You” from Jackson 5. On both rounds, Carly proved her age hasn’t stopped her from possessing deep soul. In the second round, she sang Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good.” with her beautiful and powerful enchanting voice, everyone was completely entranced.

Steffen Peters: “I thought you were amazing. Just from the very first note you have captured every single person in this room. I was trying to write your name down on the paper, but I couldn’t because I didn’t want to miss any moment of your performance. It was really good. I’ll give you a 10”.

Sarah Kessler: “Wow you have soul, presence and you are able to communicate to your audience. I’ll give you a 10.”

Matt Stone : Long live the King: Elvis Presley

AEGT 2019’s runner up, Matt Stone is back on track again. Devoted Elvis Presley fans were cheerfully astonished by the fifteen ear old Matt Stone not only sang, but danced as well. On his second performance, Matt captivated the audience with the soft ballad “Bridge over Troubled Water” creating an absolutely unforgettable atmosphere.

Sarah Kessler said “I love the different songs who have chosen for each round. It was so good. I really enjoyed it. I’ll stick with my 10.”

US Olympic Rider Steffen Peters affirmed: You've sang tonight one of those songs that everyone loves to hear. It was amazing. I loved it.”

Jessica Russo: Aspiring Broadway Singer

Jessica’s final performance set the room on fire with her version of Barbara Streisand song, "Don’t Rain On My Parade" when she transported us all to Broadway. Jessica’s incredible vocal range was out of this world, and her breathtaking performance gave the audience goosebumps.

After Jessica’s second song, Ashley Holzer commented, “You are a huge talent. One day I’ll go to Broadway and you will be there. You have stage presence and you are amazing.”

Fellow judge PJ Rizvi said she was blown away and told the singer: "You are unbelievable and you are destined for Broadway.”

The next AEGT live audition is set for Wednesday, February 19th, 2020 at Kontiki Wine & Raw Bar located at 13860 Wellington Trace, Wellington, FL 33414

Contact the AEGT TEAM at aegtusa@gmail.com. Walk-in performers may be accepted as time permits.

About AEGT

Discover Dressage, a 501c3, founded by Kimberly Van Kampen partnered with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) ‘Emerging Athlete Program’, is part of the USEF/USDF ‘Pathway Program to the Medals’.

American Equestrians Got Talent, (“AEGT”) was founded by Robert Dover, USA six time Dressage Olympian. In its sixth year, “AEGT” is the largest Equestrian fundraising talent show in Wellington, Fla.