6/2/2021
Education and Outreach
Looking back two years ago, Daniel and Carol Corrow remember their daughter Alyvia having a hard time.
“Alyvia always had this issue with self-esteem,” Carol observes. “She had been bullied in school.”
But today, the Las Vegas couple sees Alyvia transformed.
Now 11, she dances and sings around the house with flair. A premier talent agency just accepted her for its acting program, and she anticipates an upcoming opportunity to perform for casting agents.
“She knows she can do bigger and better things, despite what the other kids were telling her,” Carol says. “She doesn’t even think about the bullies from when she was younger.”
This uplifting change occurred, the couple says, because teacher Kaylene Henderson encouraged Alyvia to participate in a school production through The Smith Center’s Disney Musicals in Schools program.
“We’re full of love and gratitude for Mrs. Henderson,” Daniel says. “She recognized this potential in Alyvia even before we did.”
An Unexpected Exposure to the Arts
Witnessing Alyvia’s struggles to fit in two years ago, Carol and Daniel tried signing the third grader up for various extracurricular activities, with a focus on sports.
“That didn’t go so well,” Daniel concedes. “Sports weren’t her thing.”
But Henderson — a Rundle Elementary School teacher — urged them to try a different path.
Rundle Elementary participated in The Smith Center’s Disney Musicals in Schools initiative, which helps Southern Nevada elementary schools create their own theater programs. As a nonprofit, The Smith Center provides this at no cost to schools.
The school planned to perform “The Lion King” through this initiative — and Henderson persuaded Alyvia’s parents to let her audition.
“She said ‘Hey look, I think Alyvia really needs to try out for this play! I think she’ll do really well,’” Daniel recalls.
To be honest, the couple concedes, they had doubts that it would go well.
But after trying so many other activities, they deemed theater worth a shot.
“I don’t want to be the parent that limits their child’s future because we restrict what they decide to do for extracurriculars,” Daniel says.
A Star Is Born
The couple’s instincts paid off.
Often putting on plays with her siblings, Alyvia took to theater well. She earned the role of Rafiki in the school production, and she lit up the family’s house with singing and rehearsing lines.
“Her confidence was the biggest development,” Daniel says. “She tried to keep (her practicing) a secret from us, because the kids wanted the performance to be a surprise. But every once in a while we’d catch a glimpse, and we could tell she was working hard for it.”
Henderson watched Alyvia give it her all at rehearsals.
“She found a new passion — singing and performing,” Henderson says. “She began as a shy participant. She blossomed into a beginning performer.”
When the Corrows saw their daughter perform on stage, this girl looked far different from the one who had struggled with sports.
“She did a great job. She didn’t care what people thought, and it was fun,” Daniel says. “(Theater) gives her an opportunity where she feels like she can be somebody else, that little bit of pretend without being judged by anybody.”
Alyvia leapt at the chance to perform in the school’s next production, “Aladdin.” Her parents witnessed her performing skills advance quickly.
“She continued to get better, and she caught on even quicker,” Daniel says.
Going Pro
When the Corrow family moved to the north part of town, Alyvia looked forward to exploring performance opportunities at her new school.
Then the pandemic struck, making school productions impossible.
But the Corrows discovered a whole new opportunity for their daughter’s talent – a respected agency that helps develop and promote children interested in performance careers.
The Corrows took Alyvia to audition for one of the company’s talent agents, who tasked her with performing a monologue.
Her parents watched, astonished, as she nailed it.
“Alyvia took (the monologue), developed her own character based on the things she learned in her previous plays and experiences, and was just able to grow into it,” Daniel says. “We were really proud.”
A Bright Future
After a second successful audition via video conference, Alyvia was accepted the company’s acting program.
Now, Alyvia conducts regular training sessions about performance skills. In June, she will join other children in a showcase for casting agents, which could include opportunities with Disney and Nickelodeon.
“There are so many opportunities out there,” Daniel says. “I joke with Alyvia, ‘You could be the next Disney princess.’ And of course that’s her end goal.”
Alyvia loves every aspect of performing, Carol says, adding that the girl won’t do a chore around the house without singing involved.
Best of all, Alyvia feels confident in herself and enjoys life, the couple emphasizes — all of which they attribute to her introduction to the performing arts.
“It gave her such a boost of self-esteem and confidence,” Daniel says. “She knows when she gets on stage it’s time to perform, and she goes all out. She gives it everything she has.”