Young Talent Big Dreams drew hundreds of performers. Watch the 2025 winner’s routine
A high-stepping ninth-grader from New World School of the Arts soared above the stage with the agility of yesteryear dancer Gene Kelly. Tamerlan Guliyev won the grand prize of the 15th annual Young Talent Big Dreams competition in Coral Gables on May 10.
His vehicle to the top of the judges’ sheets? “Dancin’ Fool,” an ebullient number from Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana: The Musical.”
An 11-year-old’s original composition swept North Beach Elementary fifth-grader Soleil Nation to victory in an individual category.
One group vocal winner of kids ages 9 to 13 sang a song called “Revolting Children.” The chuckle-inducing title proved anything but.
That tune, performed by children from Doral’s SAH Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, comes from “Matilda the Musical.” But the title of Soleil’s winning composition, “Stepping Stones,” proved a more fitting thematic description of what a cheering audience saw on the Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre stage: Young talented people’s stepping stones to success in the arts.
Actors’ Playhouse, together with presenting sponsor The Children’s Trust, held the finals of the 15th annual Young Talent Big Dreams, a local, free youth talent competition that has scoured Miami-Dade County for young talent every year since 2010.
Young Talent Big Dreams invites students, ages 8 to 18, to compete in nine categories that tap their talents. The competition features six individual categories: pop/rock/rap vocals, Broadway/jazz/classical vocals, dance, musical instrument, original spoken word, and original vocal and/or instrumental composition. There are also three group categories for dance, musical instrument/bands, and vocal groups.
The competition proved that powering through disappointments with pluck, perseverance and poise can pay off.
Nina Marie, 16, has competed for nearly half of her life — seven years — at previous YTBD auditions. She finally seized the spotlight as a winner at the 15th finals showcase. She sparkled on Andra Day’s aptly titled “Rise Up” in the Individual Vocal Pop/Rock/Rap category.
After confetti exploded on stage after Tamerlan’s win as the overall best of the night, YTBD’s 2024 champ Gerry Ibarra, 17, bounded on stage to congratulate his successor.
A two-month marathon of preliminary and semifinal competitions began in March at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables. Subsequent auditions were held at the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center in Cutler Bay, the City of Miami Little Haiti Cultural Complex and Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer in West Miami-Dade.
The rounds drew hundreds of contestants. Prizes include cash awards, master classes with industry professionals, year-round performance opportunities and performing arts scholarships.
“Marking 15 incredible years of Young Talent Big Dreams is both a milestone and a celebration of the extraordinary young artists who have taken our stage,” Barbara Stein, executive producing director of Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, said in a statement. “Watching these talented performers blossom year after year continues to be one of the most rewarding aspects of our work.”
The champions of the 2025 15th YTBD
▪ Individual Dance and Overall Grand Prize: Tamerlan Guliyev, 14, New World School of the Arts. He receives a $500 cash prize from Actors’ Playhouse and four tickets to Universal/Islands of Adventure, courtesy of WSVN 7News.
▪ Original Composition: Soleil Nation, 11, North Beach Elementary School.
▪ Individual Vocal–Broadway/Jazz/Classical: Antonella Laferriere, 14, Divine Savior Academy.
▪ Individual Vocal–Pop/Rock/Rap: Nina Marie, 16, Miami Beach Senior High School.
▪ Individual Original Spoken Word: Nyshelle Burns, 18, Miami Norland Senior High School.
▪ Individual Musical Instrument: Benjamin Baralt, 11, Alexander Montessori School.
▪ Group Vocals: SAH Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. Emmanuel Arcilla, 13, of Downtown Doral Charter School; JJ Calvo, 13, of Doral International Academy of Math and Science; Paulina Gonzalez, 10, of Shelton Academy; Sophia Bovensiepen, 13, of Doral Academy Preparatory School; Ana Paula Mayor, 10, of Pinecrest North Preparatory; and Anna Hurtado, 9, of Academir Charter School East.
▪ Group Dance: Dancing Twins. Caitlynn and Camilah Diaz, both 9, of Caribbean K–8 Center.
▪ Group Musical Instrument/Bands: Sunset Elementary Band. Alexander Borja, 11; William Borja, 9; and Thomas Delecluse, 10, all from Sunset Elementary School; and Ricardo Cloppert, 12, of George Washington Carver Middle School.
Howard Cohen, a staff writer at the Miami Herald for 34 years, who also teaches at the University of Miami School of Communication, has volunteered as a judge for Young Talent Big Dreams at Actors’ Playhouse since the competition’s inception in 2010.
This story was originally published May 16, 2025 at 6:21 AM.
