Iriyana’s Got Talent

Junior Shares Experience on ‘America’s Got Talent’ and ‘ Madison McWilliams and the Boys of Summer Tour’

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Courtesy of Iriyana Lipkin

Reviewing the dance for SXSW, junior Iriyana Lipkin prepares for future shows. “This year, I am just looking forward to creating my own opportunities,” Lipkin said. “Whatever this year brings to me, I am excited to take it and run with it.”

Addy Bates, Reporter
February 5, 2019

Four a.m.

It is typically a time for sleeping, but for junior Iriyana Lipkin, 4 a.m. was once the end of a 10-hour rehearsal in preparation for “America’s Got Talent.”

On top of school work, being the digital content manager for The Wolfcast and making time to teach other kids how to dance, Lipkin has been able to travel across the country doing what she loves most: dancing.

Lipkin was contacted by local choreographer Kelsey Anderson to be a part of a team auditioning for “America’s Got Talent.” Once she joined, it was three days and two 10-hour rehearsals later that Lipkin and the team made it through two levels of the show, just by video submission and with the help of a talent agent.

“It was really exciting being scouted, because you always think, how did they find out about me,” Lipkin said. “It was pretty surreal, especially because we got to see all the cool sets they show on TV and at the same time, they were getting ready for the Oscars.”

Due to the amount of experience Lipkin has in the field, she was also able to travel with musician Madison McWilliams and the Boys of Summer Tour in the summer of 2018. Through this, Lipkin had the opportunity to perform at SXSW, open up for EchoSmith at the Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Hill Country Galleria and meet new dancers along the way.

“Traveling with Madison McWilliams and the Boys of Summer Tour was bittersweet, but it was super cool meeting different upcoming artist and internet famous people,” Lipkin said. “Meet and greets were really long and meeting random people was odd, but sometimes meeting them was so rewarding, seeing how excited they were to see us and the rest of the lineup. Performing was amazing and getting merchandise and traveling with my team was super fun.”  

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Depending on the music and mood of the dance, I get to embody the music and become whoever I want in a sense.

— Iriyana Lipkin (11)

After Lipkin and the rest of her group left the tour after problems, such as rudeness from some of the other internet famous members and disorganized events, Lipkin said that she became more focused on school, where she helps The Wolfcast broadcast program by promoting content throughout various social media platforms. Outside of school, she teaches dance classes three times a week–one with ages ranging from seven to 35, and another for older dancers.

“I have the amazing job of teaching dance at a couple of dance studios throughout the week,” Lipkin said. “Sometimes these hours do get challenging since some classes end around nine, but by keeping up with work and not procrastinating, the workload is manageable.”

She said she enjoys being able to teach younger dancers how to perform and also wants to pass on her love for dancing both solo and with a group.

“Whether I perform solo or with other people, it’s nerve-wracking,” Lipkin said. “When I perform solo, it’s super fun that I can showcase my personal talents and uniqueness in my movement. But when I perform with groups, it’s also super fun doing your part for a bigger picture.”

Being a dancer for most of her life, Lipkin said that it is now a part of her identity and has allowed her to become involved with various projects around the nation, while also pushing her to become whoever she wants to be.

“Whether it is a big or small audience, or a camera, I love the aspect that I can become any persona I want,” Lipkin said. “Depending on the music and mood of the dance, I get to embody the music and become whoever I want in a sense.”

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