Hayley Westenra by Hayley Westenra Read Free Book Online Page A

two sisters from ballet, Emma and LucyCarter, who were each the same age as we were. Mum became good friends with their mother, Martine, and it was to her that Mum turned for help in designing the dress for me to wear on my big television appearance.
    As usual, Mum put a lot of effort into my costume. It was based on a light-blue ballet skirt with a handkerchief hemline. My top was covered in sequins. In the process of deciding on the final design, Mum had spent days bringing home different samples of cloth for me to look at. I was going to be on national television and it was a big deal. Thanks to Mum's hard work, I ended up with a fairy costume that was every little girl's dream. After the show was broadcast, one mother came up to me and said, 'My
daughter loved watching you onTV. She kept on pointing at you and calling you a fairy.'
    I felt like a princess in my sparkly costume and the final fitting helped add to the sense of anticipation ahead of the big performance, which was to take place at the Palms Shopping Centre. When I turned up at the mall, I was rushed away to have my hair done in ringlets by the hair and makeup people. I discovered for the first time what this process was like. Initially, the idea of having a professional make you look beautiful is exciting, but I found that for someone like me, who always wants to be in control, it can quickly turn into a bit of a nightmare. I've discovered since that this is particularly the case when I work with a hair or makeup artist for the first time. I'm never quite sure how it's going to end up. On this occasion, I was quite concerned about the amount of product they slapped into my hair. I realised that I was completely in their hands and, if it turned out in a way that I didn't like, then I was going to be able to do absolutely nothing about it.
    While I waited to go on stage, everyone fussed around me. This was the first time I had been made to feel like a star. A lot of time and effort had been put into how I looked. I felt very special as I was escorted from the mall offices to the stage, which was surrounded by great big cameras. They even had one on a crane. I sang 'Walking in the Air' and I worked in a short ballet influenced dance. I was very proud that I had choreographed the entire thing all by myself. I was even more proud when my performance went down a storm, propelling me on to the semifinals.
    As usual, my performance in the heats was a big Westenra family outing and quite a few friends came along too. I'm very lucky that Mum, Dad, Sophie and Isaac are so supportive of what I do. They come along to everything. As my brother and sister have become older and started performing themselves, the same rule holds true. When I go
back home, I'm always there with Mum and Dad, cheering them on. We are a close bunch and the thought of the family splitting up for big events such as Christmas would be crazy. I automatically go home for the holidays even now.
    My performance was well received by the judges, one of whom was our local wizard, a Merlin-type figure, who regularly performed in the square by Christchurch Cathedral. He has become very well known over the years, and, even now, tourists who have been to Christchurch still ask me, 'Is the wizard still in the square?'
    I must have cast something of a spell on him, because he gave me a really high score, saying that my performance reminded him of 'fairies and elves'. It propelled me through to the next round and I felt as if I was now well and truly on a big show-business adventure.
    One of the people who saw the broadcast of the heat wasAlanTraill, who was to become an enormous influence on my career. He is a very successful Christchurch businessman, who owns the franchises for around half a dozen McDonald's restaurants in the city. He invited the whole Westenra family out to dinner at one of his restaurants because there were only a few people from Christchurch who had made it into the main part of the