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Hannah Haerich will tell you it doesn’t matter whether she emerges from a prestigious New York fine arts camp as the next Hollywood star.

And the 10-year-old will say it in a calm, confident and sincere adult way.

“I don’t care if I get discovered or not. It will be a good experience either way. I win both ways,” Hannah said.

New York talent scout Peter Sklar was looking for girls with a natural, confident presence when he dropped in Smithville’s Dance Progressions, he told parents and studio owner Mary Beth Sharpe. He left with an interest in Hannah.

Sklar, who’s discovered stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Reese Witherspoon, Rick Schroeder and Mischa Barton, asked Hannah to be one of 150 children at his New York workshop, called Beginnings, at the end of this month. The workshop focuses on acting, dancing and singing and is known for transforming children from regular kids to big stars in a matter of days.

Sklar travels the country, visiting both small towns and big cities, looking for talent. He called Sharpe and asked to meet with the girls and families who attend her dance studio.

Dance is Hannah’s specialty. She began dancing when she was 3, spends 10 hours per week at Dance Progressions and has dance studio style mirrors on her bedroom walls.

Sklar had no interest in watching Hannah or any of the Smithville girls perform. He just wanted to talk with them.

“He said that anyone is trainable if they have a strong presence and self confidence,” Sharpe said. “With

Hannah, she’s very outgoing and tends to be very well-spoken. So it’s not surprising that he picked her.”

After talking with parents about the camp, he met individually with about 15 girls.

Hannah, who just completed the fourth grade in the Smithville R-II School District, said he asked her about her dogs, friends and school.

“I told him how my friends are good friends because they always cheer me up,” she said.

On the camp’s last day, each child will perform a solo dance, song or acting skit for some of the most powerful people in show business. Few will go on to make it big.

Hannah’s parents, Chris and Jason Haerich, were very hesitant at first to send Hannah to the camp.

After parents drop their children off at the camp, parents and children cannot have contact with each other during the seven-day program.

The parents researched Sklar and the camp and determined he was reputable and that their daughter would be safe.

While they still worry, they determined that they shouldn’t let the opportunity pass.

“She has performed at the highest level in this area, but she has never experienced what things are like on the East Coast,” Jason Haerich said. “If she does want to continue to pursue performing, she needs to know how things work out there.”

Chris Haerich added, “We don’t want to not let her go and then look back and say, ‘What if?’”

Smithville Editor Nancy Hull Rigdon can be reached at 532-4444 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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