There must be something in the water in Langley, because three of the 10 kids shortlisted for the 2012 PNE Star Showdown talent competition are from this community.

Jada McKenzie-Moore, a 12-year-old from Aldergrove, is the latest to make the cut – competing on the Pacific National Exhibition stage this weekend.

While she can act and dance as well, she’s entered this competition as a singer.

Her audition video performing I’m A Star earned her a place in the top 10.

Semi-finals for all the competition (which is divided into three age categories: kids, youth, and adults) are coming up this weekend, with the kids battling it out on Sunday starting at 2 p.m.

In advance of Sunday’s challenge, Jada is doing two rehearsal of sort tomorrow.

She’ll be entertaining the audience during intermission at filming of YTV’s Mr. Young Show being produced in Burnaby on Friday afternoon. Then, she’ll be singing at the Richmond Night Market later that same day.

She’s planning to rest Saturday, before stepping out on the PNE stage to sing Dynamite, a song from the YTV show Ant Farm.

“She’s so excited,” said her mother Jennifer Proulx. “This is what she lives for.”

When the family learned Jada was shortlisted for the PNE contest, and recognizing this offer a significant boost to her performance career, her parents hired a vocal coach from Vancouver.

Consequently, Jada has spent the past three weeks training, and is feeling cautiously optimistic about her chances.

“This is no regular talent show,” Proulx said, noting that Jada has already picked a song to sing, if she’s able to make it to Tuesday’s finals.

While humbled by making the shortlist, Jada is trying to be optimistic and in preparation has recorded herself singing backup vocals for Katy Perry’s Wide Awake.

Jada didn’t take up performing until 2009, and was surprised to learn she could sing, dance, and act.

With aspirations to continue performing, the Grade 7 student attends the Abbotsford School of Integrated Arts and is enrolled in Langley Fine Arts School next year.

“I kind of feel like I was born to perform on stage and in front of the camera. I feel like without it, I wouldn’t be me. It is who I am,” Jada told the Langley Advance during an interview earlier this year.

Langley has seen many local residents make it to the Star Showdown finals in recent years, including Willoughby’s Cole Armour who became the first child (2009) to win the competition.

He’s since gone on to perform on countless stages and before crowds of all sizes, the biggest being the audience of the Ellen Degeneres Show earlier this year.

In addition to Jada, there are two other Langley kids competing at Sunday’s Showdown.

Abby Hansen is a 12-year-old singer from Fort Langley and Alex Skelly is an 11-year-old yo-yo master from Walnut Grove.

• See related story at: http://www.langleyadvance.com/entertainment/young+talents+picked+showcase/7086157/story.html

• And stay tuned to the print and online editions of the Langley Advance for information on how these three young artists fare in the B.C.-wide talent contest.