CALEDONIA—Ava Ro is always ready to perform and is shown striking a fun pose at home after her interview.
–Haldimand Press photo by Sheila Phibbs.
By Sheila Phibbs
The Haldimand Press
CALEDONIA—How does a small-town girl end up in front of a panel of celebrity judges on the stage of one of the biggest talent competitions on television? She does it with hard work, determination, and the power of GForce.
Caledonia’s Ava Ro is a member of GForce, the energetic girl group that took America’s Got Talent (AGT) by storm during their televised audition featuring their original song Break the Bank. Prior to taking the stage, the members of the group explained the name: ‘G’ stands for ‘girl’ and ‘Force’ is what happens when they get together.
The five girls – Ava, Sarah, Michela, Holly, and Sienna – came together as a force two years ago through dance and singing lessons. Ava says, “We went straight to music lessons and writing our first song.” It didn’t always go as planned; during their first recording session the producer abruptly walked out after 30 minutes, telling their agent and manager that he was not working with them. Though surprised by his reaction, they remained undaunted as Ava says, “We don’t stop when one person puts us down.”
The GForce girls did not stop and auditioned for the 2018 season of AGT. They were not accepted, and Ava admits, “We weren’t really ready yet, but were told to definitely audition again.” They took that advice and their manager sent in an audition tape for this year’s competition. After call backs, they were invited to audition before the judges, which involved an eight to nine-hour day that included interviews, sound checks, warm ups, and a lot of waiting.
The wait was worth it as their performance earned a standing ovation and four yes votes from the judges. GForce has also achieved success on the children’s music charts. Since teaming up with their producer Myles, they have had several songs at the top, including Break the Bank and For You, which both hit number one. The goal is to reach number one on the pop charts and, Ava adds, “We want to go on tour when we’re older.”
Those are high aspirations for 10 to 12 year olds, but the group philosophy is to dream big. They find inspiration in the popular girl groups, including TLC, Spice Girls, Destiny’s Child, Fifth Harmony, and Little Mix. They also admire Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez, noting that J-Lo is not only a true triple threat (singer, dancer, and actor), but a businesswoman as well. The girls look up to strong women like Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, and Emma Gonzales. With such impressive role models, it was fitting that AGT judge Julianne Hough described the dynamic GForce members as “female empowerment divas.”
Ava Ro’s is all professionalism when needed. —Submitted photo.
Though only 11 years old, Ava has a schedule as busy as the strong women she admires. Along with her GForce commitments, she was also featured in the cast of the TVO Kids program Big Top Academy. The story is set in an elite circus school and Ava filmed 52 episodes in Montreal. She is already a seasoned traveller, taking 56 flights in 2018 alone.
Education is worked into her hectic schedule and Ava stresses, “School always comes first with GForce.”
Ava’s mom, Jenn, explains that when on set the girls have to do two hours of school per day. Jenn adds, “Nobody forces these girls to do this. They make sacrifices.” That means missing birthday parties and school activities. A trip to the mall with her best friend is a big deal and Ava values the time she spends with friends.
Ava continues to dance at the Caledonia Studio of Dance (CSOD), where she began taking lessons as a two-year-old. She became a competitive dancer at age six with hip hop as one of her favourite styles of dance. Her mom credits CSOD as the starting place of Ava’s journey saying, “CSOD has a lot to do with it. Tiffany (CSOD owner) always encourages kids to try new things. They are willing to work with kids pursuing a career in performance.”
As that career takes Ava to many places, she appreciates her life in Caledonia where she lives with her parents and nine-year-old sister, Lily, who is also a talented dancer.
She explains, “I like living in a small town where you actually get to spend time with your family privately. In Caledonia all of us know each other. We’re all a community.”
It is in that community that her family keeps her grounded. Her dad, Tom, says, “We remind her to appreciate it and stay humble. Enjoy what you do.”
For now, Ava is definitely enjoying what she is doing and hopes to stay in the performing business. She shows triple threat potential – she loves dancing and says, “I can’t imagine my life without acting and singing.” She is also interested in journalism and travelling around the world and says she may want to be Prime Minister one day. It is clear that no dream is too big for Ava Ro and that passion will take this small-town girl far.
As of press time, GForce appeared on AGT for Judges’ Cuts on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 and were selected to move on to the live shows. America’s Got Talent currently airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Citytv. The lives shows kick off August 13 with 36 acts competing.
To view GForce posts and videos, search GForcedreambig on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
