“It’s incredible. It’s beyond my imagination — it really is like a dream,” said Aliya Ryman, 14, who will be playing classical piano in the Garden of Dreams talent show at the world-famous Radio City Music Hall on Wednesday, April 19.
Ryman has a sweet demeanor with a soft voice, but her stage presence is that of a concert pianist with her languid arm movements and reserved bow, even during rehearsal. She lives and goes to school in Riverdale and has been playing classical piano since she was six years old. Ryman received the opportunity to perform at Radio City through the Make-A-Wish foundation, one of the 33 organizations partnering with the Garden of Dreams — a non-profit of Madison Square Garden Sports and Entertainment with a mission to bring life-changing opportunities to young people in need since 2006.
In March 2022, Ryman was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma and underwent 14 cycles of chemotherapy and a surgery to remove subcutaneous tissue from her shoulder. Today, she is happy to say that she is cancer free.
“The piece I’m going to be playing for the talent show is actually the one that I kept playing through all my treatment. It’s kind of the piece that got me through all those hard times,” said Ryman. The piece in question is Debussy’s “Arabesque No. 1.”
Auditions for the talent show took place on Jan. 26 and are open to young people up to 21 years old. Rehearsals kicked off on Feb. 28, with four group rehearsals from February through April, and the last one being the day before the April show. Sometimes there are one-off rehearsals with smaller groups or celebrity mentors, which are scheduled separately. But March 22 was the first time the young performers were rehearsing on the Great Stage at Radio City — the same stage where the Rockettes themselves have been performing their high kicks since the 1930s and where the Garden of Dreams talent show will take place.
“I think being able to foster such amazing talents at a…
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