“Bale dito ko nag-debut and there were still 20 of us protégés then so masaya ang party ko,” she says. Her full name is Alessandra Sommeraure. “It was shortened to give me a screen name that’s easier to recall. My dad is Austrian and my mom is Cebuana. We live in Cebu with my older brother, who’s 20. He auditioned with me but he doesn’t speak Tagalog so hindi nakuha. My dad is very supportive sa’kin. Every weekend, he flies to Manila to watch me sa gala performance namin on Sundays. Sometimes my mom and brother join him. Kaya lang, bawal ko silang kausapin. Proteges don’t even have cellphones, so wala kaming contact sa outside world. Not allowed.”
She’s taking up HRM at University of San Carlos in Cebu but had to stop due to “Protege”. What does she think is her edge over rivals Elle Ramirez and Thea Tolentino? “I think it’s my dancing. Before I joined, I had no background in anything. But here, I discovered I can dance well pala.” Who does she think is her biggest rival? “Both of them. Kasi they both transform when on stage na.”
The “Protege” finals will be held on October 21.
