Carolyn Dando

Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Carolyn has been performing since she was 10. She achieved note when she was selected to play the part of Ruth in The Lovely Bones, but her first performances were in singing, not acting. At age 10, with no previous background in performing, she was picked to sing with Suzanne Prentice at a World Vision "Kids for Kids" Concert. The following year she gave a solo performance in front of several hundred school children and their parents at the annual regional school choir festival, with guests including the Mayor. She was encouraged by teachers to develop her talent, and began to study classical singing (as well as theory and piano) with the professional soprano, Gina Sanders. The beautiful tone to her voice has won her multiple awards and commendations as a soprano in regional competitions. Her acting career began at high school, where she developed a passion for drama. The move into acting was an easy one, as she was used to singing in front of audiences.