Brooke Rayne Krufal - Ordinarily Extraordinary
Feb 25, 2016 10:26AM ● By Anne Batty“I love singing and dancing, and I know it will take time, hard work and giving up things in order to make it happen.”
by Anne Batty
Unusual looks, talent, hard work and perseverance are the attributes propelling13-year-old San Clementean Brooke Rayne Krufal toward fulfilling her dreams. And she is very aware that her desire to become successful as a singer/dancer in the entertainment industry will take all that and much, much more.
Definitely excited and up for the challenge, when discussing her goals Brooke’s hazel green eyes twinkle and a broad smile lights up her face.
“I have dreamed of becoming an entertainer since I was a toddler,” she says. “I love singing and dancing, and I know it will take time, hard work and giving up things in order to make it happen.”
For Brooke, doing that hard work not only includes studio recording, hip hop dance lessons, long hours trekking to auditions and handling rejection, it also involves maintaining a balance in schooling, family life and spending time with friends.
“My daughter is just an ordinary teenager who loves school and hanging out with her classmates,” her mom, Tressa Krufal, explained. “But it’s not all about fun and games for her. There are times when she has to make a choice between activities with friends and auditions, lessons and the extra homework required to keep her grades up.”
A hometown girl and student at Shorecliffs Middle School, Brooke is fortunate to have teachers willing to assign outside schoolwork when she is called to an audition. Their cooperation has enabled her to maintain a high grade average and to remain an Honor Roll scholar.
“Balance is the key for Brooke, and I am amazed daily at how hard she is willing to work to maintain it,” her father, Scott Krufal, divulged. “She truly is just an ordinary kid, a very fun-loving and giving person who hangs out with her friends and just enjoys whatever it is that she is doing.”
When not busy pursuing her entertainment dreams, Brooke’s enjoyment involves participating in a young woman’s group in her church, donating to the Boys and Girls Club, giving pillow pets to CHOC hospital, and handing out gifts to the homeless. And her most recent time having fun with friends was the opportunity to involve them in her newly released hip-hop music video Insane in the B’Rayne, presently available for viewing on YouTube.
“I really hope that what I’m doing can be an example to young people,” Brooke exclaimed. “I would like to encourage others not to wait, but to start following their dreams now, and to know that no matter what happens to never ever give up!”
The road to the dream
Unusual looks, talent and hard work aren’t the only things that have brought Brooke Rayne Krufal to this point in her career. The help, encouragement and support of her parents have been the keys unlocking the door to a chance for success.
“I recognized Brooke’s unusual look and desire to entertain early on,” revealed her mom. “I began helping her by sending photos to every agency I could find. Once she was finally picked up by Momentum Talent Agency in Hollywood the real work began.”
Not one to sit back and wait for things to happen, along with the agency agenda Tressa continues to search the Internet to make contacts and set up appointments for auditions. Once an audition is set up the juggling of schedules for Brooke and her two brothers, Dylan and Brody must be considered. That settled the traveling to various parts of L.A. at all times of the day and night begins.
“With traffic what it is, we often just stay in L.A. and wait for it to let up,” Tressa said. “During that time, Brooke does her schoolwork, or some recording, or works in the studio along with hip hop dancers at the Millennium in North Hollywood. Without my husband Scott’s support and care of our sons while we’re on the road, none of this could happen.”
The pursuit of fame is a demanding one, and carries with it its disappointments. Every audition attended doesn’t always end in success, and accepting and handling rejection comes with the territory.
“It’s always a disappointment not to get a job,” admitted Tressa. “But we know that tomorrow is another day and another opportunity and we take it in stride. We just put it behind us, move on and do it all over again.”
The journey so far
Things really started happening for Brooke in 2013 when she began appearing in hip hop music videos … three of them with Dream Team Directors. In some she was in the background part of a group and in others a featured dancer. She also obtained spots on CEN and ABC TV, appeared on Disney and Nickelodeon, participated in Coca Cola and Healy’s commercials, had bits in a lifetime movie and SAG film, and was involved in numerous modeling, magazine and print shoots.
When asked about one of her most unusual moments during a shoot, Brooke related an incidence that happened during make-up for a video.
“My hair is very curly and there’s lots of it,” she began. “It gets really bushy if you try to brush it out. When the studio hairdresser was preparing it for a shoot she was insisting it should be brushed out. It took us a while to convince her it could only be brushed out wet. She just didn’t realize what a disaster it would have been if she hadn’t listened,” Brooke laughed.
It was while appearing in the background of a hip hop music video that Brooke was discovered by multi-platinum, award winning music producer Andrew Lane. Interested in featuring her as an artist in originally scored music videos only, Insane in the B’Rayne is just the first of many in their future endeavors.
“I discovered Brooke around a year and a half ago,” Lane revealed. “I was on a video set and I noticed someone with a lot of character, a lot of charisma, and a lot of professionalism. Soon after that I signed Brooke to my production company and began to manage her. Since then we have recorded about five songs, shot one music video, and the sky is the limit with Brooke. She is such a phenomenal person, artist and actress and is truly the triple threat in the industry ... very soon she’s going to be a household name in entertainment.”
How far will Brooke Rayne Krufal go from here? Only time will tell. But as producer Andrew Lane is predicting the possibilities are limitless. And with her unusual looks, talent, dedication and determination - plus lots of help, encouragement and support from her family- she just may be the next rising star on the entertainment scene’s very broad horizon.