Johannesburg South’s Brooklyn Thompson (7) crowned Dancing Child 2025 in New York

At just seven years old, Brooklyn Storm Thompson, a model and dancer from Johannesburg south, has already taken her first steps on the world stage.

Representing SA at the International Model and Talent Association convention in New York City over the holidays, Brooklyn left a lasting impression and came home with a host of honours.

The week-long event, which attracts talent scouts and industry professionals from around the world, saw Brooklyn compete in multiple modelling and performance categories.

Her time in New York had several standout moments. On July 7, she made her fashion show debut with designer Kerry Yu. On July 8, she competed in the jeans category and impressed judges during the TV beauty audition.

The next day, she shone in the swimwear and child dancer preliminary rounds, completed a tech rehearsal and walked again for Yu.

By July 10, she had advanced in the fashion print and runway categories and captivated the audience in the talent showcase with a jazz dance. At the evening dance awards, Brooklyn earned first runner-up for swimwear and runway, second runner-up for jeans, and third runner-up for fashion print and TV beauty.

Then, on July 11, the celebrations continued when she received 11 international callbacks from top agencies and was crowned Dancing Child 2025. Her modelling agency, Figures Models South Africa, won the fashion team award, and Brooklyn placed fourth runner-up for child model of the year.

Father Shane Thompson shared his excitement about Brooklyn’s accomplishments.

“It’s been an incredible journey for Brooklyn,” he said.

“To see her shine on such a big platform, and at such a young age, was amazing. She worked hard and gave it everything. She deserved every bit of the recognition she received.”

Returning home in August, Brooklyn was full of smiles and pride. Her success has left her family and community proud.