A SINGER and song-writer from Newport is looking forward to having her EP featured on an American TV show soon.

Jenna Kearns, 28, has dealt with juvenile arthritis since she was three years old and is wheelchair bound.

She hasn’t let her disability hold her back – she studied Performing Arts for four years at De Montfort University, in Leicester, and graduated in 2016.

Ms Kearns said: “I’ve always loved singing, from making up shows in my living room with my brother, singing my favourite pop songs in my bedroom, to doing musical theatre after school."

Artists who have inspired Ms Kearns include Lauren Aquilina, Orla Gartland, Gabrielle Aplin and Billie Eilish.

During her four years studying in England, Ms Kearns worked with a small record label – 14 Records – writing, recording and producing a collection of songs to form her first EP.

“I spent months travelling from either Coventry or Leicester to Leamington Spa to work with the team,” added Ms Kearns.

“Once the EP was released in 2016, I did the occasional performance, and had the title track Time Has Passed played on BBC Introducing Coventry and Warwickshire.

“Around this time, I realised I had one of the producers of one of my favourite shows – Lifetime TV’s Dance Moms – on Facebook, so I sent him a link to the EP on my Spotify.

“He told me they would love to use my song Time Has Passed on the show during season seven. Unfortunately – by the end of filming the season – it wasn’t used so I was a little devastated.”

In July 2018, producers and reality TV personally Abby Lee Miller confirmed that season eight of Dances Moms was being cast, so Ms Kearns got back in touch with the producer about her song – he was

still keen.

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“In February this year I was sent a short video of Abby, Gianna and the dancer GiaNina listening to my song and starting to choreograph to it,” said Ms Kearns.

“In March I was sent a video of GiaNina performing it at the competition just a few minutes earlier; it was so surreal and then it was a case of waiting to see if the dance would definitely air on the show.”

South Wales Argus:

(Jenna Kearns with GiaNina)

The season eight cast visited the UK and Ms Kearns, along with her younger sister, travelled to Cardiff to meet the team – an experience which Ms Kearns described as ‘unbelievable.’

“Abby introduced the dance and told me I need to create more music, because she’d love to use more of mine,” added Ms Kearns.

“That topped the whole experience for me."

The episode, Queen of the ALDC, which will feature Time Has Passed, will air in the UK this Monday (August 19) on Lifetime UK at 9pm.

You can follow Jenna Kearns on Facebook @JennaKearnsMusicOfficial on Twitter @Jennakearns91 and on Instagram @jennakearnsmusic

Her EP, Time has Passed, is available on all music streaming and buying platforms including iTunes, Spotify and Apple Music.