CSM Women's Issue: The 3rd Anniversary Special Edition

Issue 304 • JULY-AUGUST 2015

THE SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY EDITION

CENTER STAGE MAGAZINE

CHEERS FOR THREE!

CSM

PHOTOGRAPHED FOR CSM EXCLUSIVELY BY CASEY WITHERS

CENTER STAGE COVER WOMAN

The Exclusive

New Faces,New Features,

CENTER STAGE EXCLUSIVE:

ALEXANDRASARMIENTO

ELEGANCE WITH CLASS

WOMEN ISSUE:

+

+KRISTIN KREUK

Editor In Chief IAN CARLO BAJADA

Deputy Editor

IVANNA CHRISTENSEN

Associate EditorGIULLIANO RODRIGUEZ

Executive Managing EditorISAAC CHRISTOPHERSON

Art DirectorISRAEL CHRISTIAN THIBAULT

Graphics & LayoutRICO CARLOS BORROMEO

MARC ANTHONY TYLER

Feature DirectorCARLO ADRIAN GARCIA

PublisherPHOENIX PRESS CORPS PUBLISHING

Phoenix Press Corps, Bonifacio Global City1214, Manila Philippines

Inquiries & Contact [email protected]

www.centerstagemagazine.weebly.comFacebook Page: Center Stage Magazine

ON THE COVER:Alexandra Sarmiento

Photographed byCasey Withers

CSM JULY-AUGUST 2015 CONTENTSFEATURES + COVER STORIES

CSM WOMEN ISSUE: Elegance with Class

Age of Charisma Women in Fashion and Fitness

Cover Story Special: CSM COVER WOMAN: Alexandra Sarmiento

COVER SPECIAL IN FOCUS

Featured Variant WOMEN SPECIAL 3rd Anniversary Special: Taylor Miller Samantha Tomlin CSM EXCLUSIVE: Kristin Kreuk THE 2015 CSM WOMEN ISSUE SPECIAL COVER STORY PHOTOGRAPHS:

BEHIND THE LENS AND BEHIND THE PHOTOGRAPHY: Casey Withers Eric McKinney Classic Models UK Couture Hair Krish Nagari Alan Strutt Dexter Quinto C Withers Media Group 612 Model Management 6:12 Photography The CW Network

CSM ELEGANT AND CLASSIC WOMEN OF FASHION AND FITNESS

CSM WOMEN: Allison Lancaster Millie Guevara Amanda Bode Natasha Murray Alexia Bliese Jasmine Gonzalez Rachel Scheer Kay Dangol Mel Tansley Angela Kirkland Leah Peters Andrea Lovasi Kristen Clark

Special Partners & Modeling AgencyCREW MODELS INTERNATIONAL

C WITHERS MEDIA GROUPTOM SAINT CLAIR PHOTOGRAPHY

612 MODEL MANAGEMENT6:12 PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC MCKINNEY

IMAGES BY OLIPHANTNGM GYM WEAR

NGM MODEL MANAGEMENTNAYR PHOTOGRAPHYSAINT CLAIR AGENCY

Associate PublisherWAYNE ANDERSON

Advertising Business DirectorANDREW PARK

Senior V.P., Grp. Publishing DirectorHENRY SY

PublisherPHOENIX PRESS CORPS PUBLISHING

Phoenix Press Corps, Bonifacio Global City1214, Manila Philippines

Inquiries & Contact [email protected]

www.centerstagemagazine.weebly.comOnline Store:

www.issuu.com/centerstagemagazine

ON THE COVER:Alexandra Sarmiento


MAY-JUNE 2015COVER STORY SPECIAL:ALEXANDRA SARMIENTO


Cover Story byIan Carlo Bajada

Ivanna Christensen

CSM JULY-AUGUST 2015 CONTENTSFEATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS + PHOTO CONTRIBUTIONS Jason Oliphant Images By Opliphant Tom Saint Clair Tom Saint Cliar Photography Cedric Rouillat Ryan Gulledge NAYR Photography Christopher John Correia CJC Photography Casey Withers C Withers Media Group Michael Ching Martin Brown Shots by Gun Lucas Ferreir Hayden Su Eric McKinney 6:12 Photography CS Talent Agency Crew Models International Frame Perfect Management Luis Rafael Luis Rafael Photography Miky Merisi Miky Merisi Photoclub SF Photography Bruno Perroud Ronny Clement Christophe Glaudel Jim Nys Guy Croisiaux Pascal PPRL Salvador Pozo Peter Versnel Alma Bauzo Lamont Pinckney Jean De Chumps Steve France Saad Gerges Jade Young Matt Marsh Rebecca Andrews Jan Freire Stas Vokhmin Rob Kristian Arthur Nguyen Rick Saint Edmund Edwards

here are things that money or cash can’t buy or equal the amount of other things (at least hard to top it off): a good pat on a back, a great friend who’s always

really there, a shoulder to lean or perhaps to cry on, a victory for overcoming your adversities, a good cup of coffee in the morning, a loud cheer when you compete, a meaningful life story, a windy and bright day to start your work, maybe an empty parking lot space and a clear traffic in the highway or just simply you support group who appreciates your talent and just love the way you are. These things are incomparable, not a lot and big for others but it’s something that can brighten up your day, make you smile and laugh or just send you a positive vibes and thoughts – that’s what I call milestone and life’s tiny, simple yet delightful reward that the universe is offering to us on our daily routines in life and work. As we celebrate our three years of mile-stone in digital and online publication, we want to give thanks to our readers and supporters for their incomparable support by celebrating and recognizing men and women’s greatest contri-bution in the society: inspiring others to make the world a better place. This issue will have variant of covers for men’s issue and women’s issue. New faces and figures in fashion and fitness industry that will talk about their jour-

ney, career and life. Added to that, we have a special feature section of testimonials from our models, partners and photographers who have been part of CSM over the last three years. This section aims to give their utmost Center Stage Magazine experience and what makes CSM different from the other publications our read-ers know. Also, we had a privilege to feature and give an exclusive feature on Kristin Kreuk and Hugh Jackman, who embody modern-clas-sic style and elegance. These two individuals displayed greatness in terms of their life and career that can be a great source of inspiration.There are no amounts of words how thankful I am to spearhead this wonderful team and lead this unique publication. I have met some awesome and genuine people along the way and even gained some new friendships along the way. Using Center Stage Magazine as an avenue to be an instrument for inspiration and support new faces and figures in various career industries contributes to the betterment of soci-ety. Building others means our professional growth too, so it is an honor and privilege to recognize these modern talents and their work. We will remain as committed as ever to sparking the curiosity that inspires you to hit the road. I can’t wait to see where we’ll go together!

T

CSM EDITOR’S NOTE

CHEERSfor

THREEIAN CARLO BAJADA

Editor-in-Chief

Cheers,Ian Carlo Bajada

Photographed By NATALIA ARTEMIEVAPhotographer’s Assistant VLAD ARTEMIEVA

Featured Photography NATALIA ARTEMIEVA PHOTOGRAPHYEditor-in-Chief IAN CARLO BAJADA

Deputy Editor IVANNA CHRISTENSENAssociate Editor GIULLANO RODRIGUEZ

THE SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY EDITION

ELEGANCE


withCLASS

THE CLASSIC & ELEGANTTHE EXCLUSIVE WOMEN ISSUECSM

THE WOMEN’SSPECIAL ISSUE

Fhotographed By Natalia Artemieva

ALLISONLANCASTER

PRESENTED BYCOLBY MODEL MANAGEMENT

Allison was modeling a couple of years ago a little bit, but took a break to go to school. Once she got her business associates degree, Allison was kind of stuck between staying for her bachelors or tak-ing some time off and modeling again. But then, she decided to go for it, and here she is!

COVERAGE BYIAN CARLO BAJADA & IVANNA CHRISTENSEN

PHOTOGRAPHED BYSAAD GERGES

Don’t be lazy! Always jump on opportunities whether you feel ready or not. Stop stressing and be happy. And love every single person, even the ones you hate.”

CSM: In those spans of year/s or the experiences, who was your inspiration to venture this kind of work or career?ALLISON: My mom wanted to model when she was young. She still has her portfolio book and her pictures are gorgeous, she took it to ford and they turned her down saying she was too short at 5’7”. That inspired me to give it a shot myself; see if maybe I could walk in her footsteps and try to live that dream.

CSM: How do you manage your time with you busy schedule?ALLISON: Between running to the city every few days ( I live in New Jersey), going to class, my restaurant job, and riding my horse every day I had almost no free time for my family, my boyfriend, the gym etc. That was a few months ago and since then I finished my classes and I’m taking some time off from my job to focus on things that are more important to me. It’s all about prioritizing.

CSM: How do you maintain your figure or physical physique?ALLISON: Riding horses my whole life plays a huge role in my physical fitness. People don’t real-ize what a workout it is! I also try to get to the gym as often as I can, at least a few times a week. I try to keep a really healthy vegetarian diet too. Not to stay thin, but I like to nourish my body with what I put into it and it honestly makes such a difference in my overall health.

PROMINENCE OF GROWTH AND CAREER:

CSM: What motivates you and how do you main-tain the drive of your work?ALLISON: It’s easy to become lazy and lose your ambition. I’ve definitely been in a place where I

lost my motivation and became stuck, especially when it seems that I’m not making any progress. The Bible verse “whatever you do, do it heartily as to The Lord” has definitely helped me a lot; it helps me realize that the work I do isn’t always for my own benefit.

CSM: What’s your greatest mistake or failure and what lesson did you learn from it? ALLISON: I think my greatest mistake was quit-ting modeling for a couple of years. I became dis-heartened when the agency I was with didn’t really work out for me, but I wish I had stayed with it and gone to another agency rather than quit altogether.

CSM: Wave your magic wand, where do you see yourself in ten years?ALLISON: I’m not exactly sure, and I don’t want to know! I’m open for any path my life will take me down at this point. I’d love to own a few horses, be able to travel and experience new things. Who knows!

CSM: Why do you want to work in this field or industry?ALLISON: It’s exciting. I hate to think about lead-ing a mundane, redundant life. I love how in this industry everything is always changing and there are new opportunities around every corner.

CSM: Without being biased, how would your fam-ily and friends describe you?ALLISON: I can be very stubborn. I love a good debate. A little weird too, they would say. In a good way hopefully!

YOUREQUESTRIAN BEAUTY

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JAN FREIRE & JADE YOUNG

WRITTEN BY IAN CARLO BAJADA & IVANNA CHRISTENSEN

CSM: Your work can be stressful at times, how do you manage those or handle such things?ALLISON: Since I have a tendency to get very lazy, a little stress often gives me the push I need. I always find that I work better under stress, I’m a major procrastinator!

CSM: During your free time or when you have an enough luxury time to relax for a bit, what are the things you usually do to unwind?ALLISON: Whenever I have free time I spend it riding my horses. Keeping them fit and in shape is very time consuming and is definitely a priority for me. Otherwise I’m with my boyfriend, friends or family at the beach, reading, or baking.

OUTSIDE THE ZONE, OUTSIDE THE BOX:

CSM: What are food and drinks guilty pleasure you can’t resist and why? ALLISON: This is going to sound weird, but I’m obsessed with sweet potatoes. It’s not really a guilty pleasure since they’re so good for you but I can sit there and eat six of them at a time. I some-times wrap them in tin foil and bring them with me on shoots!

CSM: If you can name five male figures or person-alities who display masculinity in their career and great role model for the society, who would they be?ALLISON: Jack Johnson would definitely be one of them. I feel that he is so down to earth and grounded, so aware of what is going on in the world but never caught up in it. Channing Tatum would actually be one, and not just because he is super-hot! I respect his relationship with his wife and that he is so loyal and in love with her even as such a sought after celebrity. Brad Pitt is also for the same reason. I admire his relationship with Angelina Jolie and his commitment to charity and humanitar-ian work. To me, what makes a man masculine is his ability to realize what is really important in life. Adam Young (or Owl City as most know him) is great because he has stood firm in his faith despite becoming so famous almost overnight. And George Clooney, I admire him as he always has such class and tact in every situation.

CSM: If you were to name the five things or char-acteristics that your fan base and supporters doesn’t know about you, what would they be?ALLISON: Firstly, I graduated with a class of lit-erally three people, including myself. I went to a really weird high school. Secondly, I am obsessed with scented candles and have about 50 in my room at all times. Thirdly, I’m an avid baker and make something new like 3 times a week. Fourthly, I have a stuffed animal horse named Philabred that I’ve had since I was little and will never get rid of. Lastly, I like to catch wild snakes and keep them as pets.

CSM: On top of your head, what five adjectives describe you best?ALLISON: Straightforward, weird, stubborn, easy-going, disorganized

CSM: Who is the most influential man and woman in the world and why?ALLISON: To me, my mom and dad. It sounds cliché, but I can’t think of two people who have played a larger role in molding me into whom I am. I have traits that belong to both of them.

CSM: Let’s say a genie does exist, if you can marry someone in the world who would it be and why?ALLISON: My boyfriend of course!

CSM: You will be stuck in an island on purpose for one year, what are the top ten priority things you will bring?ALLISON: A knife, a solar powered flashlight, matches, a blow up mattress , a volleyball (Wilson) my boyfriend, my horse, a change of clothes, a notebook and pencil, and a boat!!

CSM: If you have an unexplained terminal illness and you’re dying, what would be your one, last dying wish?ALLISON: I’ve always wanted one of those funer-als where they send your body off in a canoe.

CSM: Lastly, what are your final messages to your fan base and supporters that constantly follow you or at least look up to you?ALLISON: Don’t be lazy! Always jump on oppor-tunities whether you feel ready or not. Stop stress-ing and be happy. And love every single person, even the ones you hate.

ALLISON LANCASTERCSMELEGANT & CLASSIC

WOMAN

Interview By Ian Carlo Bajada & Ivanna ChristensenPhotographed By Saad Gerges

CANDIBRIDGES

PRESENTED BYC WITHERS MEDIA GROUP

Candi is a superhero with her own special cape! Her superpower is juggling. If you’re a mommy, wife and business owner yourself like Candi Copass-Bridges, you would probably understand how vital this super power is! By schooling, she is a Speech-Language Pathologist. She has a love for children that is as deep as the ocean. Candi worked in the school system setting for ten years and decided to stay at home after her second son was born.

COVERAGE BYIAN CARLO BAJADA & ISAAC CHRISTOPHERSON

You might be doing a fantastic job, but if no one knows that, you won’t be rewarded for it.”

I enjoy the fitness industry because it’s not really a job to me. That’s the beauty of it! I truly enjoy leading others on a healthy and fit lifestyle change! I want to inspire and motivate as many people as I can. “

It was then that her career path took a huge right turn! Candi had no idea what God had in store for her! Her husband always says that God has a sense of humor and she truly believes that now! Candi decided to change up her workout routine and she attended a “boot camp” class. Eventually, she fell in love with the grueling workouts! Candi has a very competitive spirit within herself! She always told herself: “I will not be the last! Never!” That’s what kept her going back. She explained, “I always wanted to be bet-ter than I was the last class! Boot camp led me to becoming a NASM certified personal trainer!” Candi enjoys spending time with her boys and husband. Moments with them are what she’ll always cherish most in life. She loves the outdoors, college football, hunting, traveling and scrapbooking.

CSM: In those spans of year/s or the experi-ences, who was your inspiration to venture this kind of work or career?CANDI: My friends are and always have been the inspiration for Eye Candi Fitness. I had been attending my boot camp class for 4 months when four of my friends asked me to show them a workout in my garage. Those four friends turned into 10 friends and then 20 friends and then 30 friends.....we were filling my garage up two and three times per week. Three months later I received a letter from my homeowners association saying that we could no longer hold sessions at my house. I was crushed!!! How could I let all of these ladies down and tell them no more workouts? However, owning a fitness cen-ter was never in my plan...I wasn’t doing it to make money. I was doing it to change lives and to give women the confidence

they had lost! I had 2 weeks to find a place to take my ladies! I cried. I prayed. I cried some more. God provided us a warehouse and we moved immediately. I decided if I was going to do this, I needed to be certi-fied and do it right! We then became eye Candi Fitness! We started out as a women only boot camp and now we are co-Ed boot camp and busting at the seams! I have big things planned for our future that cannot yet be revealed. I am on fire for my business!

CSM: When you were growing up, what was your goal/s or perhaps your dream before prior to the work your currently in?CANDI: My dream was always to have a husband that loved me and a perfect little family of my own. I always wanted to work with children. I wanted to change the world one child at a time. I also wanted to be able to one day give my grandparents everything they had always dreamt of.

CSM: How do you manage your time with you busy schedule?CANDI: An old school paper planner with pen, whiteout and highlighters nearby! I am very OCD when it comes to my schedule! If I write it down I won’t rest until it’s marked off! I’m up at 4:30 AM and to bed around 11 PM. Every minute of every day is accounted for! And yes, I write down fam-ily time and time with my boys to ensure they NEVER get missed!

WRITTEN BY IAN CARLO BAJADA & ISAAC CHRISTOPHERSON

PHOTOGRAPHED BY CASEY WITHERS

CSM: How do you maintain your figure or physical physique?CANDI: My cardio includes very intense daily HIIT. I also lift 5-6 days per week. In addition to my personal schedule, I also teach my group workout classes. Diet is the key to it all though. It’s the hardest piece of the puzzle for me.


CSM: What motivates you and how do you maintain the drive of your work?CANDI: My husband and children motivate me to always reach for the stars!! I want them to remember me by my drive, work ethic and passion to love! My clients motivate me to work towards my best possible physique!! How can I expect them to push themselves to the limit if I don’t do the same? When I’m struggling, I think of all the people counting on me. My drive is comes from deep within! I will not fail! CSM: What’s your greatest mistake or fail-ure and what lesson did you learn from it?CANDI: I’m sure some would be able to name plenty of mistakes I’ve made. I, how-ever; prefer to learn from them and hope to never repeat them. I will touch on a mis-take I do make often and that I know many others struggle with as well...sometimes I forget to remember that I am human and its okay to fail.

CSM: Wave your magic wand, where do you see yourself in ten years?CANDI: I see myself continuing to enjoy life and all it has to throw at me! And, per-haps a business that has been franchised!

CSM: Why do you want to work in this field or industry?CANDI: I enjoy the fitness industry because it’s not really a job to me. That’s the beauty of it! I truly enjoy leading others on a healthy and fit lifestyle change! I want to inspire and motivate as many people as I can.

CSM: Without being biased, how would your family and friends describe you?CANDI: Motivating and inspiring. I am also determined, selfless, tenacious, pas-sionate, brave, kind, loving, admirable and effulgence.

CSM: Your work can be stressful at times, how do you manage those or handle such things?CANDI: I’m not a trainer that takes on a lot of clients. If I am stressed, I am unable to make progress with my own fitness goals much less help others achieve their goals. I have also learned how to start delegating tasks to others in order to take some of the load off of me. CSM: During your free time or when you have an enough luxury time to relax for a bit, what are the things you usually do to unwind?CANDI: Play or do an activity with my sons, get a pedicure, Sit at Starbucks and have coffee with a friend, complete a craft-ing project or take a long hot bath.

Nam ut massa turpis, ac blandit justo. Nulla ultri-ces, odio com-modo faucibus commodo, mi nisi tempor”

I’m not a trainer that takes on a lot of clients. If I am stressed, I am unable to make progress with my own fitness goals much less help others achieve their goals. I have also learned how to start delegating tasks to others in order to take some of the load off of me. “

You might be doing a fantastic job, but if no one knows that, you won’t be rewarded for it.”


CSM: What are food and drinks guilty plea-sure you can’t resist and why? CANDI: Cupcakes and candy!! I love sugar!!! I promise, I wake up and go to bed thinking about the sugar devil! I would say that snow cones are hard for me to resist in the summer time.

CSM: If you can name five male figures or personalities who display masculinity in their career and great role model for the society, who would they be?CANDI: Dana Linn Bailey, Nicole Wilkins, Pauline Nordine and MankoFit

CSM: On top of your head, what five adjec-tives describe you best?CANDI: Spunky, driven, loving, honest, and genuine.

CSM: Let’s say a genie does exist, if you can marry someone in the world who would it be and why?CANDI: My husband of course. He treats me like a queen and loves me always!

CSM: You will be stuck in an island on purpose for one year, what are the top ten priority things you will bring?Answer: Lip-gloss, deodorant, rubber band, toothbrush, toothpaste, my 7MM08 rifle, ammunition, knife, pillow and matches.

CSM: If you have an unexplained terminal illness and you’re dying, what would be your one, last dying wish?CANDI: To enjoy time alone with my hus-band and sons.

CSM: Lastly, what are your final mes-sages to your fan base and supporters that constantly follow you or at least look up to you?CANDI: Thank you to everyone that has been a part of my journey! It has been an exciting ride. We aren’t finished yet, so hold on tight!

CANDI BRIDGESCSMELEGANT & CLASSIC

WOMAN

Interview By Ian Carlo Bajada & Isaac ChristophersonPhotographed By Casey Withers of C Withers Media Group

MILLIEGUEVARA

PRESENTED BYEMERGE MODEL MANAGEMENT

Millie Guevara was originally from Panama and she began her early training at the Escuela de Bellas Artes of Panama where she learned modeling and dance (salsa, merengue, samba, Caribbean among others). Millie participated in several salsa contests in her country which were very successful but the “American Dream” always followed her. She moved to Miami back in 2005 and she started working as a dancer at a well-known Latin club in South Beach. She continued on to the stages of the most presti-gious South Beach clubs as she performed as a go-go dancer for multiple electronic music venues includ-ing the world’s famous Ultra Music Festival.



My calendar is my best friend and that’s how I manage my time. If it is not there, it is not happening. Many people think I am crazy or too Hollywood when I say I have to check my calendar but honestly it’s a life savior! “

In 2014, she rocked the stage of Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood every weekend; her charisma won the hearts of many clients and opened international doors. Millie had the opportunity of working overseas at Utopia Beach Summer Party in Kingston Jamaica as one of their beautiful dancers. She is constantly evolving, shooting new amazing photos on a weekly basis with cut-ting edge professionals. This year, she had the amazing opportunity of working with HBO featured in their new series Ballers. This talented woman is a high-energy per-son; punctual, professional and dedicated (talk about multitasking!). Millie is also a registered nurse but the entertainment industry has always been the blood that runs thru her veins!

CSM: In those spans of year/s or the experi-ences, who was your inspiration to venture this kind of work or career?MILLIE: My main inspiration has always been my mom and dad, they are the reason why I do everything I do in life towards success. They’ve given me the best of their lives and I think every achievement is a reward for them.

CSM: When you were growing up, what was your goal/s or perhaps your dream before prior to the work your currently in?MILLIE: I’ve had so many goals in life, before I came to the U.S. I wanted a col-lege degree in my country so I received a bachelor’s degree in Shipping Business Administration. Once I got here I’ve always wanted to be in the medical field so I went ahead and got my registered nurse degree.

Nothing is impossible as long as you put your mind and soul into it.

CSM: How do you manage your time with you busy schedule?MILLIE: My calendar is my best friend and that’s how I manage my time. If it is not there, it is not happening. Many people think I am crazy or too Hollywood when I say I have to check my calendar but hon-estly it’s a life savior!

CSM: How do you maintain your figure or physical physique?MILLIE: Healthy body is a fifty-fifty work, 50% workout and 50% diet. There are no shortcuts! I wish I had the time to work on myself way more but my busy schedule sometimes makes it hard. I believe there’s always room for improvement. Never say you can’t do it because that’s a lie.

MOVE TO MUSIC,MOVE TO THE BEAT,

WRITTEN BY IAN CARLO BAJADA & ISAAC CHRISTOPHERSON

PHOTOGRAPHED BY EMERGE MODEL MANAGEMENT

CSMELEGANT & CLASSIC

WOMAN

MILLIE GUEVARAInterview By Ian Carlo Bajada & Isaac Christopherson

Photographed By Emerge Model Management

AMANDABODE

PRESENTED BYIMAGES BY OLIPHANT AND AUSTIN SIMPLY FIT

Amanda is a personal trainer at Austin Simply Fit in Austin, TX, and she absolutely loves what she gets to do every day! She also trains there herself going between powerlifting and bikini competitions. The intensity of powerlifting and the journey of prep for stage com-bined is something she thrives on. Amanda has done three bodybuilding shows and one powerlifting meet over the past year and a half and plans to continue with both of them in addition to various performance competitions. When she is not at the gym or working with clients, Amanda spends most of her days at home with her roommate, where they can probably be found plotting their next brunch venture.


I love helping people make themselves bet-ter. I want people to feel really good about themselves when they are fin-ished with their training session. Helping people meet their goals is extremely satisfy-ing to me. “

CSM: In those spans of year/s or the experi-ences, who was your inspiration to venture this kind of work or career?AMANDA: My first “fitspiration” was Alex Zerega, designer for Live Fit clothing, who uses to compete in NPC. Another woman I admire is Erin Dimond because she has the life I would really enjoy having one day: she owns a gym with her husband, she competes and coaches in NPC, and she has two beautiful fur babies, and of course, she seems so happy, which is very important. As far as competitors go, I can’t help but look up to India Paulino and Ashley Kaltwasser for their sass and physique on stage.

CSM: When you were growing up, what was your goal/s or perhaps your dream before prior to the work your currently in?AMANDA: Growing up I use to say I want-ed to be a hairdresser “because no matter how bad or good your day had been, when-ever you get your hair done, you always leave feeling amazing and I wanted to make people feel good about themselves.” Yes, that was my actual explanation as to why I wanted to do that. Coincidentally, I have actually found that I am able to make people feel that same way, but just through a differ-ent medium.

CSM: How do you manage your time with you busy schedule?AMANDA: I’ve always been the type of person who works better on the go, but the biggest thing I have had to get use to is wak-ing up as early as I do to make my morning sessions. I try to keep up with my planner and I am always making to-do lists.

CSM: How do you maintain your figure or physical physique?AMANDA: Right now I train on a pow-erlifting program four days a week. I will throw in random conditioning sessions if I am in the mood to, but since I am burn-ing so many calories in my weight training sessions, I don’t have the need to do a lot of cardio, even in prep. I limit it to only 90 minutes of cardio a week while prepping for stage. I watch what I eat using flexible dieting and by counting my macros and I’m currently enjoying the process of reverse dieting.


CSM: What motivates you and how do you maintain the drive of your work?AMANDA: Being a self-motivated per-son my whole life, I value pushing myself physically so I like being in competition with myself. I am motivated by a lot of my family members because I admire how hard they work in certain areas in their life and what their priorities are.

CSM: What’s your greatest mistake or fail-ure and what lesson did you learn from it?AMANDA: There was a point in my life when I was in a relationship that I let completely take over my entire life. I lost who I was and let the person I was dat-ing become my god. Having grown since that time, I have learned never to lose my voice or change myself for somebody and to always keep God the center of my life and decisions. That point in my life was a

PUSHING YOURSELF,PUSHING LIMITS,

WRITTEN BY IVANNA CHRISTEN & IAN CARLO BAJADA

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JASON OLIPHANT

huge turning point in my health. After the relationship ended, I spent my new found free time in the gym; there was a drive in me to never want to be that weak again, so I invested time in building my strength and loving myself, teaching myself how to be strong again and for good.

CSM: Wave your magic wand, where do you see yourself in ten years?AMANDA: Ten years from now I can see myself living in Austin training clients, possibly still competing in some form or another and I will definitely have some more modeling experience. I would like to be happily married, maybe with a small family, but who is to know? I would have a house in my favorite place to visit, La Jolla, California, that I can sneak away to a few times a year with my family.

CSM: Why do you want to work in this field or industry?AMANDA: I love helping people make themselves better. I want people to feel really good about themselves when they are finished with their training session. Helping people meet their goals is extremely satisfy-ing to me.

CSM: Without being biased, how would your family and friends describe you?AMANDA: Driven, hardworking and self-motivated. If only it stopped there, but my sister also calls me a nerd, my mom calls me a drama queen, and my dad thinks I’m a little forgetful. But I promise all my friends and family love me even with all my silly flaws.

CSM: Your work can be stressful at times, how do you manage those or handle such things?AMANDA: I do get stressed out quite a bit, and often during prep. I always find myself calling my mom to “talk me off the ledge” which usually does the trick to calm me down. I also turn to a devotional book that I got for my high school graduation from a teacher. It’s one of the most helpful and reassuring books that I have so it’s always a go-to for me.

CSM: During your free time or when you have an enough luxury time to relax for a bit, what are the things you usually do to unwind?AMANDA: It’s very rare that I actually have more than one day in a row off from some sort of obligation, but when I do I surprisingly find myself heading back to Houston to visit my family. It wasn’t until I got a busier schedule that I realized how much I[ miss them and want to see more of them. My dog is there right now too, so seeing my fur baby is almost always the highlight of my visit. In the evenings when I am winding down from work, I usually like to plan out my meals for the night, followed by cooking them and chowing them down, and watching whatever show I am binging on at the time.

Being a self-motivat-ed person my whole life, I value pushing myself physically so I like being in competi-tion with myself. I am motivated by a lot of my family members because I admire how hard they work in cer-tain areas in their life and what their priori-ties are.”


CSM: What are food and drinks guilty plea-sure you can’t resist and why? AMANDA: Cupcakes are so important for my sanity! Cake is a close second, of course. There is something about the combination of fluffy baked goods with a creamy frost-ing that just, well, takes the cake for me! I also love fries, burgers and I’m really into a good Bloody Mary these days.

CSM: If you were to name the five things or characteristics that your fan base and supporters doesn’t know about you, what would they be?AMANDA: I am the biggest baby when it comes to spicy food, but I am slowly get-ting better! I am extremely shy at first. I am pretty sarcastic, but sometimes it seems hard for others to tell. 4. I love hair and makeup, but very rarely do I ever put it to use; you can usually find me with my hair down natural and just barely any makeup on. 5. Most people who know me know that I am a little bit of a klutz.

CSM: Let’s say a genie does exist, if you can marry someone in the world who would it be and why?AMANDA: I have high expectations so I don’t have anyone specific in mind, but there are certain attributes he would have. He would be equally as driven as I am and would put the work into his dreams. He would have an amazing relationship with the Lord and would only help strengthen my faith. He’d make me laugh until my stomach hurt and be a little bit of a roman-tic, and of course, would eventually be a great father. Wish me luck!

CSM: You will be stuck in an island on purpose for one year, what are the top ten priority things you will bring?AMANDA: An endless supply of food and clean water, a toothbrush, soap, gym shoes, extra hair ties, a blanket, I get so cold, some form of protection for my safety, a cot and a pillow.

CSM: If you have an unexplained terminal illness and you’re dying, what would be your one, last dying wish?AMANDA: I would definitely wish for health and happiness for my family and for them to know that I am in a better place.

CSM: Lastly, what are your final mes-sages to your fan base and supporters that constantly follow you or at least look up to you?AMANDA: First, thank you so much for your support; I couldn’t do this without the surrounding encouragement. Second, for those who are struggling with their fitness journey, KEEP PUSHING! Don’t ever give up on your goal; each day is a new day to get you one step closer to the new you that you want to be.

AMANDA BODECSMELEGANT & CLASSIC

WOMAN

Interview By Ivanna Christensen & Ian Carlo BajadaPhotographed By Jason Oliphant | Powered Location By Austin Simply Fit

NATASHAMURRAY

PRESENTED BYNGM MODEL MANAGEMENT

Natasha Murray is a busy mother, model and an entrepreneur. She is the CEO of NGM model man-agement. It is a fitness- fashion and commercial modeling agency. They represent nearly 200 elite models worldwide. Her aim with NGM is to bring fitness models into the mainstream media pro-moting a healthy body image and lifestyle wheth-er that’s on the catwalk, in magazines or to the younger generation.

COVERAGE BYIAN CARLO BAJADA


She has been a model herself for over ten years both in the fitness and fashion indus-tries and has been lucky enough to work all over the world and work with some of the best people in the industry. She recently set up her NGM model academy so that she can use her experience to help other models break into the industry and to give them a support network.

In addition to NGM models and NGM academy, Natasha also runs model acad-emy holidays and various fitness holidays. She also own three clothing ranges: ‘Train Dirty’, ‘Gym Disciple Inc.’ and ‘NGM Models’ gym wear.

The NGM brand has become recognized as an elite brand globally and she is pleased that they have this opportunity through their work to help others achieve their dreams and inspire others on their journeys to a healthy lifestyle. Added to that, Natasha is also the director of a new wonderful show called Miss World Classic. It’s going to be a spectacular event to find the world’s most beautiful woman.

CSM: In those spans of year/s or the experi-ences, who was your inspiration to venture this kind of work or career?NATASHA: My love for fitness and beauty led me to a career in this industry. However my inspiration is always my son. He is my driving force for everything I do. I am a single mum and my child is my world.

CSM: When you were growing up, what was your goal/s or perhaps your dream before prior to the work your currently in?

NATASHA: As a child I remember wanting to read the weather or the news. I used to watch the news on TV and think it was very glamorous. Then as a teenager I wanted to be an artist. At University I studied Law and then criminology with politics. However I decided this was not for me and to follow my fitness and fashion dreams instead.

CSM: How do you manage your time with you busy schedule?NATASHA: It is hard to juggle so many business ventures and being a single moth-er. I also have lots of commitments to my models and the people I mentor too. I priori-tize. My son and family always come first. Then after my family, it is my work. Sleep, relaxation, training or time off for myself are the third/last on the list. I am lucky in that I am quite driven and focused.

CSM: How do you maintain your figure or physical physique?NATASHA: As a model it is important to have a healthy lifestyle. I work out regularly and follow a healthy diet most of the time. My training schedule when it is at its most intense can see me training up to 3 times a day 5 times a week and included in that is a mixture of cardio, weight lifting, functional fitness, Pilates and dance. My diet when I am being good consists of lean proteins, lots of greens, healthy complex carbs and good fats. I also buy locally sourced produce and use organic where possible. I also only use Xbrain supplements. They are my spon-sor and make lots of organic products and protein too. It’s the healthiest brand I have ever used. They don’t add all the artificial rubbish and chemicals others seem to bulk

THEGODDESS AMBITION

WRITTEN BY IAN CARLO BAJADA

PHOTOGRAPHED BY NGM MODEL ACADEMY

up there products with. It is very important to me what I put into my body.


CSM: What motivates you and how do you maintain the drive of your work?NATASHA: Once again it is absolutely my family that motivates me. Everything I am building I am building for my child. I hope one day I will have built something great to pass him down and give him security and everything he needs in life. It is why I get out of bed early everyday and why I am still working at midnight.I do not have a large family and I am a lone parent. I have responsibilities and a duty as the head of my family.

CSM: What’s your greatest mistake or fail-ure and what lesson did you learn from it?NATASHA: My biggest mistake was trust-ing people who I should never have trusted. There are many fake people in this indus-try that will pretend to be your friend only because they want what you have or because they want to share your limelight without having worked for it. Freeloaders and jealous people have always been my biggest mistake and sometimes I am too trusting. I like to see the good in everyone. I learnt that “Not everyone who says they are your friend is your friend.” In regards to failures, I actually have none. It will never happen. Failure is never an option. My will to succeed is far too strong.

CSM: Wave your magic wand, where do you see yourself in ten years?NATASHA: In 10 years, I hope I will have learnt to slow down a bit. I hope I will be relaxing on a beach with a cocktail in my hand. However it is more likely that I will be just as busy, if not busier, excited about what ever projects I am working on and still moving at 100 miles an hour. I do think that in 10 years the NGM brand will have expanded rapidly and globally.

CSM: Why do you want to work in this field or industry?NATASHA: It is my work, my passion and my life. I could not do anything else.

CSM: Without being biased, how would your family and friends describe you?NATASHA: Gosh, that’s a really hard one. I would imagine they would say that I am loving, hardworking and generous. By gen-erous I mean I would do anything and give anything for the ones I love. I hope they would know that and say that anyway.

CSM: Your work can be stressful at times, how do you manage those or handle such things?NATASHA: I just remember my reasons and motivation when I am tired or stressed and that helps me. Dealing with people can be very stressful too especially when you think they don’t share your work ethic. In fact, if it is your business you must realise they probably do not. This can be frustrat-ing but its human nature. I find that being extra nice to people in times of stress gets more done then being not nice.

CSM: During your free time or when you have an enough luxury time to relax for a bit, what are the things you usually do to unwind?NATASHA: In all honesty I don’t get as much time to relax. If I do however I spend that time with my son or with my friends. I also love watching films with my son. I love to cook and entertain. I also love taking my son camping. I feel its one way I can really switch off from technology and work. It is sometimes a blessing when you can not charge your phone and have no Wi-Fi.


My advice would be just to follow your dreams. Don’t let people stand in your way. Never change your dreams to make someone else happy. Never follow anyone else’s dream. Love your family. Don’t take them for granted. Live every day like it’s your last. Also Thanks for supporting me and supporting NGM models. Our supporters and fans inspire us beyond belief.”



CSM: What are food and drinks guilty plea-sure you can’t resist and why? NATASHA: Pizza and white wine…always.

CSM: If you can name five male figures or personalities who display masculinity in their career and great role model for the society, who would they be?NATASHA: In the entertainment industry I would say Simon Cowell - I find him very masculine, driven, ambitious, powerful and intelligent (and maybe a little sexy). As an entrepreneur and career wise, I would say Richard Branson. He is always one of the best examples of a career minded person. His autobiography Losing My Virginity increased my respect for him. His competi-tive spirit and resilience inspired me to take on the giants unafraid.“To be successful, you have to be out there, you have to hit the ground running, and if you have a good team around you and more than a fair share of luck, you might make something hap-pen. But you certainly can’t guarantee it just by following someone else’s formula.” – Richard BransonAlso I believe we have many world class athletes in Britain. From Olympic athletes to rugby players, these men are hugely inspirational and great role models for soci-ety. I also believe the male NGM models are great role models. They display mascu-linity, dedication, strength of character and discipline. You can not achieve these phy-siques without these. They inspire so many people to better themselves through health and fitness.

CSM: If you were to name the five things or characteristics that your fan base and supporters doesn’t know about you, what would they be?NATASHA: I have a phobia of polystyrene. I am actually very shy. I love to paint but I am not amazing at it. All the paintings in my house are my own. I have a pet lizard called Mr. Michael who is actually a girl. I am sensitive and a bit of a softy.

CSM: On top of your head, what five adjec-tives describe you best?NATASHA: Ambitious, happy, thoughtful, clumsy, and strong.

CSM: Let’s say a genie does exist, if you can marry someone in the world who would it be and why?NATASHA: I like this question again. I would pick Jimmy Carr the comedian. I love a man who can make me laugh. For me personality is everything. Otherwise Prince Harry maybe. I always fancied being a princess.

CSM: You will be stuck in an island on purpose for one year, what are the top ten priority things you will bring?NATASHA: My son, a football, a satellite phone. Make up bag. Insect repellent. A fully appointed 120ft luxury yacht. Peanut butter. Chocolate. Champagne. A man.

CSM: Lastly, what are your final mes-sages to your fan base and supporters that constantly follow you or at least look up to you?NATASHA: My advice would be just to follow your dreams. Don’t let people stand in your way. Never change your dreams to make someone else happy. Never follow anyone else’s dream. Love your family. Don’t take them for granted. Live every day like it’s your last. Also Thanks for sup-porting me and supporting NGM models. Our supporters and fans inspire us beyond belief.

NATASHA MURRAYCSMELEGANT & CLASSIC

WOMAN

Interview By Ian Carlo Bajada Photographed By NGM Model Academy

THECENTERSTAGE

ACTFrom a variety of leading men and women to

a sexy individuals turned diverse talents, via a superhunk, a bombshell hottie and the

coolest personality of them all, center stage magazine talent is alive and kicking (ASS).

yes, we have seen them before, but this time a great comeback than ever before. csm stars

really have never shone so brightly.csm presents a roll call of home-grown talents

that is taking over worldwide in this 3rd anniversary special and making a cheers!

EXCLUSIVE COMPILATION BY Ian Carlo Bajada STORY BY Ivanna Christensen

GULLEDGERYAN

CEO and owner of NAYR PhotographyCSM MAJOR PARTNER & COLLABORATOR

Having my photos published has been a dream come true. Since starting into photography, I had goal to be published. CSM helped me achieve that goal and has given me a taste of working someone other than the individual client. I have had several photos published in spreads and a cover photo as well. Seeing my work in print has given me confidence that I can reach for the stars and get there and continue to set goals and work hard at achieving new things.

PRESENTED BYCREW MODELS INTERNATIONAL

BENTODD

I’ve had a very positive experience with Center Stage Magazine. The folks that run CSM are great to work with and easy going. I’m honored that they reached out to me to add me to their projects because they portray your images and content in a very elegant and fashionably way! And it is exactly the way you want it! Happy anniversary! I’m glad to be part of the experience!

CSM Man May-June 2015EYE CANDY SUMMER ISSUE

PHOTOGRAPHED BYMICHAEL CHING

WITHERSCASEY

CEO and owner of C Withers Media GroupCSM MAJOR PARTNER & COLLABORATOR

Center Stage Magazine is always easy to work with, very organized, and very responsive. Beyond that, they are a good representation for the athletes and models they feature. We don’t care about accolades for ourselves, but we certainly observe how people are treated and CSM is top notch in that regard.

OSCARFAJARDO

Collaboration with Center Stage Magazine is an awesome experience. It was a great deal to share the glimpse of my fitness journey to the readers of CSM!!!

CSM Man March-April 2015SUPER STARDOM ISSUE

DANIELLEDIESEL

CSM Woman October-November 2014

UNLEASHED ISSUE

PHOTOGRAPHED BYBILL JENTZ

PHOTOGRAPHED BYGORDON SMITH

Center Stage Magazine has broadened my fan base and

helped secure corporate sponsorship for all my athletic

endeavors. I made some wonderful friends along the way

too. I wish you guys three hundred more years of editorials!

Thank you for believing in me.

JOHNCRAIG

PHOTOGRAPHED BYALISTAIR CAMPBELL

CSM Man October-November 2014

UNLEASHED ISSUE

Being in this magazine was so much fun. The write up I received

was awesome and I got to the last stages of the model

competition. Good luck to future projects

QUINTONWYNN

PRESENTED BYCREW MODELS INTERNATIONAL

PHOTOGRAPHED BYHAYDEN SU


I had a very nice Center Stage Magazine experience!

They show a lot of respect and appreciation to my

work and I am a big fan of them!

TANNERJENNIFER

CEO of Jennifer Tanner PhotographyCSM PHOTOGRAPHER-CONTRIBUTOR

Ian Carlo and the entire Center Stage Magazine team have been so generous in their support of me and of my career. To be included in their publication was such an honor and I look forward to working with them again. It is always a joy to work with a group of people who are supportive of your work. Thank you, CSM for promoting and supporting this photographer!

ERICCLAUSSEN

Center Stage Magazine reached out to me and I was beyond willing to help out. I’ve been in the fitness industry for just over two years and made a small splash in a giant pool. It takes hard work, dedication and persistence to master any-thing. 7-10 years or 10,000 hours is the guidepost to becom-ing an expert in any area.

I have a unique story about turning my life around from a negative to a positive struggling with depression, drugs and alcohol I crashed and hit rock bottom. From rock bottom I built the foundation of my new life and switched my nega-tive addictions of drinking and doing drugs with positive addictions of working and personal development putting my life in God’s hands.

I’ve been blessed with many opportunities gracing the cov-ers of three romance novels and the cover of CSM shooting with some of the world’s very best photographers. On Octo-ber 17, 2015 I will celebrate 4 years of continued sobriety. I commit myself to constant and never-ending improvement and am excited to seize the new opportunities that await me. If one can do it, we all can do it. Cheers to your success my friends!!

CSM Man September-October 2014FITSPIRATION ISSUE

PHOTOGRAPHED BYJORGE FREIRE OF PHOTO STUDIO MIAMI

PRESENTED BY612 MODEL MANAGEMENT

TAYLORMILLER

Unlike many other magazines, Center Stage Magazine makes a model truly feel significant through the way that they actually keep in contact before and after the magazines are released as well as truly trying to gain insight and get to know us. They really take the time to get to know their models and showcase them in a positive/beneficial light. It’s a magazine any model would be proud to be a part of.

CSM Woman March-April 2015SUPER STARDOM ISSUE

PHOTOGRAPHED BYERIC MCKINNEY

AIDANKNIGHT

PRESENTED BYFRAME PERECT MANAGEMENT

PHOTOGRAPHED BYTITUS POWELL

CSM Man January-February 2015AGE OF EXCELLENCE ISSUE

I was featured at their Age of Excellence refined gentleman and an upcoming Eye Candy man segment. It helped boost my profile over there in the Philippines and in Asia and given me a platform to share some thoughts on my life and work.

LAZARUSROSS

PHOTOGRAPHED BYCASEY WITHERS

CSM Man May-June 2015

EYE CANDY SUMMER ISSUE

My Center Stage Magazine experience was fun and

streamlined. I was told that I would be published in the magazine, answered a few

interview questions and voila, I was done. The team

and staff is professional, down to earth and just

plain awesome.

NICOLEJUSTICE

CSM Cover Woman January-February 2015AGE OF EXCELLENCE ISSUE


Congrats on the 3rd anniversary of Center Stage Magazine; my experience with center Stage Magazine was a fantastic one! I feel honored and blessed to have landed the cover of CSM’s January-February 2015’s Age of Excellence issue. This experience was great because I was able to write about my story and my fitness journey to be shared with readers across the world. After the publication of my issue, I had man many women contact me and share their stories that were similar to mine. It truly was a blessing to have the abil-ity to reach people from different nations thanks to CSM; I don’t think I would have been able to touch nearly as many lives. Everyone deserves to feel comfortable in their own skin and I am so glad I was able to empower others feel this way about themselves. Thanks Center Stage Magazine, you guys are the best! God bless you and thank you for all that you do!

MARCOLUIS

CSM Man October-November 2014UNLEASHED ISSUE

PHOTOGRAPHED BYMUSCLE EXCELLENCE

It was a great pleasure to receive the invitation to join the publication of Center Stage Magazine. They have given me with the titles ‘The Incredible Bulk’ and one of the sexy dudes in the unleashed issue. It was a way that I could explain how it all began in the last 18 years of my passion for bodybuilding and it is increasingly intense. For me, being part of your magazine is overwhelming because I always had the dream of becoming a magazine cover (something many of us wish). Right now, I’m sponsored by sup-plement brand Mex Nutrition which went on sale in 2010 at the hands of Miroslav Egner and the icon Flex Wheeler and the Cool Power branded gym clothes from my great friend Erol Sert. I am always available to be part of your publications as it is a pride and joy to be involved with.

ALLITHERESA

PHOTOGRAPHED BYCHRISTOPHER JOHN CORREIA

CSM Cover Woman May-June 2015EYE CANDY SUMMER ISSUE

I’ve had such great experience working with Center Stage Magazine, and I appreciate the relationship we built. Thanks Center Stage Magazine for believing in me and featuring me on my first magazine cover! Happy three year anniversary!

BRADBRANSOM


CSM Man March-April 2015SUPER STARDOM ISSUE

My experience with Center Stage Magazine was

definitely a positive one. Being featured in the Super

Stardom issue was very exciting and extremely

humbling for me. My gratitude towards Center

Stage Magazine is inexpressible for featuring

me among so many inspirational athletes and

models. I look forward to possibly working with CSM in

the future

PRESENTED BY612 MODEL MANAGEMENT

JULIANSATURNO


PHOTOGRAPHED BYERIC MCKINNEY

I have enjoyed getting to work alongside 6:12 Model Management, in addition to CSM with past projects. The work 6:12 does is fantastic and the chance to have it showcased in Center Stage Magazine is an excellent platform to showcase the work of Eric at 6:12 Model Management. It’s an excellent publication from all the teams in-volved. Great work and congratulations on the anniversary Center Stage Magazine!

MARKBOLES



I was originally in the Age of Excellence issue. I was exposed to a whole new audience who probably didn’t know who I was, and the photo shoot with CJC photography was a blast. It was a great experience and I am grateful to have been a part of it!

INEZRAMIREZ

PHOTOGRAPHED BYREGGIE AND MIRANDA RIZ

CSM Woman March-April 2015SUPER STARDOM ISSUE

My experience was great! I am very happy to be part of

it. Easy to communicate with, they have a great platform

for people who they interview, and also an open

book for people to learn from other experiences by reading the magazine! It is definitely

a recommender for readers and models to participate!

KENOLIVIERGISBERT

PHOTOGRAPHED BYGRAHAM MARTIN

I am blessed to be part of the CSM family. Since day one of

my modeling career, Center Stage Magazine has been

there to support me and promote. CSM has always been there to check on my

progress and send some motivational messages to

better myself; a massive thank you for their ongoing

support.

THOMASMIDDLETON


My Center Stage Magazine experience was being lucky enough to be

featured on the cover of one of your eye candy

issues. I was so blessed and honored to be a part

of that issue and look forward to being a part

of the magazine in the future!

CSM Man March-April 2015

SUPER STARDOM ISSUE

CSM Man May-June 2015

EYE CANDY SUMMER ISSUE

JACQUELINEANNE

CSM Woman October-November 2014UNLEASHED ISSUE

PHOTOGRAPHED BYMODERN IMAGES PHOTOGRAPHY

I was the “Breakout” female in the issue last fall and it was wonderful. I told my story of how my health struggles made me the person I am today. From there, someone nominated me for the cover girl contest. I was overwhelmed with the love and votes people gave me, especially being an author who loves fitness and not necessarily in the fitness industry. I was also in the spring issue. Since then, I have done more photo shoots, currently training for my first figure competition, and have met some amazing people along the way.

KAYLENCHAN


PHOTOGRAPHED BYJOHN SCHEUREN OF 411 FOTO

Working with Center Stage Magazine was a wonderful experience. CSM continues to support new talent and new faces, it helped me reach a larger audience than I ever thought possible. Keep up the work guys and I will be looking forward working again with Center Stage Magazine in the near future.

CHRISBOUTOT


CSM Man January-Febraury 2015

AGE OF EXCELLENCE ISSUE

I was featured in Center Stage Magazine in a couple articles

and read other various articles that were published.

I was very impressed with the images and the support I

received by CSM. I will always be honored to be a part of CSM

as I know I will receive equal support in return. When I was featured, it made me want to

improve myself even more and keep going further in my

fitness life and accomplish new goals. I look forward to even

more work with CSM and any opportunity that may occur.

GEOFFREYRYAN

PHOTOGRAPHED BYJAY FUERTEZ

CSM Man January-Febraury 2015AGE OF EXCELLENCE ISSUE

My experience with the Center Stage Magazine has given me recognition throughout the modeling industry. Several photographers have seeing my images and have contacted me for work. In fact, I have a fashion show in fall and thanks to Center Stage Magazine! I am currently preparing to move to Las Vegas to further my entertainment career. CSM has given me a new avenue of exposure and employment opportunity. I have several people who recognize me. It’s an honor to be a part of the new upcoming magazines such as CSM and I look forward to continuing to be a part of it again.

ARMANDLABUSCHAGNE

CSM Woman September-October 2014FITSPIRATION ISSUE

PHOTOGRAPHED BYCHRIS WESSELS

First of all, I would like to send my congratulations on a great accomplishment you did! As you celebrate your 3rd year anniversary, may it be a happy day and hold memories as well as hopes for future years of more dreams to come true. Secondly, I would like to thank CSM for allowing me the opportunity to be part of this amazing journey and for great professionalism all round, it has been an utmost pleasant experience! Here’s to many more successful years to come!”

CORREIACHRISTOPHER

CEO and owner of CJC PhotographyCSM MAJOR PARTNER & COLLABORATOR

I’ve had the privilege to be featured multiple times in Center Stage Magazine. The models and photographers featured are all very talented individuals and I hope to work with the publication again in the future.

JOHN

MCKINNEYERIC

Director of 6:12 Model Management,CEO and owner of 6:12 Photography

CSM MAJOR PARTNER & COLLABORATOR

As a photographer for 6:12 Photography, Center Stage Magazine has given me the incredible opportunity to share my work with the readers. Over the past year, I’ve had the chance to feature many models, through combination of both fitness and fashion portraits. As a talent manager for 6:12 Model Management, Center Stage Magazine has offered the agency and our models a valuable opportunity by featur-ing their photos along with an interview Q&A that allows readers to gain some in-sight into who our models are beyond pho-tos. Our models have been thrilled with the opportunity to be featured in CSM.

KEY GRIPTRACY WITHERS

PHOTOGRAPHS BYCASEY WITHERS

STORY BYIAN CARLO BAJADA IVANNA CHRISTENSEN

MAKEUP AND HAIR BYSONIA KIANI OF FOREVER UNTAMED

PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATIONMEXICO

Alexandra Sarmiento is back with a bang! Better and hotter than before! The Latina fitness model

braces the cover for the special women’s issue. She is the fitspiration of the fitness world and has become much

sought-after. Now, the California-based beauty is taking the world by storm, with an elegance vibe and a feisty

confidence. In an exclusive interview with CSM, she discusses her fitness journey, the highs and lows of her

life, as well as the empowerment vibe she has to offer.

GoingCENTERSTAGE COVERSTORY SPECIAL:

FORWARD,Striving

BETTER

ALEXANDRASARMIENTO

PRESENTED BYC WITHERS MEDIA GROUP

Alexandra Sarmiento or also known as ‘Ally’ is a stunning fashion and fitness model and she is get-ting ready for the most prestigious amateur title in the world IFBB qualifying event to get her profes-sional card. She is also doing photo shoots further-ing her modeling career by building her portfolio. Ally’s goal is to motivate and empower her clients to be their best every day. She is very excited by the progress her clients are making. Her hobbies are staying fit, spending time with her family, going to the beach and cooking. And yes, she is our elegant cover woman for our special anniversary issue.

COVERAGE BYIAN CARLO BAJADA & IVANNA CHRISTENSEN


You’d probably saw her compete and owned the stage with her utmost grace and confi-dence in the last Bikini Pro Show in Las Vegas last July. Maintaining such figure is not a joke and it takes a lot of discipline and dedication to be very consistent in healthy diet. Good thing for Alexandra, she does not have a problem with retaining her goddess-like image and beauty. During our last inter-view with her during the summer, she’s very eager and excited to win her professional card. “I’m excited about future photo shoots and competing in the USA’s to win my pro-fessional card this year. I am also excited to help my clients achieve their fitness health goals”, said the fitness enthusiast.

Preparing and looking after your body and mind takes a lot of conditioning. “I do a lot of conditioning and fat burning circuits along with a strict high protein low carb low fat diet throughout the year. I set short, mid and long term goals to obtain good out-comes”, Alexandra added. “If I have a show or photo shoot I plan and prepare all my meals to set myself up to succeed. Then I’ll pick out my wardrobe. If I am not prepping for a competition or photo shoot I enjoy vacation parties either way”, the Latina model shared.

We’ve got to admit that Alexandra is a complete package (and we can attest to that). She is not your ordinary woman but rather a one-of-a-kind eye candy woman. She’s smart, dedicated, inspiring, confi-dent and obviously, very sexy and down-to-earth girl. So, what makes a person an eye candy? “Someone who has a drive

and takes really good care of themselves and has a presence about them”, the cover woman explained. Alexandra also shared her motivations when it comes to working out and living her career. “Having chal-lenges and setting goals motivates me. Also competitions, clients, friends and my family motivate me. Winning also motivates me”, Alexandra revealed. We cannot deny that obstacles are inevitable. Ally also disclosed a learning experience to us during her one of her preparations and competitions. “My body shut down during prep and hearing someone tells me I could not win felt like failure. Adjusting and rallying back to win at my first show taught me I can do anything I set my mind to do”, she recalled. Through this experience, she always gives her ulti-mate performance and maximum dedication whether it is a competition or just work.

Dreams do really do come true, if you just grabbed it and owned it no matter what are the costs. As for Ally, this was her dream since she was a child. “This industry pro-vides exciting challenges that allows me to meet and network with a diverse group of people”, she answered. She is right. It does not matter how you start, but it is how you finish. For a diverse and a talented woman like Alexandra, she’s definitely a role model not only to the women but also to the young aspirants who desire to be the best they can be. We had a privilege to have one-on-one interview session with Alexandra. Read up and be inspired. It’s not too late to chase that dream.

GOING FORWARD,STRIVING BETTER.

WRITTEN BY IAN CARLO BAJADA & IVANNA CHRISTENSEN

PHOTOGRAPHED BY CASEY WITHERS OF C WITHERS MEDIA GROUP

To be successful, you need to strive

to be your best and learn as much

as possible. My advice to anyone interested in this

industry is that never give up and

never doubt yourself.”

CSM: Your last appearance for Center Stage Magazine was during the Summer Eye Candy (May-June 2015), what was your experience like when you will be in an international pub-lication?ALLY: I was at a photo shoot in the desert on the border of Mexico when my photographer mentioned that I was selected to be the CSM Anniversary Special Cover Model for the 3rd edition named Elegance with Class. I remem-ber that time stood still for me! I realized that my life long career goal was coming true. I knew that I had the innovation drive and con-fidence to make it this far.

CSM: When you were young or let us say the time you were starting out in this industry or field, did you ever dreamt to be on the cover of any publication? ALLY: I have been dreaming about being an International fashion and fitness model since I was 5 years old. I have been working hard in every aspect of my life to achieve this goal. I am honored and privileged to be cho-sen as the cover girl from such a high profile group contestants.

CSM: What are your thoughts now that you are on the cover for the 3rd Anniversary Special issue of Center Stage Magazine?ALLY: I’m so excited to have reached this amazing goal and honored that my Elegance and Class has been recognized within this international fitness and fashion publication. I look forward to representing CSM and wel-come all the opportunities that this platform is presenting me with.

CSM: This year’s bimonthly edition is about being a woman in every way, how would you describe a woman with elegance and class?ALLY: A classy elegant woman is not about being a ‘Barbie doll’ or the ‘perfect size’ it’s about sophistication & intelligence and how a woman carries and takes care of herself. Beauty comes from within.

CSM: Personally and professionally speak-ing, what is the real measure of being an attractive woman and sexy?ALLY: Humility and confidence is both attractive and sexy.

CSM: The industry you are in right now is very fast-paced, competitive and full of talent

and politics at times, what makes you stand out from the rest that people will know that you’re you, like your trademark?ALLY: My trade mark is ‘Reflect What You Desire’. What makes me different is I’m my own competition, to me I’m equal to every-one else. I’m forthright I stand up for what I believe in. I’m willful determined. I run my own race.

CSM: Work-wise and career-wise, what does it take to be successful in this type of career and what is your great advice to those who will venture this kind of work?ALLY: To be successful, you need to strive to be your best and learn as much as pos-sible. My advice to anyone interested in this industry is that never give up and never doubt yourself.


CSM: What are the things that excite you and how do you maintain the drive of your work?ALLY: I am most excited when my clients and I achieve our goals and this motivates me to work even harder.

CSM: What was the mistake you will never forget and what lesson did you learn from it?ALLY: My only mistake is not starting in my career earlier. Time waits for nobody, life is short. There are no dress rehearsals.

CSM: Wave your magic wand, where do you see yourself in ten years?ALLY: I want to be investing my money into property and traveling the globe with my fashion and fitness modeling career at the top of my game.

CSM: Why do you want to stay and work in this field or industry?ALLY: Because it excites me it’s ever chang-ing, it has opened doors and empowers me to empower others. I’ve being blessed with a gift and help people to find their own inner beauty and bring out the best in them with inspiration not intimidation.

It excites me it’s ever changing, it

has opened doors and empowers me

to empower others. I’ve being blessed

with a gift and help people to find their

own inner beauty and bring out the best in

them with inspiration not intimidation.”

CSM: Without being biased, how would your family and friends describe you?ALLY: I’m Relentless, driven, caring, genu-ine authentic and fun.

CSM: Your work can be stressful at times, how do you manage those or handle such things?ALLY: I put my headphones in and go train or go to a quiet place or drive to the beach to watch the sun rise.

CSM: During your free time or when you have an enough luxury time to relax for a bit, what are the things you usually do to unwind?ALLY: Cook, shop the latest fashions, long walks, time with family. On my free time I love to cook, visit with family, shop and get away for a bit maybe to the mall or a little boutique. I like to soak up some sun if it’s sunny. My favorite thing to do is to be with family.


CSM: What are food and drinks guilty plea-sure you can’t resist and why? ALLY: Cinnamon buns for dessert, I love to eat Greek food and coffee. I don’t like alco-hol.

CSM: If you can name five female figures or personalities who display elegance and class in career and a great role model for the soci-ety, who would they be?ALLY: Sandra Bullock, Angelina Jolie, Physique Model Andrea Brazier and Michelle Lewin Fitness Model.

CSM: If you were to name the five things or characteristics that your fan base and sup-porters doesn’t know about you, what would they be?ALLY: I’m down to earth, forthright, approach-able, positive personable and friendly.

CSM: On top of your head, what five adjec-tives describe you best?ALLY: Positive, driven, determined, moti-vated goal orientated.

CSM: Who is the most influential man and woman in the world and why?ALLY: Angelina Jolie due to her relentless work for the less fortunate in society includ-ing rape victims of war.

CSM: Let’s say a genie does exist, if you can marry someone in the world who would it be and why?ALLY: Wherever life takes me with that then that’s what will happen.

CSM: You will be stuck in an island on pur-pose for one year, what are the top ten prior-ity things you will bring?ALLY: Toothbrush & toothpaste, a knife, water, pot, lighter, gun, sneakers, a blanket, fork, sunscreen.

CSM: If you have an unexplained terminal illness and you’re dying, what would be your one, last dying wish?ALLY: To make sure my family is happy and set, no matter what.

CSM: Lastly, what are your final messages to your fan base and supporters that constantly follow you or at least look up to you?ALLY: Keep going forward and strive to be better. Don’t be afraid to give up something good to go for the great.

OLIPHANTJASON

CEO and owner of Images By Oliphant

CAPTUREDON FO CUSPHOTOGRAPHY FEATURE:INTERVIEW BYIAN CARLO BAJADA

EDITED BYIVANNA CHRISTENSEN

ason Oliphant is a photographer that specializes in fitness! His daytime hours are spent working in the law enforcement field. Photography has always been a means for him to escape the stress of work. Jason’s first job as a teenager was at a grocery store, and during his time on breaks, he would always go through the magazines, which began his fascination with photography. He has always been a fan of comic books, fitness and wrestling which is why he is being involved with fitness and bodybuilding seemed to always be a natural fit. Fitness competitors are sometimes larger than life char-acters which he often follows in his work. Here’s an exclusive short feature interview to the man behind the lens of a camera.

J

CSM: In those spans of year/s or the experiences, who was your inspiration to venture this kind of work or career?JASON: My inspiration to fitness photography was being a avid sports fan, from my youth until present time. When I was in high school, a classmate began working out and returned from summer break, with a totally different body than he left with. I noticed how all the girls were so impressed with his muscular frame, that I thought, I must give it a try also. I began training with him and began a fan of the gym. I was a skinny kid at the time and became a fan of the sport of body-building. Years later, I was working on glamour photography photo-shoot with a model and I asked her to flex her bicep. After flexing, she asked me if I was into fitness, and I told her that one of my dreams was to be a fitness photographer. The model, ended up doing a great favor, by setting up a photo-shoot at gym where she knew the owner, and she also brought a makeup artist, four fitness competitors and two models. This

photo-shoot was really my launching point. At that point, My Space had all but died and Facebook, Model Mayhem and Flickr were my new photo outlets of choice. In an attempt to get a following I posted often and after seeing a friend of mine, get several friend requests from fitness competitors, I began to simply go to fit-ness shows and take photos of all the competitors and then post them on my Facebook photography page to gain followers. This actually worked for me and I began doing regular fitness photo-shoots in the gym. It’s taken me almost five years to pay dues and build my business to where it is now.CSM: How do you manage your time with you busy schedule?JASON: It’s a tough balancing act, between my “day job”, family and photography but withprior planning I can make it work, most of the times. I miss out on many of “last minuteshoots” but I try to accommodate as many shoot requests that I can.

Growth and Career:CSM: What motivates you and how do you maintain the drive of your work?

JASON: I watch several different photographers that I admire and I constantly grade mywork against their work and try to close the gap between me and them. My artistic growthmotivates me, I enjoy the responses I get from not just fitness competitors but also fellow

photographers and the advice they give me.CSM: Wave your magic wand, where do you see yourself in ten years?

JASON: I honestly don’t know, the landscape of fitness and photography keeps changing. A few years ago, I could post a image on Facebook and reach hundresd of people

instantly, now without paid promotion on Facebook, only a fraction of the people that follow my page seem to see my photos. I’m not sure where instagram or other social

media outlets will be in 5 years either.

I enjoy the people, their stories, their journey and the sometimes larger than life personas of some of the people that I get to work with.”

CSM: During your free time or when you have an enough luxury time to relax for a bit, what are the things you usually do to unwind?

JASON: Trolling social media!! I seem to have a niche with the “First time model” So I often spend time searching for the next big thing! The next it girl!

CSM: Lastly, what are your final messages to your fan base and supporters that constantly follow you or at least look up to you?JASON: I’m really a regular guy, I don’t take myself that seriously. I’ve never

been a camera snob.

CSM: On top of your head, what five adjectives describe you best?JASON: Crazy, Witty, Caring, Emotional and trusting

CENTERSTAGE EXCLUSIVE: BEAUTYEHOLDER

STORY BYI A N CA R LO BA JA DA

I VA N NA CH R IST E NSE NA DA TSE NG

PHOTO GR A PHS BYDE X T E R QU I N TO

IS IN THE EYE OF THE

BActress Kristin Kreuk may not have

always been comfortable playing the role of starlet, but the Chinese-Dutch

Canadian star of The CW’s Beauty and the Beast is finally embracing all sides

of herself: leading lady, producer, adventurer, blogger and, yes, even a bit

of a fashion plate.

CON T R I BU T IONSE DWA R D GROS S

ST Y L ISTSI M A KU M A R

M A K E U P A N D H A I RE M A N

You’ve known her for charming and kick-ass role in The CW’s Sci-Fi television series Beauty and the Beast as Detective Cath-erine Chandler with Jay Ryan as Vincent

Keller aka your not ordinary, hunky Beast. Kristin Laura Kreuk is a Canadian actress, known for her roles as Lana Lang in the Superman-inspired television series Smallville and as Laurel Yeung in the Canadian teen drama Edgemont. She

has also starred in movies such as Snow White: The Fairest of Them All, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, and Irvine Welsh’s Ec-

stasy (2011). She also won her 2012 People’s Choice Award and two cosecutive Teen Choice Award in 2014 and 2015 for the favorite TV Actress in Fantasy/Sci-Fi. Combined with her charm and wit, she

definitely owned the real essence of beauty in life and career.

But I believe there’s a reason for everything.

Being in this business has taught

me a lot about myself and about other people, and it has been really great experience even though it’s not something I

planned on having in my life.”

Kristin was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is the daughter of two landscape architect parents.Her father, Peter Kreuk, is of Dutch descent; her mother, Deanna Che, is of Chinese descent, but was born in Indonesia; and her mater-nal grandmother was a Chinese Jamaican. She has a younger sister named Justine Kreuk. Kristin trained in karate (by the way, she has a purple belt) and gymnastics at the national level until high school but quit in grade 11 due to scoliosis. Kristin was planning to study forensic science or psychology at Simon Fraser University, but was completely taken aback when a casting director for the CBC television series Edgemont contacted her at her secondary school.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

TELEVISION SUCCESSAfter filming the first season of Edgemont (a teenage soap opera set at a Vancouver-area high school) and getting her-self an agent, Kreuk landed the lead role of Snow White in a TV movie titled Snow White: The Fairest of Them All. The film, shot in Vancouver, also starred Miranda Richardson as the Queen Elspeth, Snow White’s evil stepmother, and was directed by Caroline Thompson. It aired on ABC, and later released on DVD, in 2002. In mid-2004, Kreuk took the role of Tenar for the Sci Fi Channel two-part miniseries Legend of Earthsea. The miniseries was filmed in Vancouver, directed by Rob Lieberman and broadcast on December 13, 2004.

After Snow White, Kreuk’s agent sent an audition tape to screenwriters Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who at the time were putting together the cast of a show they had created for the WB Network entitled Smallville. The series, which was slated to be shot in Vancouver, revolves around the life of teenager Clark Kent before he becomes Superman. Gough and Millar called Kreuk to WB’s studios in Burbank, California to audition for the role of Clark Kent’s first love, Lana Lang. She was the first cast for the show. For a while, Kreuk was starring on both Smallville and Edgemont, although her role on Edgemont slightly diminished over time. Edgemont ended its run in 2005. After seven seasons, Kreuk left Smallville in the beginning of 2008, when her character leaves town. She returned as a guest star in the show’s season eight for five episodes to conclude her storyline.

LANA LANG: FROM SMALLVILLE TO BIGVILLE

THE ROLLER COASTER RIDEIn 2009, Kristin Kreuk signed on for a multi-episode arc in sea-son three of Chuck. She played Hannah, a computer trouble-shooter who joins the Buy More Nerd Herd after being laid off from her previous job. In 2010, she portrayed Ben Hur’s sister Tirzah in the TV movie Ben Hur, which aired in Canada and later on ABC in the United States. In February 2012, Kreuk was announced as the lead female character in The CW’s re-boot of Beauty & the Beast, which was picked up on May 11, 2012, and started airing in Fall 2012.

LIFE IN THE SPOTLIFEAND STAYING GROUNDED

It’s one of the few dry, bright days Vancouver will see during the long and unforgiving winter months. Kristin Kreuk is decked out in a stylish mo-tif that might best be described as European city-gal hodgepodge: cozy brown jacket, turquoise tank top from H&M, jean skirt from Paper Denim & Cloth and mid-calf brown leather boots that she swears are keeping her legs warm.

The raven-haired beauty of Dutch and Chinese descent describes the color of her hand-knitted scarf as “merlot” and the style of her earrings as “eth-nic eclectic.” Sophisticated language such as this is far from lazy Paris Hiltonisms like “that’s hot” or loves it,” - buy, aye, there’s the rub: Kristin Kreuk is far from being your garden-variety Hollywood starlet.

Although she describes herself as “quite silly and odd,” Kristin is well regarded as a the polite “good girl.” The ardent health nut and non-smoker says living in her hometown of Vancouver, “far away from L.A.’s parties and premieres,” is the reason you won’t see her mug splattered all over gossip mags. “I don’t like being in the spotlight,” says Kristin, laughing out loud at the irony. “It seems kind of ridiculous in the profession I’m in, but I love my privacy. I don’t crave drama in my life.”

Melodrama onscreen is a different story. For five years, Kristin played Laurel on the Canadian series Edgemont, and she played Lana Lang in Smallville, now in its fourth season, since its beginning. While she dabbled in theater at Eric Hamber School, Kristin had planned on study-ing forensic science at British Columbia’s Simon Fraser University. But then fate came calling. Right before graduation, Kristin landed Edgemont after her first audition, and then a year later started shooting Smallville in tandem, giving new meaning to “beginner’s luck.” In some instances, you question why you’re in the position you’re in when other people aren’t, says Kristin about her acting windfall.

“But I believe there’s a reason for everything. Being in this business has taught me a lot about myself and about other people, and it has been really great experience even though it’s not something I planned on having in my life.” Other projects, like Hallmark Entertainment’s Snow White and her recent role in Legend of Earthsea opposite Isabella Rossellini, have been shot on her home turf, much to Kristin’s delight. “I’ve been really lucky,” she says. “Being here makes me feel grounded.”

Away from the set, Kristin finds time to hang out with her friends and family, yet she is fiercely protective of what she divulges to the media. When it comes to questions about her younger sister or her boyfriend status, all she’s say is “I’d like to keep that part of my life to myself,” with not even a hint of iciness. She will, however, gladly talk about her growing up as a bi-racial child. “There were a lot of mixed kids in my school,” explains Kristin, now the face of Neutrogena. “I never felt any different; a lot of my friends were mixed and it meant absolutely nothing. We saw each other as people. There were maybe a couple of incidents where people thought my mom was my nanny and that was the only time I was, like, ‘What? She’s my mom!’”

KRISTIN KREUK has been in the spotlight for more than a decade, from the time audi-ences fell for her as Superman’s girl-next-door crush Lana Lang in the popular TV series Smallville to present-day 2013, as star of The CW’s Beauty and the Beast, which is about to start its second season in October. Though she’s become a natural at walking red carpets and posing for photo shoots, it took her a long time to embrace fashion as a vehicle for self-expression.

Sima Kumar, Kreuk’s longtime friend and stylist who acted as the creative director for this issue’s cover spread, remembers meeting Kreuk for the first time in 2002 when she was hired to style a photo shoot for Parade maga-zine. “I didn’t know who she was, so I was like, ‘Who is this little girl?’” says Kumar. “She was wearing cargo pants, desert boots and a backpack.”

Prior to acting in the Canadian TV produc-tions Edgemont and Snow White, which she did right before landing Smallville, Kreuk was a bookish high school student who com-peted at the national level in gymnastics. “I was kind of a righteous child,” remembers Kreuk. “I was really anti-shallowness, and in my limited view, I perceived putting effort and caring about what I looked like to be something that was somehow wrong.”

“She comes from a family that didn’t feed into how beautiful she is, and she was taught that your currency isn’t in your looks,” explains Kumar. “So when Kristin first started acting, and there was a need for her to look a certain way, I don’t think she even understood it. It seemed silly and stupid to her, especially as a teenager incubated in the world of a TV set. You understand why you’re getting dressed up to play a character, but it doesn’t translate to why you have to look a certain way when you go out in public.”

It didn’t help that much of her commercial appeal at the time depended on her being the object of desire. “That was definitely some-thing I was also pissed about,” Kreuk says, laughing. “I was like, ‘I don’t want to be seen this way. I want to be seen as a real person. So I’m going to wear the baggiest clothes ever!’”

It took an eye-opening hiking trip to Nepal, where she found herself really sick but sur-rounded by joyful children, for her to realize she was vehemently resisting something she actually loved.

“I literally got out of the Himalayas and was like, ‘I’m going to put on some freakin’ makeup, earrings and a nice shawl,’” says Kreuk. “‘What am I so afraid of? I love beautiful things, gorgeous textiles, colors and craftsmanship. I want to look good and feel good.’”

“She’s very defiant,” says Kumar. “If you tell her she can’t do something, she’ll say, ‘I’m doing it!’ And she does get stared at a lot, so I think she didn’t want to bring atten-tion to herself. But once she worked through her issues and became more comfortable in her own skin, she realized that the way that you present yourself in an aesthetic sense can actually be a very deep representation of your inner beauty.”

As a biracial Asian actress, Kreuk has had a unique career in some ways, because her mixed ethnic background — her father is Dutch Canadian, her mother is a Chinese Canadian born in Indonesia — has often been a strength rather than a limitation.

“I don’t even know if [the casting director] knew I was part Asian when I went out for Smallville,” says Kreuk. “I don’t know what it is. It might just be the way that my mix turned out. I’m definitely not white, but I can bleed across many different categories, and that’s been beneficial to me in many ways.”Though she doubts she’d be pursued for Old English roles, she can play characters for which ethnicity is not a defining factor — Lana Lang, Hannah in Chuck, Heather Thompson in Ecstasy, Maria Lucas in Vampire, even Snow White — as well as characters that are specifically Asian, like Edgemont’s Laurel Yeung and Street Fighter’s Chun-li (though she’s quick to point out that not everyone thought she was Chinese enough, nor muscu-lar enough, for that role).

Just the fact that she was asked to put on her best Indian accent and mannerisms to portray a displaced Muslim woman (“Yes, if you go to the north of Pakistan, people do look like me, but not many people know this,” she says), resulting in her landing the acting role that she’s most proud of to date, speaks volumes. During a time when American fans’ investment in her was mostly filtered through the lens of Lana’s relationship with Clark Kent, the 2007 Canadian film Partition allowed Kreuk to be a part of a sweeping 1947 love story amidst the partition of British India that resulted in violent political and religious strife.

In recent years, Kreuk has amassed enough clout in Hollywood that both Chun-li and her current role as Catherine Chandler in Beauty and the Beast were specifically written as biracial Asian in order to accommodate her casting. With Beauty and the Beast, she returns to the world of mythology. Loosely inspired by the 1987 series of the same name, Catherine is the “Beauty,” a NYPD detective who, as a teenager, saw her mother murdered, and Vincent Keller (played by Jay Ryan) is the “Beast,” a former soldier who, as part of a top secret experiment gone awry, was injected with a genetic-mutating serum that causes him to have dangerous strength when provoked. This past May’s cliffhanger ended with one of them captured in a helicopter and the other looking up to the sky in despair.

“Last season, we established their love for each other, that they’d essentially do any-thing for each other,” says Kreuk. “Now you have to test it. This season, we’re going to see the toll that it takes on them.”

Though she’s proud of the show, it’s impor-tant to Kreuk that she not be confined by The CW box. Her main goal is to eventu-ally become a creative producer. An actress who’s been reciting other people’s words for a decade, Kreuk wants to have a hand in telling stories of her own. In 2009, she cofounded the production company Parvati Creative Inc., which focuses on human-cen-tric films that feature women both in front of and behind the camera. Supporting women’s voices is an issue she’s passionate about, and she cites female executive producers Sherri Cooper and Jennifer Levin as one of the main

reasons she was excited to sign on for Beauty and the Beast.

In the meantime, she continues to dabble with the unexpected, whether it’s accumulating more international travels (her annual “Wild Women’s Adventure” trip with her three girlfriends has taken them everywhere from Argentina to Ecuador, from Italy to Syria and Turkey, and, this summer, Mongolia), writing personal stories on her new blog called New Culture Revolution (which she and Kumar just started in May while they were bask-ing in Kauai sunshine eating papaya), tak-ing more risks with her off-camera fashion choices (from her “rock-star girlfriend” furry vest look in this spread to showcase her wild side, to her bespectacled 1970s Charlotte Rampling look at Comic-Con 2013 to dis-play her nerdier side), or — Kumar’s per-sonal favorite — throwing out a politically incorrect joke that’s just enough to shock everyone who might think they’ve got her pinned down.

“She’s almost like a little jack-in-the-box,” says Kumar. “People have an idea of her being so prim and proper and innocent, and once in a while, she’ll pop up and be like, ‘I’m not like that!’ If you’re around for it when it happens, it’s jaw-on-the-ground funny.”

TALKING BODIES

CENTERSTAGE SPOTLIGHT

BYI A N CA R LO BA JA DAISA AC CH R ISTOPH E RSON

PHOTO GR A PHS BYCASE Y W I T H E RS

POW E R E D BYC W I T H E RS M E DI A GROU P

CE N T E R STAGE MODE LK R IST I N E MON T ESA

You might be doing a fantastic job, but if no one knows that, you won’t be rewarded for it.”KRISTINE MONTESA


BODY ON MEBY

PHOTO GR A PHS BYCASE Y W I T H E RS



KRISTINE MONTESABYBODY LANGUAGEPHOTO GR A PHS BYCASE Y W I T H E RS


KRISTINE MONTESABYBODY IN MOTIONPHOTO GR A PHS BYCASE Y W I T H E RS

Issue 304 • JULY-AUGUST 2015

ELEGANCE WITH CLASS WITH:


ALEXANDRA SARMIENTO

CSM

PHOTOGRAPHED FOR CSM EXCLUSIVELY BY CASEY WITHERS

The Exclusive:

WOMEN ISSUE:

THE ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION

Documents

CSM Women's Issue: The 3rd Anniversary Special Edition