Pennsville's Amanda Dilks recently released a music video for her first single, 'Go Go Go.'
Taking the driver's test is a big step in every teen's life.
But when the driving instructor is comedian Howie Mandel, it's hard to predict what may happen.
Pennsville's Amanda Dilks, 20, climbed into a white station wagon with Mandel in the passenger seat and her new single "Go Go Go" blaring through the speakers.
Movie cameras were rolling inside the car and out, to film her first music video for the catchy pop song.
Dilks -- host of Teen Nick Top 10's "Dancing With Amanda" -- has been dancing and singing since she was a toddler.
"It wasn't until I met with Nick Cannon that I truly believed I could succeed in pursuing a career in music," she said. "I realized I had someone in the industry who believed in me and I knew I wouldn't fail."
After Dilks moved to Los Angeles in 2013, she began taking acting classes, continued with dance classes, and got herself a vocal coach.
Finally, it was time to choose a song to record, and there was no question of what song that would be.
"'Go Go Go' is the perfect first single for me," Dilks said. "This song is so much fun. You can turn it up and jam with all of your friends, or just turn it up in your headphones and dance around your room."
While dancing, modeling and acting -- she has also been on three seasons of SyFy's "Face Off" and appears in season 10 which premieres Jan. 13 -- come naturally to Dilks, the potential triple threat had never recorded a song until "Go Go Go."
"Recording my first single, was such an amazing experience," she said. "I was very grateful to have my vocal coach, Tim Carter, and manager, Nick Cannon, with me when I recorded the song. Having their feedback on different ways to approach verses was great. They really helped me find an extra boost of confidence within myself and my abilities."
Once the song was recorded, Dilks joined Mandel in front of the cameras to film the accompanying music video.
"Filming my first music video was such a surreal experience," she said. "I remember being little, and pretending to make music videos with friends, or just imagining what it would be like to star in my own video. I can't believe I'm able to do what I have always dreamed."
While Dilks is experienced in choreography, Choreographer Brian Drake was brought in to design a dance sequence that was perfect for the rising star.
"I wanted a lot of her input so we could create something very unique to the way her body moves," Drake said. "Amanda is a great dancer, and moves in her own way. I wanted to capture that and make it the movement for the video and live shows."
Drake and Dilks discussed the direction for the video and collaborated on dance ideas prior to filming.
"We had a little talk about what we were going for, and we pretty much were on the same page about the vision," Drake said. "After that, everything happened like magic."
And having a veteran co-star like Mandel by her side made the experience even more amazing.
"Working with Howie was so much fun," Dilks said. "He was so easy to talk to and his energy was contagious."
Dilks is "very thankful" that Mandel agreed to appear in her first music video.
"Having him in the passenger seat while driving was one of the most fun experiences I've had," she said.
And Drake said working with Dilks was just as enjoyable.
"Amanda is a great dancer," he said. "She learns fast, works very hard, and has a good eye for choreography. She's really a blast to work with. I appreciate her talent very much. Rehearsals are just fun and easy."
The video crew also worked hard to put out a quality product and it shows, Dilks said.
"I truly hope that everyone who watches the video finishes with a smile on their face. From the comedy of Howie to the night scene dancing, I think there is something for everyone," she said. "I love being able to make people happy, and I think this song does just that. It's very important that my music is fun and driving. I like to know that, if you hear it one time, it will be stuck in your head."
Dilks said this is just the beginning.
"I'm very grateful for 2015," she said. "I feel as though I was really starting to pick up some steam from my first performance at Mall of America, releasing my music video, and performing on the TeenNick Top 10 New Year's Eve special."
Dilks hopes to keep her momentum going and make more music, perform more dances, and rock more performances in 2016.
"I'm having so much fun already between filming and performing," she said. "I know this is exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life."
Like her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmandaNDilks, and follow her on Twitter @AmandaDilks2 and Instagram @amandadilks.
Kelly Roncace may be reached at kroncace@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kellyroncace. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.