First UAE ballerina

Abu Dhabi: Dancing has always been a part of Alia Abdullah Ali Salem Al Neyadi's life.

Her mother, Svetlana, a Ukrainian expatriate, is a Ballet Master in her own right and would take Alia along to the classes she taught at her studio, the Fantasia Ballet Centre, ever since she was little. But it was a few years before Alia decided to follow in her mother's footsteps.

"Even though my mom's a ballet teacher, I didn't start dancing until I was seven. I did gymnastics first and then did horse riding for a year before I finally decided to be a ballerina," Alia said.

The 16 year old admitted that it took her two to three years to get used to dancing ballet, especially when she began dancing on pointed toe.