People express themselves differently, and for Alia Al Neyadi, it was a combination of movement and music put together to create the first professional Emirati Ballerina. For Alia, Ballet was more than just a dance; it was her calling to set free and be true to herself.
Alia discovered her passion for performing when she was only three, influenced by her mother, a trained ballet dancer who supported and coached her to become the first Emirati professional Ballerina. “Having my mother as my teacher might make many people believe that I got preferential treatment. However, that was not the case. I was treated just like everyone and if not tougher because she believed in my talent” she says in an interview with Curlytales.
Al Neyadi believes that being the first professional Ballerina in the UAE is an honour that comes with a big responsibility. Therefore, she aims to support other young artists in her country to enable them to perform and compete regionally and internationally. Her ultimate goal is to have an official theater in the UAE with resident ballet performing throughout the year and dedicated to showcasing ballet and other arts, too. Al Neyadi has devoted herself to making that happen in the near future.
Being a Ballerina helped shape Alia’s personality and nurtured her with the right elements to take her dancing career to the next level. Her hard work and persistence led her to perform in numerous competitions and festivals in the UAE and abroad.
The Emirati-Ukrainian Ballerina holds a BA degree in International Affairs in Culture and Society and is currently curating classical dance and music programmes with the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi.
