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.