A dancer with Down syndrome and a passion for performance

Apart from this, she is also a young leader for Malta Girl Guides in Rabat, which she has been part of since she was four years old and that she is also part of the Malta Down syndrome Association. Maria told me that she has been working at Roseville in Attard for the last two years, and this gives her a sense of independence.

Before actually filming the video

Maria told that she was awarded funding by Artivisti 2018, a funding programme for emerging artists under the age of 25 to expand their creative potential and opportunities. She was nominated by Opening Doors Malta by her mentor Rachel Calleja, who is a dance teacher of this organisation. Maria met Kostas Papamatthaiakis for the first time in the dance studio and they clicked straight away. During their rehearsal sessions, Maria and Kostas discussed and choreo- graphed the dance together before the actual filming took place.

When I asked Maria if she has any dreams for the future she told me that she is “extremely happy with the production and how the video turned out. I hope that I will have another opportunity to collaborate with other dancers and artists in the future”. She also hopes that one day she will be part of a musical performance which is why she has started drama performance lessons as well. Speaking to Maria showed me that she has a strong character; she has a positive outlook on life and is ready to make her dreams come true. Her video reflects just this; she gives a clear message through her performance which not only touches viewers, but also influences them to continue working hard to fulfil their dreams. Hopefully, this will not be the last we see of Maria and her dancing aand will see more of her in the future.