LIA FALLAH
Lia Fallah's eyes light up when she talks about dance.
"I think I was born on the stage," the 16-year-old Gleneagle secondary student said. "Dancing is the most precious thing that I have in my life. I feel it. It's my emotions. And I don't really think about anything else when I perform."
And so far, Fallah has had many occasions to display her talent, dancing at a number of events and festivals around the Lower Mainland since she immigrated to Canada with her family in December 2010.
Love, freedom, hope and happiness are common themes in her routines - some of which are choreographed by her mother, Zohreh Aramian, a writer and theatre director; for others, Fallah picks up new movements by watching videos posted on YouTube.
Standing 5'11" tall, the self-taught dancer studies all genres, from Indian and hip hop to salsa and Persian, a salute to her native Iran. Currently, Fallah teaches dance to two students but after graduation, the Coquitlam resident plans to start a dance club while at the University of BC to study dentistry.
As for the Port Moody Youth Arts Festival, the Grade 11 student will feature two numbers on Sunday, the first at 8:20 p.m. and the second at 9:20 p.m.: a seven-minute Persian modern piece as well as a traditional Azerbaijan dance, lasting five minutes.
Fallah decided to enter the festival "because I believe it's a way to perform and show your message," she said. "Dance, for me, is an art and it's about love. That's the main point."
