Leila Al Zein, in grade eleven, has recently been featured in an article in An-Nahar newspaper for her fantastic accomplishment of being the youngest girl dancing on the big stage. In August, she performed with the renowned Caracalla dance studio at the Byblos International Festival. Leila danced in a group performing traditional dances with a modern twist and rapid costume changes. Her experience bringing Arabic dances to the Western stage is one of her main ambitions. Being taught by demanding instructors was challenging at first, Lelia reported, because they would give her very harsh criticism. However, she took the critiques as constructive feedback and used them to improve. From starting dance lessons at a young age, Leila has learned the valuable lesson of time management by balancing athletic aspirations and the rigorous studies at International College.
Leila’s love for dance, hardwork and commitment earned her the honor of dancing amongst professional dancers this summer. Being the youngest in the group was a challenge she took on admirably spending long hours rehearsing and striving for success. So, we asked her, “what’s next?” Leila said, “I want to continue working on myself, becoming a better dancer. For University, I would like to focus on theatre or performing arts - something that will take me world-wide and continue to push me to be better.” It is with great pride that Leila shows such a strong sense of dedication, and the IC community would like to extend a big mabrouk to her for her outstanding accomplishment!
