When plans to launch ŻfinMalta dance ensemble – the island’s first national dance company – were revealed, over 700 hopefuls applied for a job. Iggy Fenech speaks with Florinda Camilleri, one of the only eight dancers who made the final selection.

We all have dreams. It’s a reality. Some of us chase them and some of don’t. But what do you do when your dream comes knocking at your door? It might seem unlikely, but that’s exactly what happened to Florinda Camilleri, a pharmacist who had loved dance since she was a little girl.

“I fell in love with dance from the very first time I stepped into a ballet studio – I was three,” says Camilleri.

“It quickly became an obsession of mine and my parents kept fuelling it constantly by buy-ing me books about dance and videos of dance performances. I used to spend endless hours admiring the beautiful images of dancers in my books and studying the choreography in the videos.

“For me, dance is a deep passion that I cannot live without. Dance has the power to unleash parts of my personality that I otherwise subdue, giving me an immense sense of freedom.

“So, when I heard that Malta was to have its own national dance company, I thought that it would be an incredible opportunity for me to pursue a career in this art,” she says.

Although I was happy in my job as a pharmacist, the idea of a career in the arts seemed too magical to ignore, so I auditioned for the company.

When Camilleri was told that she had been chosen to be part of ŻfinMalta, she didn’t think twice about shifting careers, feeling that she had nothing to lose as she could always go back to pharmacy.

“But my body will age, so I have to pursue dance while I’m still young.”

Camilleri was one of only eight dancers selected out of the 700 who applied – one of the only four Maltese ones at that, as three others are French and the other Greek.

The dancer says she is satisfied by the way government is supporting the company’s mission to establish Malta on the international culture scene and to inspire more Maltese people to engage themselves in cultural activities.

“ŻfinMalta is made up of true artists who dedicate themselves to their art without reservation and who understand the great responsibility we have in represent-ing Malta. So, needless to say, I feel deeply honoured to be part of Malta’s first national dance company.”

In reality, Malta has many professional dancers who keep the local dance scene buzzing with original and innovative performances. Nevertheless, ŻfinMalta dance ensemble has undoubtedly been a much-needed breath of fresh air, particularly for those who never thought that they would be able to dedicate all their time to dancing.

“Although the situation is improving, there are some things that need changing, particularly in the area of dance education,” says Camilleri.

“The establishment of the Dance Department at the University of Malta has certainly given a massive boost to the dance scene in Malta, but most people who study dance here are taught dance through a strict exam system that leaves little leeway for creativity and improvisation.

“What happens is that this system mainly produces dancers who, despite having great technical capabilities, can’t think for themselves, which is a great pity. Another important change needs to happen within primary and secondary schools – all students need to be exposed to dance regularly and from an early age.

“This will encourage our future generations to develop a genuine interest in culture and entice them to the theatres.”

Camilleri explains how when you are a full-time dancer, everything you do revolves around dance.

She believes it is vital to respect your routine, adding that when you divert from it, you will not perform at your best and you run the risk of getting injured.

The company dancers train from Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm, but most of them are in the studios warming up before class from at least half an hour before. The group starts off with a ballet class in the morning, a quick power workout and move on to rehearsals for the rest of the day.

“When we’re in the studios, our minds are as active as our bodies. We have to be hyperaware of our bodies and our surroundings, constantly creating and digesting ideas – which, as you can imagine, can be very tiring.”

The most important thing about this step, however, is that it paves the way towards creating a lasting legacy; one that is incredibly important as we head towards Valletta 2018 and beyond.

A step that not only increases cultural activities happening on the island, but one that creates a culture scene which is held in high esteem, which is properly supported, and which creates a wealth of opportunity for those who choose to make their talent their full time job.

“As a member of ŻfinMalta, I am proud to be involved in bringing dance closer to the Maltese public through outreach projects and performances. I am also excited to be representing my country on an international level,” Camilleri says.

“I value my Maltese identity greatly and I hope that in a few years’ time, people overseas will be so familiar with the Maltese identity that they will recognise us as Maltese dancers just from our walk.”

Funds for culture are to be increased by 25 per cent this year, meaning that the scene and its endeavours will receive €43 million over the course of 2015. And there is little doubt that ŻfinMalta will be met with open arms by dancers and the public alike.

ŻfinMalta’s officially launches with Erbgħa on March 11, 12, 14 and 15 at MITP in Valletta and on March 21 at the Astra Theatre, Victoria. All performances start at 8pm and standard tickets are priced at €15.

www.zfinmalta.org