Krista Degaetano was described by the media as a pioneer of contemporary dance in the United Arab Emirates after her performance was the only contemporary piece at the Dubai Dance Festival, held at the Madinat Theatre last month.

Ms Degaetano has been living in the UAE for a year. She decided to start promoting contemporary dance in Dubai after she realised it was given virtually no importance, especially when compared with the exposure given to more traditional types of dance, such as Latino and Salsa.

Since moving to Dubai, Ms Degaetano has performed on some of Dubai's most prestigious stages and has an increasing number of students attending her contemporary dance classes. Ms Degaetano has been dancing since she was three years old. She trained in Malta until the age of 15, doing ballet, jazz, hip-hop and singing.

She then joined the MADC and was active in the local scene for over seven years.

She decided to undertake training in the UK; she won a two-year scholarship at Body Work Dance Studios in Cambridge, where she was trained in various styles of dance.

Ms Degaetano will be travelling to Malta and the UK frequently to give workshops as well as spot dance talent for her productions.

Contact her at contemporarydanceartist@gmail.com or search for her Facebook page, 'Contemporary Dance Dubai'.

The first workshop will be held in Malta from tomorrow until Thursday.