For Maria Gloria Camilleri, a 20-year-old university student from Zurrieq, dancing “is my greatest passion... it’s my heart and soul! I started ballet when I was three years old and I haven’t stopped since then”.

It was this unwavering commitment to dance that landed her an audition with the BBC’s Strictly Dance Fever, the most prestigious dancing contest on television,.

“Strictly Dance Fever is a very big TV show in the UK. All UK dancers dream of getting on the programme. The successful couple win a £50,000 prize and a one-year dance contract,” she said in an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday.

In September 2005, Maria attended Stranmillis College, Queen’s University, Belfast, for a semester on an Erasmus exchange.

“There were advertisements of the audition all over the place –restaurants, bars, cafes and so on. I first got a leaflet from my dance teacher at the Crescents Arts Centre where I used to attend classes in Contemporary and Jazz dance.

Her dancing partner in Belfast was Rahmi Akoyl, a Kurd who arrived in Northern Ireland 12 years ago. They met by pure coincidence.

“During my second week, while I was dancing at a Salsa Bar in Belfast he asked me for a dance. He was a Salsa instructor. The following week we danced together again and he asked me whether I would like to be his dance partner and help him with his Salsa lessons,” Maria said.

The unexpected breakthrough came some time later.

“One day we got a phone call from Strictly Dance Fever who asked us whether we would like to audition for the programme. They had learnt that we were very prominent in the Belfast Salsa scene so they wanted us to participate.

“I refused immediately because it was exams time. I also thought it was impossible for me to get through since only the very best UK dancers make it through the auditions phase.

“However, they didn’t give up and kept calling us until I decided to give it a try. My family at home encouraged me to go for it as they believed I could make it,” she said.

Maria and Rahmi were chosen as two of the eight dancers from the Northern Ireland selection, and eventually made it to the London selection.

“Rahmi was very nice to me. He was friendly and caring and he enjoyed dancing as much as I did. However, during our London auditions things went wrong between us. We have very different personalities.

“After the first ballet workshop he was already not feeling up to it because he had no other dance background except Salsa.

“By the end of the first day he had given up and started caring less. He thought he would not make it that day. On the other hand I wanted to get through so I started to feel frustrated with his attitude and it resulted in us arguing all the time,” she said.

Maria did not make it to the finals, however now, back in Malta, she is very positive about her experience. “I really enjoyed myself and learnt a lot. I had the opportunity to make new friends, meet a lot of dancers and famous people and teachers in the world of dance.

“This experience also helped me gain more self confidence and boosted my self-esteem. It helped me see things in a different light and believe more in my abilities. I see this experience as the start of a long journey.”

She did appear on a television programme in Northern Ireland, though.

Maria is already working as a part-time dancer and animator. Her ambition, she says, is to become a professional dancer. “My dream is to study dance abroad and widen my horizons with experiences around the globe.” Good luck, Maria!