Here for The Majestic Tiger Ball, we learn that the ballerina has much bigger plans for herself and the classical arts through her non-profit organisation, Youth Arts in Action.
(Photo: © Lauren Brown Photography)
As a ballerina, Maria Sascha Khan has travelled to the most remote parts of the world in her constant pursuit of perfection. Born in Montana, the United States of America, her childhood is made up of equal parts the US as well as Europe, having spent a large part of her teens in Monte Carlo where she attended the Princess Grace Academy for ballet.
“I just moved to London now after 7 years of working professionally in Germany,” expresses the tall blonde beauty, who was in Kuala Lumpur for a short bit early this month for The Majestic Tiger Ball.
She was one of the guest star performers for the inaugural pit stop in Kuala Lumpur of the Eastern & Oriental Tiger Express, where a lavish ball at The Majestic Hotel KL awaited guests of the steamliner that was on its journey to Bangkok from Singapore. All proceeds from the train tour as well as the ball goes directly to saving wild tigers.
“It’s a fantastic project that they are doing,” shares Maria Sascha. Dressed in a beautiful turquoise blue tutu, which sequins wink with every move she makes, she speaks about ballet, her passion for the dance and the cause she is helping with a fire that burns bright in her eyes.
“When Simon (Clinton) asked me to join, I was ecstatic to be part of it. I jumped at the opportunity," she continues.
Why she agreed goes hand in hand with the reason why she started dancing.
“Dance is much more than just about me – it has never been about me, to be honest,” she tells. “It’s about the audience, about the people you move through what you’re doing.”
In the same spirit, helping shine light on a cause as noble and as majestic as saving wild tigers sits right at home Maria Sascha. “It’s the same thing with saving wild tigers. It is something that affects every single person in the world. If I can bring more attention to the cause, then I’m very happy to do it.”
(Photo: © Gene Schiavone)
Malaysia and Youth Arts in Action
This is not the first time Maria Sascha is stepping foot in Kuala Lumpur. For the granddaughter of Dato’ Sri Akbar Khan and the step-granddaughter of the one and only Dato’ Farah Khan of The Melium Group, Malaysia has played host to many summer vacations, enriched with hilarious memories of wild monkeys and good food.
“The beautiful nature and the food – that’s what I love most about Kuala Lumpur,” she reminisces.
This visit will not be the last either. The leggy dancer, who loves working with children, already has plans to have dance workshops and masterclass events here to inspire potential dancers from a young age to pursue their passion through her non-profit organisation, Youth Arts in Action.
“The reason the organisation was started and why I have such a passion for working with children and giving back to them is because it was a very long road for me to find my path and my way. I’m still continuing on it and I’m still learning everyday,” she divulges.
While she was exposed to ballet since she was 3 years old, it wasn't until she was close to 10 that she learnt she could make a profession out of it. Consequently, formal training only started for her when she was close to 13.
“I want to help these children find their passion sooner than I did," she puts it frankly.
“I love teaching children and I love inspiring them,” she adds. “Children are very intelligent when they’re young. They are more susceptible to learning. If you can get them at a young age, the impact that you can make on their lives in the long-term is quite profound.”
She speaks from experience, from how much her chosen art has impacted her own life.
“The beauty of the arts is one that can change people’s lives for the good. Being exposed to that and seeing that vision of what’s possible and what can be achieved can really inspire people. That inspiration can help children who are in even the poorest and underprivileged circumstances,” she asserts.
(Photo: © Day Kol)
A part of something bigger
Having tried her hand in a myriad of classical arts from painting and music to the sportier variety like horse-riding and soccer, it was ballet she chose when it came time to pick one and focus on becoming the best at it.
“If you want to improve upon something, you have to focus on it. So when it came time to choose, there was never any question for me that it was ballet," she states.
When asked why, her eyes take on a glimmering faraway look as she digs into her treasure trunk of fondest memories.
“I’ve worked in some of the bigger opera houses in Europe and they have the orchestra and the opera and the ballet all in the opera house,” she relives. “You hear the opera singers rehearsing, you hear the musicians warming up, you’ll pass the conductor in the hallway and you feel like you’re part of this huge system. It’s a wonderful feeling."
They all come together to bring to life one of the oldest, not to mention most demanding, classical art forms of all time -- a full-orchestra ballet.
“I love the feeling that I have when I dance, it’s like you go into a higher dimension almost, because you feel bigger than just yourself,” she sums it all up.
“You feel like you’re part of something that’s bigger than just you."
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