Beirut, September, 2014: It had always been Reine's dream to become a world-class ballerina, and documentary "Ballerina Reine: Dancing Beyond Beirut" at AUB revealed how Nawaya Network, in partnership with BBAC, gave Reine the opportunity to share with the world her lifetime journey that took her to New York to realize her dancing ambition.
Coming from an underprivileged background in Lebanon, fourteen-year-old Reine had a distinguished talent and passion for ballet and her instructors immediately took notice. They reached out to Nawaya Network, which partnered with BBAC on this project, and took Reine and her mother to the United States, with tickets provided by British Airways, where she was able to work with world-class dance instructors and dance with other aspiring ballerinas, honing and developing her technique and ability.
BBAC Chairman and General Manager, Sheikh Ghassan Assaf, gave an impassioned speech at the event, in which he expressed his pride in BBAC for its commitment to the project, and his pleasure at seeing Reine's development during her time in the US. 'BBAC's motto has always been "Our Caring Bank", and we take this motto seriously, striving to have a positive impact wherever we can. In the story of Reine we found a girl who had immense talent, but who had not been able to realize her full potential. We hope that our partnership with the Nawaya Network, will have given courage not only to Reine, but to talented young stars just like her across Lebanon'.
Zeina Saab, the executive director of the Nawaya Network stated that: "What Reine's story tells us is that there are so many youth around us with great potential, so if we just provide them with the resources they need to thrive, we'll not only be impacting their lives, but we'll also be making a difference throughout our community and country."
The documentary film was extremely well received by all attendants, and the atmosphere in the room following the screening was one of hope and optimism. Reine's leap for the stars has proved to be one towards a brighter future.
