THURSDAY’S CHILD: Mariah excels at school and dance

SHE has won dance trophies, a tribute to her skills and excellence in this discipline, but Mariah Greenidge is also a keen tennis player, a lover of singing, and a hard-working student.Two weeks ago, when she received the good news that she had made it into Harrison College, Mariah was one of the happiest people. Her dream had come true, but not without commitment, dedication and lots of study.Chances are that those who follow the young dancers of Livi and Betty Dance Centre, might have seen Mariah and her dance partner, 12-year-old Matthew Weekes, himself a student of Harrison College, making their moves on the dance floor.For Mariah, a student of Charles F. Broome Primary School, dancing relaxes her, and that’s why even while preparing for the Common Entrance Examination, she kept up her involvement in one of her two forms of dance – Latin dance.The Howell’s Cross Road, St Michael resident is also a ballet dancer, having started this form of dance at age three, when her mum Mayva Greenidge enrolled her in dance lessons at The Dance Place. It was only a year ago that she added Latin dance to her list of dance forms.“I love both of them,” she said.Mariah has already copped the individual National Trophy in the Barbados Dance Council Nationals Competition, and has also placed third in a previous competition.In the Strictly Latin competition this year, she placed third; and during the Legends Of The Floor competition last year, she and Matthew took second place.“I stopped my ballet to attend morning classes in preparation for the Common Entrance Examination, but I kept up my Latin classes on Saturday evenings,” Mariah said.In addition, she and two friends sacrificed time at lunch and on weekday evenings to study.“Leading up to the examination, my friends Zoe, Shereeza and I would go into a classroom by ourselves and look at previous test papers,” said Mariah, who also previously played the violin.With her eyes now set on jazz dancing, she said: “I just want to dance because I enjoy it and it relaxes me.”With hopes of becoming a doctor, Mariah, not one to be easily sidetracked, has a vision before her.“After Harrison College, I want to attend the University of the West Indies (UWI), or a college in the United States to study medicine. My desire is to be a general practitioner,” she said.This move would see her following in the footsteps of her 22-year old brother Raphael, who is currently studying medicine.“I want to help people. My brother Raphael has studied medicine overseas and is now a student at the UWI. We are close, even though our ages are so far apart,” she said.Mariah, who achieved 94 in English, and 91 in mathematics, which gave her an overall average of 244.73, credits her family and teacher for her success.“My parents Mayva and Orlando Greenidge helped me to keep on the right track. They don’t ever spoil me. Sometimes I get things that I want, but not all the time. If I say I want something, I may have to wait or work for it.“For the Common Entrance Examination I wanted a DSI XL game, but my mum told me to work for it. She told me if I got into Harrison College, I would get it, but if I slacked off in my studies, I wouldn’t. Now I know I have earned it, and will get it,” she said with a laugh.“In preparation for the examination, my teacher Elsie Vaughan also told me to stick to my studies.“Overall, my entire family, including my older brother Damian, my sister-in-law Andrea, and my cousin Katrina inspired me,” Mariah said.Definitely a level-headed young person, Mariah’s advice to young people is to stay focused.“I’d like to tell all students who sat the Common Entrance Examination this year to stay focused. Now you’ve moved on to secondary school, don’t think that is it. The work has now started.”A worshipper at The People’s Cathedral Church, Mariah, who was treated to a special dinner for her success, will also travel this summer as part of her celebrations.It seems like the sky is the limit for this keen dresser and shopper, and there’s no stopping this child.• [email protected]