This week we reached out to Ava Safai, a first-year student and an avid fan of Dance Moms, whose original single Finding Hope was featured on the Season 7 finale! Yes, you heard that correctly! Read on to learn the full story.
STATS
Year: First-year in the ArtsONE program.
Faculty: Arts, but recently accepted into the BFA Acting program.
Plans for the Future: I would like to continue to pursue a double-major in Acting and English Literature (or some other form of English, such as Creative Writing). I also plan to do more television work, and establish myself in Vancouver’s film industry.
HCUBC: Why did you pick UBC?
I weighed the pros and cons against attending another school I was looking at, and realized that I love my family, my dog and my boyfriend so much that I’d like to spend as much time with them as I can before I move away. The campus’ location makes it easy for me to visit home often, but it’s also far enough away so that I can develop independence. Also, the money I saved, programs here, and campus aesthetic were huge pros!!
HCUBC: Recently you had an original song featured on Dance Moms. Care to share how that came about?
I saw a video on YouTube where Abby Lee Miller, the dance coach, said that the show was looking for new music and that we could send our material to her email for review. So I did, initially thinking nothing would happen. And I was right — the first time, I got no response. However, a few days later, I saw that Ms. Miller was active on Instagram, so I sent it to her e-mail again! She replied within the hour and told me that she loved the song! Everything just unfolded from there.
HCUBC: Incredible! Have you always been a loyal Dance Moms fan?
Since the start! I started watching when I was like 12 or 13! (Maybe a bit later, but definitely early high school!!!)
HCUBC: How did it feel to see your piece get performed?
So surreal and wonderful and overwhelming … everything, really! It was just a crazy mix of emotions. It was also super weird to hear myself on TV. It felt like someone had muted the show and just started blasting the song nearby, because I still didn’t believe that it was happening at the time.
HCUBC: I also understand that you have two new singles coming out soon?
Yes, I just finished recording my new singles a few weeks ago! Their names are “Civil War” and “Skin & Bones”, and I’m so excited for their release! They will be out later this month.
HCUBC: Do you see yourself continuing with music in the future, whether as a hobby or as a part of your career?
I definitely see myself continuing on with music! I’d love to work with Disney someday. That’s been my all-time dream goal — to write a musical for the princess line-up! On top of that, I would also love to keep writing songs [for myself] and continue working with my parents at their music school to inspire younger students to follow similar paths.
HCUBC: That’s wonderful! Let’s end off with something lighthearted, shall we? What’s one silly thing that no one knows about you?
When I was younger, I had a blonde Hannah Montana wig that my parents bought me from Claire’s, and I would film myself lip-synching to Britney Spears’ music while a coloured disco ball spun in the background. I thought that I was famous, and it was pretty tragic. There are still videos of me “performing” in this way hidden deep within the confines of my mom’s computer.
Once a performer, always a performer! As always, thank you HCUBC Cuties! You can find Ava’s song Finding Hope on Youtube, and be sure to keep an eye out for her two new singles, which will be available on iTunes later this month.
Photo Credits: Karolina Turek