Florida teen with Down syndrome pursues her love of dance

From WTSP-TV:

TAMPA, Fla. - Among the tapping toes at this summer camp class at the Patel Conservatory, you'll find a pair of fancy feet belonging to Thalia Arbelaez (pictured). She loves to dance-all types.

"I like ballet, hip-hop, jazz, tap," Thalia starts ticking off the list.

Thalia knows she looks a bit different than her classmates and she refers to herself as "special". The 17-year-old has Down syndrome, a genetic condition that changes a child's development, and she was born with a host of health problems.

Alicia Arbelaez recalls what doctors told her shortly after her daughter's birth. "The doctor come to tell me, 'this child is never going to walk.'"

But walk Thalia did and dance lessons at age 2 soon followed. Her current teacher Susan Downey admits being nervous at first. "Am I going to have the faculties as a teacher to reach this child?" Downey questioned. "But it was her love for dance and her passion and her work ethic that immediately builds a bridge."

Thalia has already tapped her way across the country helping raise money and awareness for Down syndrome groups. In July she'll perform at Disney World for the National Down Syndrome Congress and in November, she'll head to Argentina for a similar event.

Thalia can sometimes express herself better by reading something she's written. For 10 Connects she reads about her dreams. "I want to perform beautiful for people... and be one day a dance teacher for special like me."