Marblehead Dancer Wins Wii Contest

She is just back from a whirlwind trip to Paris where she danced in a new Wii video game, but Marblehead's Liana Veda isn't exactly relaxing for the rest of the summer.

Veda, 26, is a singer and dancer and travels the country teaching Zumba, the latest fitness/dance craze. She spent several months this year in the Caribbean recording and promoting her new Latin pop album, Liana.

"I'm based in Marblehead -- that's home -- but I'm always on the go," she said.

On a whim this June, Veda entered an Internet dance contest sponsored by Wii, to be part of its new video game, Just Dance II.

"I taped the audition with my Flip camera in my living room because I couldn't get into a studio," she said. "I had to do a few takes because my family kept walking behind me."

Still, she bested all other American contestants and was flown to Paris to dance in the  game.  

"I nailed it in one take, which they said has never happened before," she said. "That really boosted me."

Veda is excited for the game to come out in October.

"I can't wait to see how I score with my own dance." she laughed.

Veda -- whose mother is Irish and father is from the Dominican Republic -- has been dancing since she was two years old. Her resume is impressive -- she's danced for the Celtics, at Disney World and with performers including Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson.

She's focusing more on her musical career now -- she'll travel to Spain soon to promote her album.  And she's leading Zumba workshops around the country.

"I still teach one class in Marblehead, for all my old fans," she said. She leads a Zumba class at A Dancer's Dream on some Sunday mornings.

No matter how crazy her schedule gets, she always feels lucky.

 "I love traveling and getting to meet new people, dancing and putting on a show," she said. "I love sharing my love of dance and music with people."

As for her future, Veda is pretty definite on her goal.

"I want Liana Veda to be a household name in five years," she said.