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Dance

Dance or Die

September 13, 2021

"They said they would shoot me in the leg so I couldn’t dance anymore." The brutal threat Syrian dancer Ahmad Joudeh received from the terrorist organization "Islamic State" forced him to flee his home in Damascus.

https://p.dw.com/p/40G5p
Belgien l Tanzperformance des syrischen Flüchtlings in Brüssel l Tänzer und Choreograph Ahmad Joudeh
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Thys
Syrien Palmyra - Tänzer Ahmad Joudeh
Image: ahmadjoudeh.com

Dance or die - these three words became Ahmad Joudeh's statement of defiance against the so-called Islamic State (IS). He has them tattooed across his neck. But his father, too, detested Ahmad's passion for dance: some in Syria consider dancing unmanly. In 2016, Ahmad left Syria for the Netherlands. There, he earned a spot with the Dutch National Ballet. 

Belgien l Tanzperformance des syrischen Flüchtlings in Brüssel l Tänzer und Choreograph Ahmad Joudeh
Image: picture alliance/AA/D. Aydemir

Ahmad quickly became a star, and has performed numerous times on TV, including with the musician Sting. Eventually, even his father attended his performances. The reconciliation proved to be a huge relief for Ahmad.


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