CriticalDance Forum

Iraqi tots cling to beauty of ballet


Young ballerinas, oblivious of war threats on their country, dance to rhythm of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.


By Marwan Naamani - BAGHDAD

As Baghdad ballet teacher Zikra Minhaim surveys her young charges enthusiastically rehearsing their steps, she sees a glimmer of hope, a rare glimpse of beauty amid the grim war clouds gathering over her stricken city.

"What amazes me is when people outside are buying generators, stocking food, the only worry these girls have is how to have a good dancing position and how to stand on their toes elegantly," says Minhaim.

In Baghdad, this oasis of grace struggles to keep culture alive
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In a city full of bloodshed, the Baghdad School of Music and Ballet is an oasis, instilling in its young charges a love of music and dance in the midst of war.
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Through the worst of the violence, Iraq’s only performing arts school never stopped putting on shows and sending teachers and students on cultural exchanges abroad.