Amman dance studio is building a space for collaboration and social change

“Everyone is a dancer by nature,” claims Anas Nahleh, 23.

Anas and his brother, Abdul Hadi Nahleh, 25, shared a passion for dancing for over a decade before opening Studio 8 in Amman’s Jabal Al-Weibdeh district one year ago, a performing arts center that could be a tool for social change.

Realising a dream

Although neither brother has a formal arts education, both were instructors at other dance studios, where they gained a following amongst their students before striking out on their own.

Realizing there aren’t many affordable dance studios in Amman, the Nahleh brothers decided to focus on people who have a strong desire to dance but can’t afford the costs other facilities charge.

The other social good to come out of the studio is a program for therapy and healing for Syrian refugees. Anas, who often practices in public spaces, has met a lot of people – especially refugees – through his dancing. Many have joined the studio’s dance community as a result.

“We believe that refugees have seen things we can’t even imagine, so dance can be therapeutic and a venue for expressing their suffering, their stories through the art,” Anas said.

Studio 8 offers a variety of courses including break dancing, hip hop, belly dancing, popping, tango, Zumba, salsa, African, dabke, tap, circus, and contemporary, as well as yoga and meditation sessions. The brothers work full time at the studio and have many part time instructors. They also offer workshops in collaboration with other organizations in Amman. There is a fee to attend classes, but some public workshops are offered for free.

Original article by Kristin Chase

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Amman dance studio is building a space for collaboration and social change