CAIRO: For the past month, a courageous group has been exploring the realms of physical movement and human contact. Led by Karima Mansour, Egyptian choreographer, dancer and founder of MAAT DANCE MECA, participants from all different levels have taken part in an intensive contemporary dance workshop. Ranging from dancers, actors, musicians, furniture designers, doctors and even philosophy majors, this diverse group of people have been pushing their bodies to the limit class after class. Focusing on both contemporary dance and improvisation, the workshop has been an amazing platform for beginners to learn the technique of contemporary dance, while still improvising to find their own style of movement. As Hala Hassan Imam, one of the advanced dancers in the workshop, says: “I am surprised to see that beginners have such an immense capacity to create beautiful movements… their energy, how they have entered into the mood of dance, how they have learned together, how they have developed corporal expressions. I am truly surprised.” Yet, although this 15-day workshop further trained advanced dancers and transformed beginners into movers with a unique style, the path of dance is not an easy one, especially in Egypt. Dance in Egypt suffers from an intense lack of infrastructure. According to many of the eager and frustrated workshop participants, there are not enough schools, studios, rehearsal spaces, trained dancers or companies that can sustain the development of this art form. Mansour said that one of the main obstacles dancers face is a lack of support for independent artists: “Even if people have works that they would like to show, they don't have access to the state theaters. As an independent artist you are not allowed to perform in the state festivals nor theaters, unless you are working under a government umbrella. Hence, all these things hinder people who would like to make their work visible.” In addition to this lack of infrastructure, a popular misunderstanding of contemporary dance further impedes the blossoming of a dance community in Egypt. Mansour added that “art is at times not taken very seriously in Egypt. And dance has even another layer, since you are working with the body and it is your instrument. People don't know because it is no longer a part of our culture. There is also a big confusion between aerobics, ballet, contemporary dance, belly dancing and even the dance you see on video clips. It's all put in one big mush and not everyone is able to categorize and know that each one has a completely different historical background and training.” Yet, despite these common stereotypes, the participants of this workshop are a testimony to the need to incorporate the body and dance into all aspects of life. No matter your artistic background, anyone can gain from this rich art form: actors can further develop a sense of being on stage and being aware of their physicality, and musicians can gain an understanding of the innate connection the body has to rhythm. As Mohamed Shafik, a physical theater professional that is working with Mansour in the workshop, rightfully proclaims: “Dance is important in all artistic fields; theatre, cinema, television. You need to understand your own body, how it moves, how to use it.” One of the main purposes of this workshop is to improve the lack of infrastructure and knowledge about contemporary dance in Egypt. In inviting dancers and non-dancers alike into the workshop, Mansour hopes to expand the dance community in Egypt and share her knowledge about the distinct form of contemporary dance. This month-long journey of rolling around on the ground, training feet to adjust to flex and point, and exploring improvised human contact will be culminated with a workshop showing in the Townhouse Factory Space on Friday, July 1, at 7pm. Presenting this end of workshop showing is a way of sharing the astounding work that participants have accomplished in only 15 days. And it will hopefully facilitate a dialogue with the audience about dance and the future of this art form in Egypt. Come and watch the artistic creation of this group that dared to express themselves through their bodies. More information on the final workshop showing BM
