Dance theatre in Syria evolving, with more support needed

04/09/2014

Tartous, SANA – Dance theatre in Syria has passed through various stages of development reflecting a refined artistic atmosphere, yet it is still in need for more support and attention.


Artists in Syria urge for increased awareness of this art, a need that can be achieved through establishing specialized schools to further promote the art and ensure its spread.

Dance is considered one of the early human arts of expression, as member of the renown Enana Dance Theatre Group Issa Aram Saleh stressed.

Speaking to SANA Youth Bulletin, Saleh said the art of dance theatre dates back to the Roman and the Phoenician times when dancing was practiced as a religious ritual, noting that dance kept developing and maturing to the point when it became a fully fledged art.

Saleh added that dance theatre with its rich variety of modern types and forms “has relieved humans of the materialistic restrictions.”

This contemporary dance theatre, he said, is free of limitations as it is not restricted by fixed schools or specific rules, but it is constantly evolving.

Saleh noted that dance theatre was derived from the expressionist dance, which is part of musical drama, and has become part of the main structure of theatre presentation, and “in early times it was closely linked to legends where it provided the early man with a way of expressing his inner self using body language and dancing.”

The need to further promote dance theatre in Syria has increased and numerous moves and measures have been taken recently to that effect. Some of those included establishing new specialized schools and institutes and holding workshops with the aim to spot talents and introduce people to this art.

“We, the Syrian artists, are today working on enhancing the Syrian culture as we are fighting an internationally-devised terrorist battle that, among an array of anti-Syria goals, aims at undermining all forms of our culture,” Saleh told SANA reporter.

“Hence, we are trying to preserve our culture and civilization,” he added, calling for more efforts to support the art of dance theatre in Syria.

Ruaa al-Jazaeri/ Haifa Said