IRAQ: IRAQ'S NATIONAL FOLKLORE DANCE ENSEMBLE CONTINUES TO PERFORM DESPITE EMPTY THEATRES WITH AUDIENCES TOO AFRAID TO ATTEND DUE TO TERROR THREAT

Record ID: 604406

  • Title: IRAQ: IRAQ'S NATIONAL FOLKLORE DANCE ENSEMBLE CONTINUES TO PERFORM DESPITE EMPTY THEATRES WITH AUDIENCES TOO AFRAID TO ATTEND DUE TO TERROR THREAT
  • Date: 13th September 2005
  • Summary: (MER1) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (RECENT) (REUTERS) 1. IRAQI NATIONAL FOLKLORE DANCE ENSEMBLE REHEARSING/ AUDIO OF TRADITIONAL IRAQI MUSIC 2. VARIOUS OF EMPTY SEATS AT THE THEATRE 3. MALE AND FEMALE DANCERS DANCING ON STAGE 4. VARIOUS OF ENSEMBLE MEMBERS DANCING 5. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FOAD DHANOON, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE IRAQI NA
  • Embargoed: 28th September 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVACNS0DGBF3F3C48UNOVGK649CC
  • Story Text: An Iraqi troupe team continues to perform even though nobody attends
    their shows because they are too afraid.



    Iraq's National Folklore Dance Ensemble continues to rehearse three
    days a week in the capital's national theatre, dancing to the rhythms of the
    country's traditional music, and performing old pieces, while constantly
    developing new ones.

    But unlike other ensembles around the world, this one is performing in
    an empty theatre, with audiences too afraid to attend any performances,
    fearing suicide bombers will target them.

    With the government struggling to quell a deadly insurgency and to
    rebuild the economy, there is little time and money to be spared for
    culture.

    Artists say that before the war on Iraq in 2003, the national theatre
    used to be crowded with Iraqis eager to watch the troupe team on stage. Now,
    most people are struggling for survival, lacking basic needs, and fearing that
    they will one day become victims of the daily violence and raids that have
    gripped the country.

    "The ensemble used to attract a large audience. Before the war and
    before the fall of the regime, about 1,500 people used to attend performances
    of the troupe which is more than the number of seats available at the theatre.

    It (the ensemble) used to have weekly, monthly and seasonal shows but now, as
    you know, Iraqis are concerned with other issues, issues concerning their
    daily life. I think, they (the Iraqi people) need to be psychologically
    relaxed in order to once again, attend and enjoy the troupe shows," said
    Foad Dhanoon, artistic director of the Iraqi National Folklore Dance Ensemble.


    Performers now gather at the theatre twice or three times days a week
    in a sign of determination to continue dancing. But many of the performers
    complain that the journey to the theatre, which used to take ten minutes, can
    now take up to two hours because of road blocks and checkpoints which have
    been set up throughout the city. The rehearsals are held at midday and
    performers make sure that they are back home before dark. But they say, that
    despite their frustrations, they are determined to continue dancing.

    "We rehearse three days a week only and we do it in order to
    remain fit and on track with our training, despite the fact that there is no
    audience. The important thing is to be ready to take part in any festival. We
    are rehearsing old pieces and new pieces and we are supervised by our
    choreographers," said Sabriya Ibrahim, who has been dancing with the
    troupe for more than 15 years.

    Since the toppling of Saddam Hussein, the ensemble gave a number of
    performances, including one in the Dubai Festival last year.

    But in Iraq, most people are not willing to take the risk of showing up
    to the theatre. Instead, they prefer to watch the performance on their
    television sets at home, where it is much safer.

    The troupe's performances are recorded on CD, which are sold to
    audiences for home viewing.

    The al-Jumaili family in Baghdad is one family which says it prefers
    home viewing instead of risking a journey to the theatre. The family, which
    before the war, regularly attended the troupe performances, says that Iraq's
    theatre since the war has ceased to exist due to the security situation. That
    is why, they say, until the political situation improves, they will continue
    to watch the performances from home.

    "The Iraqi theatre nowadays does not exist because of the security
    situation. It is not reasonable under the current security situation for me to
    take my family out to see a play while there is a possibility that a car bomb
    might blow up in the theatre or next to it. People do not feel comfortable
    enough to go and see plays because of the instabilities which they are
    facing," Dunya Muhammed said.


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