International Dance Day 2012

So today is International Dance Day. It is a day like this that reminds me of why dance is a big part of my life and what dance means to me.

Dance for me means that it is the bridge and the meeting point between me and the people who know me, who do not know me, who met me before and who have not met me before, as well as those who do not know anything about me. I don’t find it difficult to communicate and find a meeting point through dance. I believe every single human being who come to the universe comes here with a message and purpose and through my dance I’m giving my message and let people figure out who I am and what my message is. We are all pictures of our source – the great light. Dance has become my tongue after I decide to be silent forever and find that other kind of language to leave my message and my fingerprints that have my identity. And this is why dance is such a big part of my life because it handles my identity.

I would also like to share with you some of the artists who have inspired me: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Rafael Bonachela, Russell Maliphant, Alain Platel and Lloyd Newson. And one of the people who to me has been a pleasure to know him personally and work with, who has always been an inspiration to me is Akram Khan. And for my personal life he is more than a beautiful artist and choreographer, he’s an older brother.

This year, the message author of the 30th International Dance Day is the Flemish Moroccan choreagrapher Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. He says we must “celebrate the never-ending choreography of life…” Listen and watch his message below:

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Message, International Dance Day 2012

Happy International Dance Day to everyone and may you all have a wonderful year of dance. Much respect and love.