Dancing in Jaffa

Dance to the rescue! The last twelve months have been turbulent and the news worrying, so it is refreshing to hear inspiring and positive stories. Indeed for one of the most troublesome conflicts there may be light at the end of the tunnel and it is all down to dancing. Who knew the power of a heel turn?

Since the establishment of the State of Israel after WWII, its Jewish and Palestinian citizens have lived segregated lives and many of their children have been brought up to believe that interacting with the other community is forbidden. Last year, however, Pierre Dulaine, who is of Palestinian/Irish descent, returned to his birthplace the mixed city of Jaffa to teach Ballroom Dancing. Rather than perfecting the Lock Step or achieving a flawless Kick Ball Change Dulaine focused on teaching the students of Ajyal and Al-Ukhuwa Schools ballroom etiquette and respect. By partnering children from the different communities together and teaching them to dance with one another he hoped to begin breaking down the social barriers that are at the root of Israeli tensions.

Four times winner of the World Show Dancing Championships, Pierre Dulaine has had a glittering career. His biggest, and perhaps most famous, achievement to date however, was in 2005 when Dulaine and Yvon Marcaeu embarked upon the Dancing Classrooms project in New York, which aimed to break down gender and race boundaries. Pierre and Yvon’s attempts to teach public school children aged 10 and 11 (fifth graders) to dance was chronicled in the documentary Mad Hot Ballroom. This was later adapted into the feature film, Take the Lead (2006) with Antonio Banderas playing Dulaine. Since then, over 300,000 children have taken part in Dancing Classrooms, and 509 schools in over 24 cities worldwide have become involved in the project. Dulaine’s latest venture is documented in Dancing in Jaffa, directed by Hilla Medalia. It reveals the scary nature of the hostility that has developed between the Israeli Palestinians and Jews, showing young children spitting at each other and refusing to hold hands. Yet by the end of the documentary these same children are not only dancing by competing together, cheering each other on regardless of their backgrounds. As Pretty Pictures stated Dancing in Jaffa is one of ‘the most powerful documentaries’.

In April, Dancing in Jaffa made its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. It is due to be shown at the Cannes Market Screening at the end of this month before being released this autumn. I am sure you will agree with us here at Dancewear Central that this is going to prove a truly inspirational film and that it is mind-blowing what can be achieved from a simple Samba. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEok-5KlAXY