Dancing – one of the many ways in which self-expression manifests itself. Over the years, many have become intrigued towards dance, so much so, that it is not just considered a sport, but an art form. The UAE is no stranger to the art of dance, and although the community is much smaller than those in the West or Africa, it is continuously growing more and more by the year. For today’s feature, we are delving into our very own dance community right here in Dubai with an exclusive interview with a very special talent.
Credits: Instagram (@thewxb)
After a short break due to the unfortunate circumstances over the last couple of years, the community is back up and running encouraging more and more members to join and learn about the world of dance. Though it is small, the UAE dance community members and organizations that have greatly contributed to the community strive to keep it alive to feed their passion and need for self-expression through the art. From dance battle events to gatherings, workshops, and more – it is continuously growing on a yearly basis and we can’t wait to see what more there is to come.
Organizations such as Urban Roots Society (URS) have been supporting dancers and street culture in the region since 2006 along with the SlamFam group who have made it a mission to keep the art alive by creating dance events and battles to bring aspiring dancers together. Additionally, street style retails stores such as Bhype at the Dubai Mall have taken it upon themselves to further support the community. The retail store has now opened a branch in Al Quoz for dancers to go and practice and have even started choreography classes for the youth of the community.
Credits: Instagram (@thewxb)
To further gain insight into our very own dance community right here in the UAE, we have interviewed Abu Dhabi-based Dancer, Waleed Abuhasheesh, or better known on his social platforms as THEWXB. Waleed is a 25-year-old Egyptian student double-majoring in Sound Engineering and Interior Design. Throughout the years, Waleed was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and was informed that he was required to lose weight in order to help with the treatment, so he turned to dancing.
Inspired as a youngster by movies such as Step Up, as well as prominent dancers such as Salah the Entertainer and Les Twins, Waleed quickly became interested in the community. “For me, dancing is a form of art, body language, and a therapy,” Waleed tells us, “It allows you to communicate with other people.”
Credits: Instagram (@thewxb)
Dance is the art form in which human movement becomes the medium for sensing, understanding, and communicating ideas, feelings, and experiences. It is a natural form of self-expression: the body expresses itself naturally and so, therefore, does the spirit. “Dancing allows me to show my happiness, anger, sadness by performing to songs that have similar energies,” Waleed says, “telling a story with a lyrical song is also a part of what I do with dance, my face can say it all, along with the body movement. I just let my mind and my heart take control. I don’t think while dancing, it’s mostly feelings.”
Credits: Instagram (@thewxb)
Throughout his dancing career, Waleed has received several accolades for winning competitions in both Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah – some of which included performing at the annual National Day show in Abu Dhabi in 2018, recently competing in the Bhype event and winning first place, and even traveling to Germany back in 2020 for the Tanz Platform Festival in Munich in Berlin to represent the UAE. “Bhype is bringing back their event starting September and we hope to help those interested in joining the dance community grow,” Waleed tells us.
Looking ahead, Waleed hopes to continue to prosper in the art of dance, as well as encourage others to gain interest and grow the community here in the UAE. “Focus on you, chase your dreams, and don’t waste your time. Be the successful you and not the lazy you. It will pay back eventually. I promise,” he says.
Don’t forget to follow Waleed on his social media platforms to keep up with his journey and dance events happening in the UAE.
