Ahmad Joudeh
Ahmad Joudeh (1990) grew up in the Palestinian refugee camp Yarmouk in Damascus.
His father comes from Palestine and is stateless, and his mother comes from Syria. He wanted to dance from a very early age. His father wouldn’t allow it, but he did classes in secret. When his father found out, he was beaten. Once, he hurt his legs so badly that Ahmad couldn’t dance for a while. Despite everything, he kept on dancing. He trained at the Enana Dance Theatre and at the Dance department of the Higher Institute for Dramatic Arts, both in Damascus. From the age of seventeen, he gave ballet classes to children free of charge. In 2014, he was a contestant in the Arab version of So You Think You Can Dance.
Dance for Peace Fund
The Dance for Peace Fund was set up with the help of Dutch National Ballet. The fund is intended to pay Ahmad’s study and maintenance expenses. All donations will go in whole to Ahmad, to help him develop further as a dancer and choreographer. Donations can be transferred to account number NL03ABNA 0427590280, in the name of Dance for Peace.
Website Ahmad Joudeh
http://danceforpeace.nl