Iraqi Dance (The Connection: Reclaiming Joy & Expression)

About

Part of the Iraqi Dance Journey: From Release to Celebration

Iraqi dance is one of the oldest and most diverse dance traditions in the world, shaped by thousands of years of civilisation, migration, and cultural exchange. From the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates to the cities of the south, each region carries its own rhythm, its own movement, its own story.

This is the second workshop in a three-part journey.In this workshop, we turn to the dances of the Kawliya (كاولية), a community whose roots stretch back to India, woven together over a thousand years of travel through Persia and the Arab world. Their dance carries all of that history in the body, in the shimmy, the sway, the hair, the hands.In our third and final workshop, we come together, Kawliya in pairs, moving in connection with one another, before closing with Chobi (چوبي), a joyful collective dance that brings us into rhythm as one. After all that has been felt and released, Chobi is the celebration.Through all the workshops, we move slowly, with breath and guided exploration, creating a space where the body can soften and begin to let go. This is not about performance. It's about presence, allowing yourself to feel, in your own way, at your own pace.What to Expect:▪️Trauma-informed guidance (everything is optional, no pressure)▪️Gentle grounding and breathwork▪️Introduction to Iraqi expressive movement (hands, torso, rhythm)▪️Space for emotional release through movement▪️Moments of stillness, reflection, and…