The Jordanian’s lifelong dream was to be on stage and as a ballet dancer in Amman, he wanted to shatter stereotypes along the way. “When you are immersed in the world you love, everything around you disappears,” the 22-year-old said. “This is what it feels like when I’m on stage.”Shrouf, who dances in his spare time while studying languages and translation at university, is one of few male dancers in Jordan, where his hobby often carries a social stigma for men. Kamhawi, who trained in ballet in Britain, said ballet was growing among Jordanian audiences, who usually prefer performances by folklore or contemporary dance groups. “It’s a worldwide problem, not just in Jordan but I think this stigma is fading with the emergence of (television) shows like ‘So you think you can Dance’,” Kamhawi said of the lack of male ballet dancers.

Source: Egypt Independent December 03, 2018 13:52 UTC