{"id":18684,"date":"2023-05-11T02:05:13","date_gmt":"2023-05-11T02:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/venue-revealed-as-wedding-between-saudi-arabias-rajwa-al-saif-and-jordans-crown-prince-hussein-nears\/"},"modified":"2023-05-11T02:05:13","modified_gmt":"2023-05-11T02:05:13","slug":"venue-revealed-as-wedding-between-saudi-arabias-rajwa-al-saif-and-jordans-crown-prince-hussein-nears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/?p=18684","title":{"rendered":"Venue revealed as wedding between Saudi Arabia\u2019s Rajwa Al-Saif and Jordan\u2019s Crown Prince Hussein nears"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Saudi ballerina\u00a0Samira Alkhamis\u00a0talks freedom, dedication and the joy of teaching\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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\nDUBAI: A gruesome image of a ballerina\u2019s feet has been widely circulated online for years now. The ballerina stands \u2018en pointe,\u2019 literally on the tip of her toes. One foot is covered in a pale pink ballerina shoe, while the other is bare \u2014 battered with red bruises and plasters. For an art form defined by its grace and finesse, there is certainly more than meets the eye to ballet.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nThere is a kind of dark side to it \u2014 the immense pressure, the drive for perfection, the competitiveness \u2014 not to mention the physical toll it takes on the dancers\u2019 bodies. Saudi ballerina Samira Alkhamis, who has danced since the age of four, is all too familiar with the price one pays to become a professional. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\nSamira Alkhamis has danced since the age of four. (Supplied)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n\u201cIt is painful, but you get used to it,\u201d she tells Arab News. \u201cThe hardest part about ballet is for you to make it look easy, effortless, and graceful on stage. You can\u2019t not be in pain standing on wood with your entire weight on your toes. It is intense, but you need to have the mental capacity to keep going. A lot of people stop at that point. But there is more to it, because it does feel really good once you get used to the pain.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nAlkhamis stepped into the world of dance when her supportive parents signed her up to it as an after-school activity. Academically, she was never an A-plus student, but dancing grabbed her attention. \u201cMy mom put me in ballet class and I never stopped,\u201d she says. \u201cThere was something about it that kept me going.\u201d\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nIn the beginning, what kept her going was that it offered a form of escape from annoyances of school life, namely homework and bullies.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\nAlkhamis practices contemporary ballet and teaches lyrical dancing and jazz. (Supplied)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n\u201cI\u2019m not going to lie: I was bullied quite a lot,\u201d she says. \u201cI was not the most popular girl, for some reason. But I noticed that when I went to ballet class, I was good at dancing and I was the one who was leading. People liked me there. I was appreciated.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI think I learned a lot from school, because I felt like people were always trying to blend in and become just like everyone else,\u201d she continues. \u201cI was against that all the time. I\u2019m going to be myself no matter what.\u201d\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nDancing was her vocation. She worked hard: researching, traveling for training, gaining certifications, and, impressively, opening her own dance school in Riyadh, Pulse Performing Arts, in 2019, at the age of 23. Talk about a turnaround.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nDancing still brings Alkhamis the same joy she felt many years ago. \u201cI feel like the perfect word to describe it is freedom. I feel free,\u201d she says. \u201cEven if no one understands what I\u2019m trying to say, it feels good. It\u2019s a form of release and escape for me.\u201d She says that, in her experience growing up in Saudi, dancing was not frowned upon. She wasn\u2019t subject to any backlash or criticism, although plenty remain skeptical of her choice of career.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI feel people see it as more of a hobby; I\u2019m a ballet dancer, a dance instructor, and I have my own dance studio, but they don\u2019t recognize it as my job. That\u2019s the only struggle,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nThere are misconceptions surrounding ballet \u2013 which dates back to courtly life of Renaissance Italy and is derived from \u2018ballare\u2019 (Latin for \u2018to dance\u2019) \u2014 in general, Alkhamis believes. \u202f \u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\u201cPeople think it\u2019s like Zumba or fitness class, where you can go in to lose weight. It\u2019s not. It\u2019s an art form. You\u2019re coming in to really express yourself and to enjoy your time,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nIt requires intense focus and ability to \u2018be in the moment,\u2019 she adds. \u201cYou kind of think of nothing, except the next step and the music. It\u2019s like you\u2019re meditating. My teachers used to always tell me, \u2018Whatever you\u2019re feeling, keep it outside the studio. Come in with an open mind and focus on the steps.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nThere is also a psychological element that is needed to truly succeed in ballet, with its incredibly detailed jumps and steps. \u201cIf you really want it, you need to be very dedicated and committed to attending classes. You have to do the work,\u201d Alkhamis says. \u201cYou need to have the mental capacity to keep going, because ballet is not only about the steps. You\u2019re really using your brain to keep up with the music, switch your muscles, and know what\u2019s coming up next.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nAlkhamis practices contemporary ballet and teaches lyrical dancing and jazz. She has caught the attention of major cosmetic brands, starring in adverts for Sephora Middle East, Est\u00e9e Lauder, and L\u2019Or\u00e9al Paris, among others.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nDuring her free time, she still takes online classes, goes to the gym, and performs stretching and Pilates. Her main focus these days is her studio, where she does things her own way, teaching female students aged from 7 to 35. \u201cThe studio really gives a chance for adults to take classes, because they never had that shot when they were children,\u201d she says.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nShe hopes to expand its reach by putting on a public performance in Riyadh, as well as other cultural activities. But the ultimate dream for Alkhamis is to open a theater and a performing arts center.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nWorking with her students is where she derives the most satisfaction. \u201cI clearly see their improvement and growth. They see it themselves,\u201d she says. \u201cFor example, if a girl gets a turn right just once\u2026 Ah! She nailed it. Even if it\u2019s a small improvement, this is what makes me happy.\u201d\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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