Omid Aazami  

dancer in the Awake Dutch Bahá´í Dancegroup, The Netherlands

The Bahá´í dance workshop, Awake, is a group of 14 to 16 youth who meet each month to deepen, consult and practice dances. I have been a member of the group for four and a half years. About five years ago I was asked to join the group, but I didn't want to until the day I saw how the group functioned.
It was January 1995, and I went with a member to a practice. I watched how they consulted and practised a new dance. I even took part in it.

I enjoyed that experience so much that I joined. I especially loved the spirit of the group. My first performance was four months later. It was performed in a square in Nijmegen for a small festival, and was very successful.
At the time, I was not very concerned about dance, but since becoming a member, I have discovered that it is a good way to share Bahá'í principles with others.

Our dances are based on the principles of the Faith.
When I joined, we only knew the Black and White dance, so before the first tour in 1995 we created a few more dances - the Drugs dance, the dance about the equality of men and women, and an earlier version of the Poverty dance.

I've always been into music, but I never did anything like dance. I became a member more to teach the Bahá´í Faith, but then learned to enjoy dancing in a group...

Excerpts, Arts Dialogue,
February 2000,
pages 9 - 11