Written by: Laila Hajbi

A Night in Vienna; a classical Ballet performance featuring 55 performers from the MISK dance company and the students of The National Center for Culture and Arts (NCCA) dance department. A delightful tribute to the immortal music of Strauss; one of the most beloved of all 19th-century composers, the ballet was choreographed by Ms. Rania Kamhawi.

Strauss has always been a favorite composer of mine, his music is very inspiring and has a lot of variety in it; which means it allows me as a choreographer to write this variety in the movement. This made the style of the show a bit different than narrating a story like a typical full length ballet show. –Rania Kamhawi
Scene from A Night in Vienna

Established in 1996 under the artistic direction of Rania Kamhawi, MISK comprises of 12 members professionally trained in classical Ballet and contemporary dance techniques in addition to traditional Jordanian folk dance. The company performs extensively locally and internationally combining the traditional Jordanian culture and heritage within a modern and professional context that embodies the spirit of history & modernity.

Scene from A Night in Vienna

artmejo met up with the performance’s cast and crew on the opening night and spoke to them about their experience at the show:

What was your most challenging dance routine?

“The Gypsy Dance routine, because we all had to be in sync with the tambourines which was really challenging but turned out to be great.” – Selena Sharqawi
“The most challenging part was in the Arabian Dance, where we had to dance along with the ribbon and get a full control of it while practicing the timing of each movements.” – Kira Yaghnam

What was the most memorable experience you had during rehearsals?

“It was the moment when I didn’t feel quite prepared after the dance rehearsal ends, and then continued to practice after it for hours by myself just to make sure that I do the best I can when I get on the stage.” – Tara Aboud
Scene from A Night in Vienna

How did it feel to be the only male dancer in the show?

“It feels a bit weird to be the only male dancer, but I always encourage the cooperation between genders in all fields not just in dancing, in arts, cooking, theater and performance arts… And eventually, the whole show is an effort of a group work and we all equally have a part in making this happen.” –Rabeea Shrouf

If you could give advice for aspiring younger dancers, what did you discover about the industry that you would want others to know about?

“It’s never too late to dance, if you love movement, if you love music then you should definitely give it a try.” – Rania Kamhawi
Scene from A Night in Vienna

A Night in Vienna show will run till 1st of December in The Royal Cultural Center. Book your tickets by calling 077771022.

Image courtesy of NCCA Dance and Laila Hajbi.