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STORYTELLER'S

GENDER:

Male

I was from the beginning shy, and at some point when I was in Germany trying to go to the disco, I had anxiety because I just cannot dance, and then we asked an Afghan how one actually moves. He showed us a few moves, which we then did, and he has said that is dance! And so that's how we found ourselves in the disco and moving a bit for the first time. 

 

The last time I danced was for my brother's wedding I think. But, dancing is also of course for small groups where you get together privately, play some music and dance a bit. That's rare in Afghanistan though. Now you even find weddings that take place without music. I visited eastern Afghanistan recently and went to a wedding there. That wedding took place without music. Unimaginable right? A wedding without music... 

 

The musicless wedding happened because of political reasons. However, I heard that the women at the wedding, even though music wasn't allowed, found a corner out of sight somewhere and had their own dance party with music, of course without the men noticing. Even politics can't get rid of music and dancing. Music is something wonderful. You forget everything around you, you feel happy, and the body just moves as you feel. You feel a piece of you is free. I would say, do not fight, solve your problems by dancing.