Shake the dust

Yemen’s first breakdancer Muhamed Almana in the mountain village of Baitbous.

In January this year, I had the pleasure of spending 3 weeks in Yemen to film a part of my documentary Shake the Dust.

A feature documentary, it tells the stories of breakdancers in different communities around the globe.

Although separated by cultural boundaries and individual struggles, these breakdancers are intrinsically tied to one another through their passion for breakdance and hip-hop culture.

Yemen has a rich, colourful history and people who are incredibly beautiful and family-oriented. It’s amazing to see how young Yemenis are taking something that’s usually considered Western and making it their own.

What people do is incorporating their own culture and stories into this street-friendly, acrobatic dance form.

Although Yemen has seen it’s fare share of struggles, not least at this very moment, its people are resilient. Their future, I’m sure, is a rich and prosperous one.

Written by Adam Sjöberg.

At a Yemeni wedding: breakdance intermixed with traditional Yemeni dance.
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