Day by day the members of the national dance troupe of Iraq rehearse to empty seats. Without a prospect to put on a show soon. In Iraq dancing has become a courageous act. There was a time when the troupe toured around the world and performed in countries like Japan, China, France, Italy and the USA. Yet each turn and every movement of their choreography is assessed with a dangerous new reality. In a nation, where religious ideologies dominate the society, it is more difficult for female performers to carry on with their artistic profession. When a woman without a head scarf attracts attention on the street, what about a woman onstage dancing?

Together the national dance troupe of Iraq is a band of 10 women and 15 men. They rehearse. Day by day. Both men and women. Although in Islam the female participation in folk dances is "haram" - forbidden. As a matter of fact Ayatollah al-Sistani, the leading Shiite cleriq in Iraq, has established strict guidelines against dancing in various situations. Even so the Iraqi female dancers keep going with their rehearses, hoping the chaos around them will subside one day, so that they can relive the time, when they performed to full seats.

But also in the neighbouring country Iran the cultural life underlies strict rules. Nevertheless the artists are successful time and again in finding niches of creativity to accomplish a vivid Iranian cultural scene. Even if these triumphs are sometimes not of long continuance. Like it happened to the German choreographer Helena Waldmann, who succeeded in bringing her creation "Letters from Tentland" (2005) with female Iranian actors and dancers on stage. It is true that dancing is forbidden in Iran, but not if it is about "rhythmic movements" as part of the dramaturgy. Therefore Helena Waldmann put her artists into tents - as below the tents many things were possible, which wouldn't have been feasible without them. In this packing the piece was showed in 2005 first at the Fadjr Festival in Tehran and toured afterwards for one year around the world. It was presented in 17 countries, among others at the ImPulsTanz - Vienna International Dance Festival 2005.

But then, due to the change of government last year, Helena Waldmann's piece seemed to be the regime's bête noire after all and so the future shows were cancelled by the Iranian operator. As a reaction Helena Waldmann seeked for female Iranian artists, who lived in exile in Germany and created the piece "Return to Sender".

Finally the artists of "Letters from Tentland" are not allowed to perform the piece anymore. They are also not allowed to get in touch with Helena Waldmann. Anyhow one of the dancers was successful in participating at this year's danceWEB Europe Scholarship-Programme in the frame of the ImPulsTanz - Vienna International Dance Festival 2006. Another small triumph for the freedom of art!

Yes, art is... to dance against all odds.