Dance or die — and the fight to be more than a headline

Ahmad Joudeh risked his life to dance, performing in a refugee camp while ISIS fighters targeted him. The act of defiance, captured on video, made him known worldwide. But fame came with a cost. He became a symbol he never wanted to be.

In this episode, Ahmad tells the full story in his own words, from growing up stateless in Syria and navigating the complexities of identity to starting the camp's first dance studio, training with the Dutch National Ballet and taking control of his life amid media pressure.

Now living in San Diego, Ahmad continues to perform, teach and create, building a career that reflects his heritage, artistic vision and personal freedom. He reflects on survival, resilience and what it means to dedicate your life to art, and to dance as a way of truly living.

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Ahmad Joudeh is shown dancing in his hometown of Damascus, Syria in 2016.

Photo courtesy of Ahmad Joudeh

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Ahmad Joudeh said that being a dancer made him a target for Islamic extremists groups like ISIS during the Syrian Civil War. In response, he had the words “dance or die” tattooed on the back of his neck.

Photo courtesy of Ahmad Joudeh

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Dancer Ahmad Joudeh attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in 2024. As a Young Global Leader he advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, stateless people and funding for the arts.

Photo courtesy of Ahmad Joudeh

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Ahmad Joudeh is shown preparing to dance in Golden State Ballet’s production of "The Nutracker" in San Diego in 2025. He helped choreograph the dance himself, incorporating elements of Egyptian and Sufi cultures.

Sam Zauscher

Guest:

• Ahmad Joudeh, dancer
  

Watch Ahmad Joudeh's performances:

• Ahmad Joudeh dances at the Yarmouk camp (2016)
• "Dance or Die" (2018) documentary directed by Roozbeh Kaboly
• Ahmad Joudeh performs at the Eurovision Song Contest (2021)
• Ahmad Joudeh performs at the Fire Island Dance Festival (2023)
• "The Dancer" (2025) documentary directed by Lacey Uhlemeyer
• Ahmad Joudeh and Celyna Tran perform parts of the Nutcracker Arabian Dance (2025) 
• Ahmad Joudeh performs an experimental dance improvisation of Sufi dance to Boléro de Ravel (2026)

Sources:

• 'The deepest circle of hell:' Terrified Yarmouk residents describe ISIS raid (Atika Shubert, Bharati Naik and Nick Thompson, CNN, 2015)
• Syrian Dancer Flying, Looking for Freedom (Landing in Amsterdam) (Nina Siegal, The New York Times, 2017)
• Yarmouk (unofficial camp*) (United Nations Relief and Works Agency - UNRWA)
• Sbeineh Camp (United Nations Relief and Works Agency - UNRWA)
• Generations of Palestinian Refugees Face Protracted Displacement and Dispossession (Nathan Citino, Ana Martín Gil and Kelsey P. Norman, Migration Policy Institute, 2023)
• Syria (Stateless Hub, 2024)
• What is the Arab Spring, and how did it start? (Al Jazeera, 2020)
• Syrian Civil War (Britannica, 2026)
• Syria's war: Ten years – and counting (Alia Chughtai, Al Jazeera, 2021)
• Dutch National Ballet
• World Economic Forum - Ahmad Joudeh
• Gov. Gavin Newsom
• Ballet Beyond Borders: Dance and diplomacy go online (Cory Walsh, The Missoulian, 2021)
• UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency - Ahmad Joudeh
• Pride Amsterdam - Ahmad Joudeh
• What Dance Can Do - Ahmad Joudeh
• After decades of brutal rule, Bashar al-Assad’s regime has been toppled. Here’s what you need to know (Rob Picheta and Helen Regan, CNN, 2024)
• About Saydnaya (Amnesty International)
• Golden State Ballet

From KPBS Public Media, The Finest is a podcast about the people, art and movements redefining culture in San Diego. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts or click the play button at the top of this page and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pocket Casts, Pandora, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

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