KnK Jordan provides different fitness activities for boys and girls at Marka Youth Center. With consideration of Jordan’s religion and customs, we provide a soccer course for boys at soccer ground and dance course for girls in a room inside of the center. There are various opportunities for students to present what they learn and practice in front of their family and friends in Japan. On the other hand, Jordanian students, especially girl students, do not have such opportunities. For this reason, we had a dance showing at a Municipality Hall on December 8th. Those girl students practiced and showed their improvement only in front of their female instructor at the center. However, on this day, those girl students, for the first time, had an opportunity to present their dance in front of the audience.

Girls practicing dance following teacher's instraction.

On that day, those girls looked more excited than ordinary when they came to the center. They took a costume box from our hands and brought it to the stage although we told them it was heavy. They might have wanted to dance in those costumes as soon as possible. The costume is a black long dress embroidered with different threads. You can wear one from your head. There were different sizes and they needed to choose a proper size. Once they found one, they put it from their head. As it sounds, it is easy to wear, but it took more than 20 minutes for all of them to finish wearing the dress. After that, we finally took a photo and then they started a rehearsal to be ready.

Peer educators watching drawings before the show start.

The dance instructor informed us that she would like to have such showing on 8th only two days before. We, staff, rushed into preparation for the showing by reserving the hall and audio equipment, calling their families, preparing the paintings and drawings, and arranging all the materials and costumes for that day within two days. Until 8th, time passed very quickly. On that day, we were worried because there were less than 10 audiences when the performance started.

However, this is Jordan. Jordanians are more relaxing and carefree about time. Once we finished the rehearsal and took a short rest, we rose the curtain. Many people suddenly started entering the hall as if they were waiting for the best moment to enter. Consequently, the hall became almost full, girl students danced happily and could present their outcome to their families and friends.

Although girls looked embarassed at first, they danced very well, didin't they?

After the showing, the instructor encouraged all the children, including the audience to participate in a quiz competition. The instructor prepared all the questions in advance. All of the children who came to see the showing raised their hands and tried to answer. For the last couple of days, all the staff had been busy with preparing for this showing and anxious. On the contrary, the showing was successful as if it had no problem from the beginning; many families and friends came to see, both the instructor and students enjoyed the showing, and even the audience enjoyed by participating the quiz competition. People, including staff left the hall contentedly.