Syrian Refugees Breakdance on the Streets of Beirut

Russia Today TV recently reported on Syrian refugees who perform breakdance routines on the streets of Beirut. "This dance has become a vocation for these refugees," the reporter said in the October 18, 2014 report.

Following are excerpts:

Reporter: The war has driven him away from Syria, but it has only increased his passion for breakdancing. Muhyiddin a.k.a. Schneider, has moved from the gardens of Damascus to the streets of Beirut, along with a group of friends. They keep training in this difficult form of dance on the beach, and at night, they continue to train on the streets. Their talents have developed, and strangely enough, this dance has become a vocation for the refugees.

Muhyiddin: When I lived in Syria, breakdancing was just a hobby. For eight years, I have been doing this as a hobby, because there is no money in it in Syria. When we came to Lebanon, our situation improved. We perform at weddings. They saw that we are professional breakdancers, and they started hiring us. In Lebanon, breakdancing has become our work.

Reporter: Their training gear is still quite modest – a cellphone hooked up to a small loudspeaker. Thus, the music intermingles with the sounds of the city.

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These Syrians are dealing with the crisis that has swept their country in their own special way. They hope that the day will soon come when they can dance in Damascus, and this will mark the end of the war.

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