Interviews & Media Clips
Visit Ahmad Joudeh’s official YouTube page for more performances, interviews, and other video content.
The First Arab-Born Ballet Dancer to Perform the “Arabian Dance” in The Nutcracker on a San Diego Stage
This December, Syrian-Palestinian dancer Ahmad Joudeh will create a historic moment when he steps onto the stage of Golden State Ballet in San Diego to perform the Arabian Dance from the iconic classical ballet The Nutcracker. He will become the first Arab-born ballet dancer raised in the Arab world to embody this role in the United States — and perhaps in modern ballet history.
The “Arabian Dance” has long been a symbolic moment in The Nutcracker, inspired by the East, yet rarely performed by dancers truly connected to those roots. With Ahmad Joudeh, the dance returns to its spiritual origin, performed from a genuine Arab perspective, blending classical European ballet technique with the depth and soul of Eastern and Sufi movement that define his artistry.
Born and raised in Damascus, Ahmad overcame war, displacement, and immense challenges to become a globally recognized ballet dancer. His journey, embodied in the mantra “Dance or Die,” has made him not only a performer but a symbol of resilience, hope, and cultural dialogue through dance.
The Nutcracker’s winter season in San Diego, California will feature this groundbreaking performance with Golden State Ballet, alongside top ballet artists from the U.S. and around the world, running throughout December 2025 at the Civic Theatre.
With this performance, Ahmad Joudeh does more than dance — he creates a historic moment, restoring the Arabian Dance to its cultural and artistic truth, bridging East and West, and letting beauty, identity, and peace meet on a single stage.
The shows Ahmad is dancing Arabian are:
December 13th at 2:00 pm
December 19th at 7:30 pm
December 20 at 7:30 pm
For tickets you can send an email to this: boxoffice@goldenstateballet.org