Spirit of the Drum - Tabla Solo Oriental Dance - RaksGlam 2026

Oriental Dance competition, Tabla Solo Category at RaksGlam 2026, Cracow, Poland. Song: Spirit of The Drum by Issam Houshan I danced to this song almost 12 years ago with Adhara Bellydance Group, improvising on the stage of Brutal Fest in Havana, Cuba. During all these years, I’ve barely danced tabla solos, as I’ve always found them overwhelming and challenging. Now, more than a decade later, with what feels like a totally different body and life story, and under the guidance and encouragement of Levana Bellydancer, I tried again. I can see many mistakes, room for improvement, awkward moments, moments when my body simply didn’t respond the way I wanted it to… Nevertheless, I feel happy and satisfied that I overcame some of my fears, self-judgement and physical limitations, and gave myself the joy of dancing to this dear piece one more time. Levana created a beautiful structure for this choreography and gave me the freedom and encouragement to add my own little touches, my personality, and a few small vignettes as a tribute to my dear friends Lily and Karla, with whom I danced to this song all those years ago. More than anything, I’m grateful that, after all these years and all the changes in between, I had the chance to dance to this song once again. And somehow, this very personal little victory also brought me 4th place among 13 contestants, including professional dancers. ❤️