March 4th, 2015: Al Maidan competition finalist Hamdan Mohammed Alhababi is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his brother, Saeed, to take the winner's trophy at this year's al youla dance contest finals, to be aired on local TV channel Sama Dubai.
Hamdan, a Bachelor of Business Administration student at Canadian University Dubai (CUD), has been ranked among the top ten performers in the competition, and will now go on to compete in the finals for the AED 1 million prize fund.
The competition was launched by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to help preserve and celebrate the Emirates' traditional cultural pursuits. Over 1,000 competitors took part in the initial audition phase of this year's competition, with just 40 selected to compete in the final stages. The public then voted for the top ten performers to compete in the grand finale.
Al youla is an ancient Bedouin dance that embodies the bond between a man and his weapon, and has seen a revival in popularity among young Emiratis since the inception of the Al Maidan competition. Set at Dubai's Global Village, the show sees performers of al youla show off their riffle spinning, throwing and catching expertise as they move in time to rhythmic music.
Hamdan has already followed in the footsteps of younger brother Saeed, who is also a Bachelor of Business Administration student at CUD. He now hopes to emulate his performance in Al Maidan, where Saeed has taken the winner's trophy twice in previous years.
Hamdan said, "Al youla is certainly a part of our family and our heritage; we started dancing for fun from a very young age - ever since I can remember - and we take every opportunity we can to get up and dance.
"To perform in a competition is a more daunting experience, but just as enjoyable when you get through the nerves. It's a privilege to have been selected for the finals of Al Maidan; to be a part of celebrating our national culture. It's this that inspires me to always push myself to throw the sword higher and to perform the best I can."
The competition finale will be decided by a public vote. To support Hamdan, voters can SMS 15 to 2206. The winners will be announced following the final performances on 13th March.
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