Sahraui Dances of the Western Sahara

The Sahraoui people inhabit the disputed region of the West Sahara. In 1975, at the end of Franco’s rule, Spain relinquished its claims and the region was divided between Morocco and Mauritania. Since then the Sahraoui have been fighting a war of independence with many of them forced to live in refugee camps in the Algerian stone desert waiting for a referendum which has been promised since 1975 but is yet to come.  Sahraui dance has beautiful subtle finger gestures and hip movements.  A special dances is the dance of the tbal, in which women play the drum while making playful pantomimic gestures.

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