Meet Soony, a Saudi dancer who is confidently reshaping what dance from the region can look like. He is not trying to fit into any one style. Instead, he blends everything — hip-hop, contemporary, acrobatics — and adds something that feels very personal and very Saudi at the same time.

You have probably seen his videos — Saudi men in traditional clothing dancing like crazy, celebrating Eid or getting ready for it.

So how does he create that? Why does he choose to do it this way? And why did he start dancing in the first place? We spoke to him.

— Soony, let’s start with your family. Can you tell me more about them? What kind of home did you grow up in?

— I come from a big family — there are thirteen of us, brothers and sisters. I’m the youngest. I grew up in a very creative, artistic environment. I think that is what naturally led me to become a dancer.

— You mentioned that your first exposure to dance was through watching your brothers. Can you tell me more about that moment?

— Two of my brothers used to dance at home, and that is what first caught my attention. In my family and among my cousins, most people were into football — everyone wanted to become a footballer. But even as a kid, I felt like that wasn’t for me. I wanted to do something else.

When I saw my brothers dancing, it really interested me. At that time, especially in Saudi, there wasn’t much of a dance scene or many opportunities in that direction, so it felt very new.

I started by trying to copy them — repeating their moves, learning step by step. That is how it all began.

Later, I kept developing on my own. I watched videos on YouTube, met friends who were also dancing, and we learned from each other. It wasn’t something I studied in a formal school — it was all driven by passion and self-learning.

— How was your choice received by the people around you?

— At the beginning, it wasn’t easy. Some people would make jokes about me, because dancing wasn’t something common in Saudi Arabia, especially in my environment. It felt unusual, and I had to face a lot of criticism.

At first, it made me angry. But over time, I learned to accept it. I realised I was just someone with a different passion and a different point of view.

Even within my family — especially on my mother’s side — it wasn’t always accepted. They wanted me to become a doctor or an engineer, something more traditional.

But I chose to follow my own path.

And my mom supported me through all of it, which I’m really grateful for. Having that kind of support made a huge difference for me.

— You also mentioned that through your dance, you want to show a different flavour of dance in Saudi. Can you tell me more about it?

— Yes, this is what I really want to show — the unique flavour we have as dancers in Saudi.

In the Middle East, and especially in Saudi Arabia, we do a bit of everything — hip-hop, parkour, acrobatics, and contemporary. But for me, it is not just about the styles; it is about how we express them.

I want people to see that we are dancers, but we move differently from dancers in Russia, in Paris, or in Europe in general. That is my goal.

I want people around the world to recognise that we are here, and that we bring something unique to dance — our own energy, our own identity.

So when people watch us, they immediately know: this is a dancer from Saudi.

— How would you describe that flavour?

— For me, it is all about mixing cultures. For example, we might dance to something like Drake, but we add our own touch to it — elements from our traditional culture, our movement, our feeling.

That is what makes it different.

I truly believe in this idea, and I feel like it is important to bring it into the wider scene — to show people that we have our own identity.

— So your videos with dancers are centred around Eid — why that?

— After Ramadan, we celebrate Eid, which is a very important moment for us in the Middle East. It is a time when families come together, when you celebrate, reconnect, and share traditions.

For me, it felt like the perfect setting to express this idea — combining something traditional with something more expressive, like dance. It is about that shared energy, that joy, and creating something that people can relate to.

— I fell in love with the Our Eid Is Different video. What is the overall concept?

— The concept of the video was based on preparing for Eid. The night before is very special. Everyone is getting ready — going to the barber, buying new clothes, ironing what they are going to wear.

There is a lot of energy. So I wanted to capture that feeling in the video.

For example, you see moments like someone ironing a shmagh — because people want to look their best for Eid. Everyone is busy, getting ready, calling each other, moving around.

That is where the dynamic of the video comes from.

It is all about that anticipation and preparation — the moments right before the celebration.

— Was there any moment during the process that really stood out to you — maybe a challenge or something unexpected that happened?

— Oh yes, I would tell you about Our Eid Is Different. It was a huge challenge!

I had dancers flying in from different cities; all coming to Riyadh just for this shoot. It wasn’t a small thing. And then, suddenly, the cinematographer stopped responding.

I was trying to reach him, calling, texting — nothing. And then I saw that he had posted a story from the hospital.

I was shocked.

I had spent a full week explaining the concept to him, walking him through the treatment, preparing everything — and now this was happening right before the shoot.

At that point, I was in a really difficult situation. I had 11 dancers, speakers, a BTS team, a lighting crew, and a rented location — everything was in place. And the key person was missing.

When he finally replied, he told me he was really sick. I asked him, “How can we make this happen?” He was very calm about it, but inside, I was panicking.

He said he would take some medication, get some rest, and then get back to me. And then he disappeared for almost 20 hours.

During that time, I didn’t tell anyone what was going on. I didn’t tell the dancers, I didn’t tell the team. I just kept everything calm, like everything was under control. People were arriving, asking where the cinematographer was, and I kept saying, “He’s on the way.”

I was holding onto that one hope — that he would show up. And then, finally, he called me.

He said, “I just woke up. I feel a bit better. I think we can make it happen.” And he did.

He came to the location, and we made it work. Honestly, in that moment, I was so relieved. I was close to tears in front of everyone because I knew how much work, effort, and emotion went into that project.

— Great! What are you working on now?

— So I have an upcoming campaign with adidas, and I’m directing, producing, and choreographing a music video, Cry, for an artist called tamtam.

Also, right now, I’m working on my first short film. And I am planning to submit it to the Red Sea Film Festival next year.

This project is very personal to me because it tells my story. Through it, you will understand a lot about me, including why I started dancing.

— Why?

— I started dancing because, as a kid, I didn’t really know how to express myself. I wasn’t someone who talked a lot, and I found it difficult to explain what I was going through — my problems, my feelings — even to my own family.

I didn’t have the words for it. But I found that through movement, I could express everything I couldn’t say.

When I felt angry, I would dance. When I felt sad, I would dance. It became my way of communicating — my own language.

That is one of the main reasons I want to make a film about my story. There are many layers to it, but this is where it all began.