Darfur Dances: Interviewing Elfadhil Khatir

Voices of Darfur talked with Elfadhil Khatir, a lecturer at El Fasher University, about the traditional dances in Darfur, their various forms and their relation to the social lives of Darfuris.

By Ala Mayyahi
 

Born in 1986 in Tarni, a small village in North Darfur’s Tawila locality, Mr. Elfadhil Khatir is one of a small group of Darfuri academics conducting research on Darfur’s cultural performances to develop a deeper understanding of their historical development and social impact.

Mr. Khatir studied in the Darfur school system before traveling to Khartoum, where he narrowed his focus to music and drama in Sudan University. Shortly after graduating, Mr. Khatir, whose Bachelor’s degree thesis focused on the variety of rhythm and song types in Darfur, received an offer of a teaching position at the University of El Fasher in the College of Education.

Voices of Darfur talked with the young lecturer about the unique focus of his scholarship and teaching, including the traditional dances in Darfur, their various forms and their relation to the social lives of Darfuris.

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On 10 October 2013 in El Fasher, North Darfur, Mr. Elfadhil Khatir, a lecturer at the University of El Fasher, teaches traditional Darfuri dance to his students. Mr. Khatir is one of a small group of Darfuri academics who conducts research on Darfur’s cultural performances to develop a deeper understanding of their historical development and social impact. Photo by Hamid Abdulsalam, UNAMID.