Before performance artist Esraa Warda and ballroom dancer Habibitch were friends, they were each other's distant fans.
In 2018, Warda saw a viral video of Habibitch. She sent Habibitch a message on Instagram to show some love. As it turned out, whether by coincidence or fate, Habibitch had just seen a viral video of Warda on Al-Jazeera speaking about the cultural significance and stigmatization of her work. In the video, Warda discusses the common stereotype drawn from Western depictions of “belly dancers” that North African women who dance professionally (or in public at all) are sexually available and promiscuous, and how that misconception can be a hurdle for the work she does to teach and preserve Moroccan and Algerian dances. There in the DMs, the two formed a transcontinental friendship rooted in common personal convictions, artistic media, and culture.
Both Habibitch and Warda belong to the Algerian diaspora, though Habibitch is based in Paris and Warda in New York City. They are both professional dancers; Habibitch practices ballroom and Warda traditional North African dance. For Habibitch—a queer, Algerian person living in the land of their former colonizer—ballroom is a form of resistance. For Warda, whose dance knowledge comes from community elders, practicing and teaching North African dance is a way to give value to an artform she says has been devalued not only by the West, but by North Africans as well. Habibitch and Warda’s genres of movement are very different, but their practices overlap in crucial ways: They both use dance to celebrate their origins and fight against patriarchal obstacles in their ancestral home of Algeria as well as the majority-white countries they call home today.
For this issue, we brought their friendship back to its origins: the internet. In a conversation over email, Habibitch and Warda had free rein to talk about the nuances in how they are perceived racially in France versus the US, protecting their sexuality, cultural exploitation, and “decolonizing the dance floor.” Drop some TbarkAllah’s, MashAllah’s, and/or khamsa’s for a moving show of friendship based in mutual respect and admiration. — Leila Ettachfini
Warda
To Habibitch
Salam Habibitch,
Wech raki!? It’s a crisp Wednesday morning here in New York. I woke up today remembering that this EXACT time last year we were together in Paris right before global shutdown. I danced in your show “Habibitch Pour Toustes” at Cabaret de Poussière. Literally the last time I took stage.
That show was so legendary. I think about it all the time. I always wondered if people understood the message of my performance.
I wore a gold sequined Kaftan and did a slow sultry dance to live jazz, “Petite Fleur” to be exact. Some western shit you’ll literally never see me dancing to on stage lol.
I give my back to the audience and jazz comes to a halt. Silence. Then Gasba Rai music blasts on. “Dir el Galb Nssak” “I’ll get the strength in my heart to forget you” by Cheikha Zalamite. You know I have no idea what Cheikha Zalamite looks like? All her cassettes had cover photos of random white women in order to conceal her identity.
I started slowly peeling my Kaftan off and dropped it on the floor to reveal....a burgundy spaghetti-strap house gown lol. Then I start shaking THAT ASS - À LA ALGÉRIENNE.
It was a twist on traditional Western burlesque in which the dancer strips down to almost nothing. I feel restricted by dichotomies, in this case "covered vs naked."
So I danced to Gasba Rai in a sexy floor-length house gown — a piece of clothing that a lot of North African women wear when they dance at home amongst their gals.
I like the in-betweens. I choose when, how, and in which increments I like to be seen. This is my sexuality. I'm liberated in my in-betweens.
My sexuality doesn't fit into the colonially imposed nor the culturally obligated. My sexuality is like the Gasba flute; raspy, understated, ancestral, and groovy. In a colonial perspective where our bodies as Algerian dancers are for public consumption and hypersexualized, people are always perturbed with curiosity regarding my sexuality and sexual life. I like to leave them hanging. =p
Also - There is no Algerian person I know who deconstructs dichotomies more than you. Thanks for inviting me last year. Twahachtek yo.
Love,
Warda
Habibitch
To Warda
Yo Warda,
What’s up boss? Been thinking about you a lot lately, and it probably has to do with the fact that we’ve come a year after this Cabaret I booked you for, like you said. The most iconic shit I’ve ever done, you already know. And for so many reasons, but probably the main one was having my Dad on stage.
Witnessing all that I am, all of my identities togayther - my queerness, my femmeness, my Algerianness, my curviness - and all of my close friends and inspirations together, my kids, you.
With everything you represent, the strength you transpire, the light you attract, the life you inspire. My Dad called you a witch ha ha, sahra—and in the most respectful way, I join him. You are magic and I hope you are aware that just knowing you existed gave me so much power when I discovered you. Meeting you and being able to call you my friend is beyond.
As queer Algerian womxn, navigating diasporic identities plus non-heteronormative sexualities is not only complicated but also and mostly non-existant lol. You and I are bursting through doors to create representations and possibilities for the next generations, but Allah knows it’s a lonely path ha ha! Hence the connection between us: so strong, the second we met.
I think we both represent in-betweens in our own ways, and I adore this concept that I use a lot to talk about my identities—in-between, hybrid. We both like to play with gender and its colonial gaze. In our dances, in our performances, in our speeches.
We are all of our identities in everything we do, we are incarnated. My sexuality is everything the white male gaze didn’t want me to have and be, so imma continue decolonizing it, my body, and everything that I touch, inspired and carried by strong-ass people like you okhti.
You’re a boss and I love you and everything that you do, I tell you so all the time but I’m GLAD I CAN TELL IT TO THE WORLD NOW ha ha!!
Talk to you soon Boss,
Habibitch
Warda
To Habibitch
Dear Habibitch,
Oh alright now- Go on with your bad self!
You are a boss and I also love you and everything you do. I think it's so adorable how much we "fan-girl " over each other. I don't believe in swooning over celebrities (except for Missy Elliot lol), but rather my friends. There is no way to embody the word "ICON" more than you, Habibitch.
Meeting and hanging out with your father during that show was also an emotional experience for me. I cried secretly so much. I have a strained relationship with my father and it's very painful for me. You performing with your father was healing for a lot of people, especially those who have been rejected by their parents. It also was uncomfortable for me too. I've never danced in front of my father or brothers and always felt ashamed to, so dancing in front of your father was also a trigger.
Patriarchy has to be the hardest obstacle for my career; the misogyny towards me being unapologetically fat, dancing/jiggling in public and on the internet really does disturb the cis-heteropatriarchy, especially the North African one. Unfortunately, I receive consistent violence from cis-men (in general) but also specifically from our cultural community. There is not a day that goes by that I am not called a whore, a disgrace, uneducated, stupid, immoral - you name it. It's a struggle to constantly reiterate : My body is not for your consumption - My body is not a playground - My body is not sexually available to you - Just because I am a dancer.
But I sacrificed a lot for this life. It comes with the territory. And it's been worth every minute. I am sure you can relate.
Love,
Warda
Habibitch
To Warda
My dear Warda,
Of course we fangirl over each other, how the fuuuuck would we not we really are boss-ass bitches. And same, my main inspirations, aspirations and stars are my friends and people I look up to, and you’re part of these two groups yo!
I know you’ve come a long way, just like I have. I told you how long it took my Dad to even speak to me again after I « came out » as queer to him - using quotes here cause I have been thinking a lot about this coming out concept and I definitely think it’s a white/western gaze one. How his cancer changed him. But I conscientiously chose not to visibilize the 10 years we didn’t talk, and [instead do] the opposite, show people how close we are now. To change the narrative that North-African Dads are only homophobic and misogynistic, because it’s the same for white Dads, it’s the same for all men—and yes all men—because i’m tired of this racist History.
Patriarchy is everywhere and has impacted me on soooo many levels, from deep to superficial ones, and I think it’s the work of a lifetime to deconstruct its consequences. I truly believe both of our work contributes to this journey, in ways we don’t even realize.
Unapologetically yours FOREVER BOSS,
Love you and all of you,
Habibitch
Warda
To Habibitch
Dear Habibitch,
I understand what you mean by not visibizing the issues in our community for public discourse. I NEVER beef or talk shit about another North African person publicly for the same reason. We need to put our best foot forward. I don't want racists using our issues (that are also present in other communities) to fuel and justify their bigotry. At the same time, I think it's deeply healing to address this type of shit internally within our communities. And a lot of that starts at home. For me, it's in the traditional music industry. I am all about solidarity, community strength, and resilience.
On another note, I am so curious what it's like being an Algerian in France in the Ballroom scene. How does your Algerian-ness shape that for you?
I also noticed a lot of people you adore are Aries (like your pops)... maybe that explains our chemistry? LOL.
SAHITI,
Warda
P.S You love all of me, even that TERMA?!
Habibitch
To Warda
My deareeeest Warda-Boss,
Of course all of you even that terma, ESPECIALLY that terma ha ha. No, but seriously, just yesterday I was watching one of your dance videos, the latest you posted, and I felt soooo empowered, words can never express enough how lifted I feel by you and your existence and what you create.
And you know how much I care about empowering people from my community(ies), as much as I care about not addressing our community issues in front of white people, exactly what you said. And acknowledging my Algerianity is part of that empowerment process, that self-empowerment process too, because being Algerian in France is noooot easy. The history between Algeria and France is not only far from being resolved but also and mostly not even talked about. Which drives me crazy, but which makes me use spaces like the ballroom scene to express that part of my identity too, always making statements at balls -to the point where I think one of my nicknames in my scene is even « The Activist » with capital letters ha ha ha!
But I was also wondering how is it like to be Algerian in the States? Cause the history between the two countries is not the same so the diaspora is not the same, so where does your Algerian identity exist and how? I can’t wait for the moment where you’re gonna show me your Algerian New-York and I’m gonna show you my Algerian Paris!!!!!
With loooove always, and not only because you’re an Aries Sun and I’m an Aries Moon - which still explains a part of the chemistry obviously!!
Boussa Boss,
Habibitch
Warda
To Habibitch
Dear Habibitch,
I am truly honored that my video lifted your spirits. Seriously. I've also seen you grow so much this year and I admire the abundance in your life. You are blessed and you inspire me to keep pushing.
I can't even imagine what it's like being Algerian in France. I really do love my North African people in Paris though - I actually have more Algerian friends there than in New York lol. I feel more connected with the Algerian music scene in France/Europe than in the U.S (probably because there is not much of one here) and every time I go to France, I am lucky to have a team of folks that uplift me. My experience here in New York is definitely different. Relatively speaking, there is not a large North African artistic community here and it's mostly cis-men dominated. I've had a hard time navigating it because I am deemed a "black sheep".
In New York, I am definitely ethnically ambiguous and could pass as any light-skinned person of colour, so often times people have no clue where I am from. Of course, I find this to be a privilege because I am not racialized like I would be in France for instance. People are often exotifying me, especially when I tell them I am a dancer. They assume I am a "belly dancer" and think I ride on camels and dance in a Harem for an Arab Prince or some shit. Just some wack ass American fantasy nonsense. Most of the time I am spending energy educating people to step out of the hegemonic Hollywood imagery of the "Arab World" (I hate this word) and learn about cultural nuance. I really do hate that cliché "yallah habibi" bullshit because it has nothing to do with Algerian culture. The dance community in the US is also obsessed with cultural appropriation and exploitation, will do anything to avoid interacting with authenticity, and would rather create a white-washed caricature of our dances. Americans have really butchered and bastardized so many North African and Arab dances... and this is what I am up against.
The other battle was becoming a dancer professionally. WHOOF that shit was and STILL is hard. How did your family feel about your career choice?
Love,
Warda
Habibitch
To Warda
Dear dear Warda!
Your existence in itself lifts my spirits always! Yes I’ve grown a lot in a year, but you know there’s no secret it’s just haaaaaardwork! I know you can relate, you and I know we don’t call each other boss for no reason ;) especially coming from where we both come from sa7. And I know you’re talking about the American fantasy of the Arab world, which is terrible, but the one in France is no better.
French people are so racist and they absolutely REFUSE to address their racism, to even talk about race mind you, let alone acknowledge their colonial past. So it gives so much space to other forms of racism like cultural appropriation, which is going wiiiiiild here, differently than in the US I know (cf the tribal fusion bullshit ha ha), but still going strong. It’s still very hard to address, again because it’s impossible to have a conversation about race here, especially about North Africans, ESPECIALLY about Algerians. Algerians indeed have to go through a specific form of racism, a specific form of being racialized in France, because of the colonial past of course.
I do understand though how hard it must be to live far from any type of Algerian community, cause it does help to cope. But we’re fighting all of this bullshit by the hardwork (again) we’re putting out there you and I, and I’m so proud of us for that!!!!!! Especiallyyyyyy because we are PROFESSIONAL DANCERS and that’s on period.
It took a lot of sacrifices to build our careers, that I know well. It wasn’t easy for my family at first, because they had no clue of what the fuck I was doing—and neither did I—but now they are my best supporters, for real!!!!! What about you my love? How is your relationship with your blood family? Do you find comfort in chosen families?
I am sending you so much strength and light, hoping I could hug you real tight right now and hear your big-ass laugh I adore so much.
Love you!!!!!
Habibitch
Warda
To Habibitch
AYO,
Whats up? You know every time I read your compliments, they really brighten my day. I am in awe that someone like you is my friend and that you even like what I do. I love your strength, resilience, power, iconology… your aura just swallows the whole planet. You know like I told you last time in Paris, "You making me feel like a basic bitch out here" LOOL.
But Yeah, Frenchies be mad annoying with their colonial denial. It's funny because I never took the time to learn the French language even though my mother pressured me to, despite the fact that I use A LOT of French words in my Darja. I guess it's because something about that language irks me. Sure English is also a colonial language, but French just hits different. People even comment on how I use colloquial Darja even in professional work environments where we are expected to use French.
In terms of my family, my mother specifically, she's not too happy about my career choice. lol. She thought I was a complete joke. She feels kind of embarrassed about what I do only because of the negative connotations that come along with being a dancer, especially from my family in Algeria. Working as a traditional North African dancer is challenging because it is an underdeveloped industry and there are deeply rooted misogynist and classist stigmas in our community when doing this for a LIVING. (But even just dancing in public is controversial at times, not even being a professional dancer.) All the while having white culture vultures always look to exploit you. Over the years I've shown Mama that what I do is pedagogical, intellectual, and political. But I've seen her grow. It has been a rewarding journey in opening her mind a bit and now I see her make so many attempts to try to connect with my world. I asked my mom, "Do you think I am a good dancer?". She said, "Yeah, but only because you have a big booty". That's the most positive comment I've gotten from her EVER hahaa!!!!
My father doesn't really "know" about what I do, but he's heard about it on the streets. lol. My brothers know but pretend they don't.
And I am honestly still figuring out my chosen family. These years have been transformative for me, especially going through some intense mental health battles. I've come out the other side really getting to know myself for the first time. So I feel somewhat reborn. I am gracefully centering back to who I really am underneath it all.
I also feel like I am in a relationship with dance. Some people say they ARE dance but for me, it feels like a marriage. I love it unconditionally but I have my ups and downs. I don't always find healing in my dance. I do need other things outside of it. What dance does for me is create a raw opportunity to address my spiritual and sociological "complexes" by taking up space publically. For me, dance is not the healer, but rather the test.
How do you feel when you dance? What's your relationship with it?
Can’t wait to give you a huggie!
Warda
Habibitch
To Warda
Yo boss,
You deserve to be drowning in compliments tbh. And I will neveeeeer accept you talking about yourself as a basic bitch wtf ha ha, nothing is basic about you ICON!
Sorry it took forever from me to answer, this moment of my life is the busiest ever, and I’m not complaining about it but as a self-made bitch I do it all on my own and it’s a lot to handle! I’m proud though, because I’ve come a long fucking way. And what I love atm is that it’s not « just » my dancing that’s blooming, but more so how I talk about it and how I interconnect it with my activism and my pedagogy. Same as you, I live!!!!
Also, I say I do everything on my own, which is true, but I am so well surrounded, I’m super grateful. My close circle of friends is the best, my partners are super supportive, the people I work with are always very respectful, I am connected to people I share values with all around the world, and my family is proud of me. I was thinking about it earlier and said to myself: wow, my life is a dream. And how precious is that??? I mean, I have big downs like everybody, insecurities, mental breakdowns, conflicts sometimes or fascists harassing me ha ha, but overall I feel so lucky and happy of the life I built for myself.
And dance was the vessel. It is the healer for me sometimes, but the more I think about it the more I think of it as the voice I can’t put in words sometimes. And I have started being visible through my dancing but mostly when my dancing met my activism, so it is a vessel for me, and a powerful one! I can’t wait to see where it’s going to bring me next, where it’s going to bring us, actually!
I’m sure we have so much more to do in this world, on your side of your world, on my side of the world, and through all the spaces and times our worlds meet.
We are so connected.
I love you, always and forever!
Habibitch
Warda
To Habibitch
Yooooo,
I see you have been busy AF! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU. I've also been busier than I ever have been - and it's a lot. Self-made is right - when I started this career, I had no money, no resources, no family support, no visibility, but now I have a team of people who support me. We couldn't have gotten here without our peoples.
Just like you, I feel blessed hamdollilah. Our dreams are coming true and it's always a challenge. Nothing that is worth it comes easy. I dead ass always keep you as an inspiration because you are living proof that hard work and dedication (despite all the obstacles) is the only way to elevate our work and people. You are an artist with dignity and principles - you are real.
Inchallah we can do more work together in person whether in Europe or the U.S.A. I miss you and cant wait to see you soon fam. There is still so so so so much more to do....
Saha,
Warda xoxox
