Showcase: Naemi Mirene Makiadi
On dance and activism:
Movement as an expression of freedom, culture and community
Who is not used to this? At events and festivals, most people first check the line-up and eagerly await the next DJ set. The crowd’s gaze is fixed on the decks – on the hands on the mixer, the transitions, the drops. The crowd moves, but often only forwards, towards the DJ. There is a reason why ‘dance’ is part of dance music – it was never intended to be purely for listening. In the past, dancers were an integral part of the club scene, making the music visible, giving the sound a physical form and setting trends on the dance floor. But over time, the focus shifted more and more to the stage and the dancers disappeared from the spotlight.
In this episode, we take a look at freelance dancer and choreographer Naemi Mirene Makiadi, who shows that the tradition lives on and how inseparably dance, community and culture are linked. Over a mango smoothie, she tells us why it’s so important to her to make these lines tangible.
House is a feeling! How Naemi came to know and love house dance
Naemi, 24 years old and raised in Backnang near Stuttgart, discovered her love of dancing at a very early age. She started hip-hop at the age of twelve, then delved deeper into the urban dance scene and eventually found herself in a world of Afro, locking, jazz and hip-hop – influences that still shape her dance style today. But one style in particular captivated her: house dance. ‘I quickly realised that this was totally my style!’ she says. For her, house dance is a language that needs no words. It’s a way of not just hearing music, but feeling it through movement.
‘For me, house is culture, spirituality and freedom,’ she says. ‘When I hear house, I don’t think – I just move the way I feel in that moment.’ It is a kind of devotion and letting go at the same time, a physical expression of what music triggers inside. It is precisely this natural connection between music and movement that makes house so special as a dance style.
What is house dance?
House dance is a freestyle-based dance style that originated in the underground clubs of Chicago and New York in the 1980s and has spread worldwide. It was influenced by various subcultures, especially the African American and Latinx communities. Although the dance style eventually disappeared from the clubs, the culture remained alive in cyphers[1], battles[2] and sessions[3] – places where dancers continued to find their expression and carry on the tradition. House dance is less about fixed choreography and more about the direct expression of rhythm and music. ‘There are house basics such as loose leg or farmer. In house classes, you learn so-called combos. These are small choreographies that focus on the basics. With the combo, you then move on to freestyle,’ explains Naemi. The basics are the starting point, but true freedom comes in freestyle, when you feel the music and let it guide you.
House dance is based on three central elements: jacking, footwork and lofting. Jacking is the groove that comes from the upper body. You can imagine it as a rolling movement that picks up the 4/4 beat typical of house music and lets the rhythm flow directly into the body. Footwork then brings tempo into play: fast, precise steps influenced by Afro, Latin and jazz. This includes basics such as the loose leg, a springy step forwards and backwards, or the farmer, which uses the space with lateral and diagonal movements. Lofting ensures smooth transitions between the floor and standing position, with soft, almost floating movements. All of this together makes house dance what it is: a style that combines technique with freestyle and focuses on personal expression.
[1] Cypher: A spontaneous circle of dancers in which freestyle is danced one after the other.
[2] Battle: A competition in which dancers compete in direct duels.
[3] Session: An open dance training session for exchange, practice and experimentation.
House culture in Germany: between representation and commercialisation
After gaining initial experience in her hometown, Naemi moved to Brussels for six months – a period that had a profound impact on her perspective on house music and community. There she discovered the true meaning of freestyle culture: ‘In Brussels, there are many communal dances such as soultrains, and there is an extreme sense of community. You are constantly interacting and learning from each other – that’s house!’ Free dance festivals were held regularly in the Belgian capital, which stood in stark contrast to the often expensive offerings in Germany: “There are events in Germany too, but they are often very expensive. You often have to spend a lot of money on workshops and battles – that can cost several hundred euros.”
Naemi sees house dance as a culture that gives space to precisely those people who are often excluded in other spaces. But this is precisely where the challenge lies: in Germany, BIPOCs often have more difficult access. ‘Many people only know house as a music genre, not as a dance style. And house is often associated with a white party scene in commercial nightlife. But house was originally a culture for everyone – especially minorities.’
She only really became aware of this when she saw how different things are outside Germany. ‘When I attended my first session in Brussels, I was amazed at how many black people were there. In Stuttgart, I am often one of the only black people at an event. That’s sobering when you consider that this is a culture that originated with black people.’
Battle experiences and personal growth
Naemi loves challenges and has already taken part in numerous international battles and dance events in Brussels, Amsterdam and Antwerp, among other places. A particular highlight was the Summer Dance Forever dance festival in Amsterdam: ‘I decided to take part in all the battles – hip-hop, house, Afrodance – just as a personal challenge.’ The competition was fierce, the event huge: 250 participants competed, only 24 advanced. Even though she didn’t make it to the next round, she was satisfied with her performance. ‘I had fun – that’s what matters to me in the end.’
But how exactly does a battle work and what do the preparations involve? Naemi explains that a battle usually begins with a preliminary round in which the dancers show off their moves in short freestyle performances. This is followed by further rounds in which only the best advance. In every battle, it’s important to face the competition, present yourself with new, creative moves and at the same time pay attention to the reactions of the audience and the judges. Since the competition never sleeps, continuous training is essential – intensive freestyle sessions in which new moves are tested, ideas are exchanged with other dancers, new tracks are sought out, and lessons are learned from other battles and cyphers. All of this comes together on stage at the decisive moment. Shortly before it starts, she is usually calm and introverted – she gathers her energy, focuses and withdraws: ‘I don’t talk to anyone then,’ she describes. And when the battle is over, there are mutual probs and everyone celebrates together – because in the end, it’s all about having fun and sharing the same passion: dancing!
Dance as a political and social movement
Naemi uses house dance to connect people and open up creative spaces. She also addresses these issues in her studies of international social work, particularly when it comes to social structures and access to culture.
At the same time, she brings her perspective to the Stuttgart art collective ReCollect, which campaigns for greater visibility for Black and post-migrant voices in the local art and culture scene. The focus is on bringing BIPoC together in formats that involve celebration, learning and exchange. But this is precisely where the fundamental problem often lies. Cultural participation usually depends on financial resources:
‘In Stuttgart, funding always goes to the same associations and initiatives. When we submit applications, we are often told that our projects are too “exotic” or “niche”. But it’s all about visibility!’
The real question behind this is: who actually decides which spaces are allowed to exist and who becomes visible in them? For Naemi, this means one thing above all else: creating spaces herself where they are lacking. This is precisely where dance, her studies and her collective work come together. She does not wait for structures to change on their own – she actively helps to shape them. Whether on the dance floor, at university or in activism, her motivation remains the same: to create places where people can meet, express themselves and develop.
Naemi’s next moves: dance – training – community
Looking to the future, Naemi is full of enthusiasm. She now teaches house classes herself at a dance school in Echterdingen. In addition, there are house sessions every first Wednesday of the month at clubCann in Stuttgart Bad Cannstatt. These sessions are intended to be lively meeting places where people can come together, exchange ideas and celebrate the spirit of house music. ‘It will be a space for everyone – for dance, for training, for community,’ she says enthusiastically. She never loses sight of where the groove comes from: “I think it’s important to always remember the roots: Where does it come from, who shaped it, where does my knowledge come from that I pass on about the subculture? The hype fades, but the culture remains.” For Naemi, house dance is about much more than dancing – it’s about freedom, community and passing on a culture that, long before she herself took to the dance floor, created a place for those who are still searching for it.
Want more from Naemi? Then check out her socials for insights into her sessions, events and classes. And for B-Side Stories, she’s put together an exclusive playlist of her favourite deep dance tracks – it’s worth a listen!
More from Naemi
https://www.instagram.com/naemimakiadi/
ReCollect Collective
https://www.instagram.com/recollect_collective/