Mohanned Hawaz

Mohanned Hawaz was born in Mosul and began performing at local festivals at approximately seven years old. By fifteen he had joined the Iraqi Artists Union of Nineveh and received formal training in dance, stage presentation and costuming. His teachers included Hanaa Abdullah, an important figure connected with the Iraqi National Folklore Troupe. Mohanned later undertook field research across Iraq, studying regional dances directly and developing a broad repertoire beyond simplified commercial representations of Iraqi dance. After settling in Sweden, he founded the Enkidu Folklore Arts Group and became an important representative of Iraqi cultural dance throughout Europe and internationally. His work is especially valuable for Raqs Atlas because he consistently distinguishes authentic Iraqi regional traditions from the generic “Iraqi belly dance” imagery often circulated online.