Why modern line dancing is an ideal way for hijab-wearing Muslims to stay fit and age well, according to Malaysian mother of four
- Morina Mohamed, a hijab-wearing 58-year-old in Malaysia, loves line dancing as a way to stay fit and have fun, and uses traditional Malay steps in her routines
- She learned country-and-western line dancing in Iowa in the US but prefers modern line dance, which, being non-contact, is ideal for observant Muslims, she says
If you love dancing but your partner doesn’t, line dancing can be the perfect solution. “And if you’re a practising Muslim who is not supposed to get too close to anyone but your husband, it is really ideal,” says Morina Mohamed.
The 58-year-old Kuala Lumpur native thrives on fun activities, and line dancing – in which lines of dancers perform choreographed sequences – has helped her stay positive through the coronavirus pandemic. Universal choreographies and easy-to-follow step sheets available online have allowed line dancers across the world to dance “together while apart”.
When the world starts opening up again, Mohamed is ready to join in-person events and workshops and hopes to do so in Malaysia and abroad, like she used to.
“The beauty of line dancing is that you can join events all over the world and literally just drop in as long as you know the basic steps,” she says.
While traditional Malay dancing has been a part of Mohamed’s life for as long as she can remember, she only started line dancing at the age of 45. Having lived in the US state of Iowa for six-and-a-half years, Mohamed was familiar with the original country-and-western style of line dancing.
