Every time she passed the imposing buildings she saw on the streets of London as a young ballet dancer, Sophia Miran said, ‘that is going to be my ballet school.’ Yet years later, she achieved not only her dream but also a first in Erbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq, a turbulent country in the Middle East.

Much of the world became aware of Kurdistan with the brave fight of the Kurds against Islamic State’s (IS) barbaric attacks in 2014. When IS approached almost 25 miles from Erbil, many expats left and locals began to make escape plans against a possible invasion. But London-born British Sophia Miran, the founder of a newly-established art school, did not give into this, just as she would respond to the difficulties she would face later.

Erbil’s modern luxurious villas and hotels contrast with its historic neighbourhoods, traditional restaurants and teahouses, and camps sheltering war-weary refugees. Miran’s journey to Erbil began when she married her Kurdish husband in the UK. ‘The first time going to Erbil was a real step into the dark for me,’ she recalls. However, with the curiosity to live in the Middle East, she took her life-changing decision.

Miran, who trained in RAD Ballet in her youth, firstly embarked on teaching kids’ ballet in a hotel. She soon felt overwhelmed by so many young children coming to the course. 

‘I was like, there’s such a need in Erbil for kids’ activities but there’s nothing,’ she recalls. ‘Schools are only offering them academic maths or English. These children are going home and watching TV, whereas the western world is full of activities. So I launched into opening a school,’ she explains, her face still registering the excitement.

Knowing its cultural significance, Miran named the blossoming art school after the fig, one of the national fruits of Kurdistan. The only ballet school teaching RAD ballet in Iraq has now become a unique source of inspiration and safe haven for children in many dance and fitness fields, from ballet to gymnastics, piano to drama, martial arts to hip hop. With its team from countries such as America, UK, Lebanon, Syria and Canada, the club offers an international space for both local and foreign students in different age groups, from toddlers to adults.

Yasmine has been taking ballet classes for over half of her life, not to mention piano lessons during the last five years: she even gave us a short piano recital. Having taken part in previous productions by the Fig Club students – including Frozen, Rapunzel, The Lion King and Peter Pan, she is now preparing for the musical, Matilda, to be performed in May. She has already made up her mind to continue doing ballet, piano and theatre. She describes the art school as a ‘huge family,’ expressing how much she loves being here.

Despite being the region known as the relatively safe, most liberal and foreigner-friendly part of Iraq, patriarchal and religious aspects have huge impact on society in Kurdistan. For some, even dancing can be considered taboo. So the school plays a unique role here – it makes sense that Choukor says, ‘we are a community here. The school is like a second home to students.’

At the beginning ballet classes were only taken by the expats things have changed over time. Miran explains that many more Kurds have accepted ballet, with the school playing a significant part in educating people about its benefits.

Luckily, Miran has not been alone on this journey. Amelia Jane Cunliffe, a dedicated RAD Registered Teacher from a dancing family in the UK, is among the teachers helping her make sure the students are not isolated from high, internationally recognised ballet standards.

Cunliffe has wide knowledge of the RAD and extensive experience of teaching in the UK and abroad such as in India and Saudi Arabia. But the way Cunliffe delivers the RAD ballet syllabus to the Fig Club students is remarkable. She attends the classes online from the UK, watching closely and providing comprehensive feedback on every move the students make in a confident and soothing voice. As I observe from the corner of the room, I’m struck by the harmony, rhythm and discipline between Cunliffe, the teachers who are physically present and the students.

This unusual method is the result of a testing process. ‘In all honesty, I didn’t know how well it was going to work out,’ Cunliffe admits, ‘but I couldn’t have been luckier. The two teachers are extraordinary – young, independent, energetic.’ She is referring to Danika Smith and Catiana Gray. ‘The teachers on the ground have vast experience of dance. But of course, they needed to be educated on the exact requirements of the RAD syllabus for this to work.’ Cunliffe insists on the accuracy, timing and positioning of every move in the syllabus. ‘Once the teachers knew the work 100 percent, that is when we can make the greatest progress.’

Smith, a ballet teacher from Canada, notes the difficulties the students initially experienced with the RAD syllabus. ‘Last year was a bit challenging because it was new to them – the style and a lot of technique.’ But thanks to hard work and commitment, she says, the students have been improving very quickly. Gray, from America, also finds it amazing to see children look forward to continuing their ballet classes and adds that feedback from parents has been very positive.