From her early childhood till becoming a champ, dancing was inner born in her and was the love of her life, today I am happy to introduce to you Model, Actress, Dancing Champion and choreographer Samara Khattar.

First, may I ask you Samara to introduce yourself to our readers?

Well first my name is Samara Georges Khattar from Lebanon. my mother was a dancer too but didn’t went into professionalism, and my father was a designer

(fer fojer), painter and a writer..I’m the one girl between 2 brothers, so I had this gift from my parents and I had the chance to explore it more… I am a very simple Lebanese lady who had B.A. degree and started dancing from the year of fourth.

If I may ask you, why you insist on your father’s name to be included in your name?

Because he was the first one who encouraged me from when I had 4 years to start dancing as a ballerina as first and he has believed that Samara Khattar would reach some point in her life. I didn’t understand that before but from years ago I discovered that I have a gift which is the exploring of our feelings in the body language which is so hard to do and to let others receive this message…

 

Samara how did you start dancing? And what inspired you?

Well as I said before, it was my father who encouraged me from the start when I was 4 years old, and he believed in me somehow! I started first as a ballerina (classical ballet) after that, when I reached 12 years old and my father passed away I moved to the modern jazz dance cause I felt that I need more to express my feelings specially when my father passed away… maybe to explore my anger more… don’t know..

What inspired me the most in dancing is the modern jazz, their music, how I felt my body moving with it without even dropping a tear.. Cause I didn’t need to… Instead of crying or screaming, I was moving my body with the order of my deep feelings…

At the age of 16, I was interested a lot in Dany Boustros, may her soul rest in peace, and wished to be like her somehow… so I tried the Danse de Salon classes and I liked it a lot.. so I started but this didn’t get all my attention cause of my studies and I went into modeling and acting till the age of 21, when I first saw on LBC, studio el fan, new competition for the tango dancers, so I hurried up and called my cousin who was also studying the ballroom dancing, and we started together, and just for 2 months practicing we took the second place in studio el fan, mouhafazit jabal loubnan and they stopped the dancing shows after…

On the year 2002 I took the champion of Lebanon 2002 (Latin) and on 2003 champion of Lebanon (Latin & standard) which was the first in Lebanon history to take the champion ship of 10 dances…

Well now I’m a judge in the IDO (International Dance Organization) and a choreographer and an instructor, and I do some shows…

Planning to be a judge on the first seminar for the LDSF (Lebanese Dance sport Federation) soon… And here we go…

But all what I can say about the one who is always inspiring me to dance and to create and will continue always… And my greatest person, is my Father Georges Khattar, may he always rest in peace…

What do u feel while you dance?

What is the most satisfaction in the world? For some people maybe it’s having money, sex, getting their own companies… whatever! for me, I can say that’s beyond that all… because while dancing I don’t feel my body, there’s something more deep in me whose listening to the rhythms of the music and moving with it… it can’t be explained.. It is a mix of peace and joy and happiness flying with the tempos… the extreme of joy and satisfaction is what my soul feels with each instrument playing with the music….

What are the kinds of dance that you know?

10 ballroom dances (samba, cha-cha, rumba, pasodoble, jive, slow waltz, tango, viennoise waltz, quickstep, foxtrot) social danse de salon, all the above + mambo, swing, tango argentine, salsa, batchata…. modern jazz, show dance, disco, theatre dance, hip-hop, belly dance.

What difficulties did you face in pursuing your dancing career?

A lot, as all we know in Lebanon that there’s no sponsorship for dancing and the government don’t give any interest in such field even if that we have many potential and great dancers who can be on the international level. So the dancer here can’t just afford his living from just a dancing career even if he has his own academy he has to work a second job to pay for his dancing…
Now the federation and the organization of dancing here are trying to bring sponsorship for potential dancers… hope it will be successful…

Can you tell our readers more about your modeling and acting career?

Well I liked modeling and acting, I started modeling at the age of 17 and stayed for almost 2 years and couldn’t continue because of the huge requirements they ask for… And I couldn’t follow them till the end… You know Lebanese modeling…Loll no comment…

As for the acting I started at the age of 19 in chansonier for Karim Abou Chakra and from there I started to work in some TV series like TL, FUTURE TV, LBC, TL LUMIERE, NTV but when I started to have some good roles like my last one in ”Esmouha la” for Mr. Chekre Aniss Fakhoury, they closed the TL and also I couldn’t have more motivation in acting specially when they don’t pay you well, so I moved into assistant producer and worked for about 3 years…
Also acting doesn’t have the government support neither sponsorship so it can’t afford your living also, will hope with the new rules for the syndicates now that could be better…

Can you tell our readers more about Samara the person?

Toni mmmmmmmmm I don’t like to talk about myself….. You tell )
but I’m a normal Lebanese lady, down to earth… i love life and what I do and not asking more than happiness and honesty…

Now, where is Samara Khattar?

Now, I am teaching at nameless dance academy, sid el bauchrieh, beirut (01-252525) and a judge at the IDO (International Dance Organization), also you can check all my news on my group on facebook (Samara’s SPECIAL dancing Performing Group).

What can you say to all the dancing competitors of this year championship?

Work and practice hard because they have all the potentials to be one of the world champions…And we are all encouraging and praying for them… Best luck

At last, what can you say to all people who like to learn your dancing styles but haven’t started yet?

Hehehehe… They will be the most welcomed each second…
join my group on:
http://www.facebook.com/wall.php?id=502376409&banter_id=764638397#/group.php?gid=7853317479
and they have just to ask and I will proceed with the next steps…

One last word Samara to all the people who love you.

Just be yourself, honest and do what u want and love…and enjoy each second of your life because you will not know what it is waiting for you the second after…

By Antoun boustani