Eman Hussein, born 1994, is an Egyptian dancer, choreographer and dance filmmaker based in Zurich. She studied dance, street art, theater and martial arts. Her works merge laborers daily movements and contemporary dance, amongst other arts.
Working with individuals outside of art institutions is her main inspiration.

She collaborates with craftsmen and workers and lives with them to learn their movements inside their workshops.
Her dance films combine aspects of public space and contemporary dance movement. They have been shown and awarded internationally.
She is a recipient of the PREMIO Nachwuchspreis 2026 and currently an Accomplice Artist at Tanzhaus Zürich (2026–2027),where she is developing the third chapter of her series Labor Work – Between Work and Dance.


Studies

→ 2021 Martial Arts (Kung Fu), Meshkah, Cairo

→ 2020 Dance, Contemporary Dance Center Maat, Cairo

→ 2017 Theater, Helwan University

→ 2014 Street Art, Nahda Arts School, Cairo

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Prizes, grants, residencies
2026 PREMIO Nachwuchspreis, Switzerland
2026 Co-production Grant, Charleroi Danse, Brussels
2025 Artist in Residence, CAMPO Ghent (supported by Pro Helvetia)
2025 Artist in Residence, Tanzhaus Zürich
2025 ChoreoLab, TanzPlan Ost, Zurich
2024 Nominated for the Theaterspektakel Zürich - ZKB Acknowledgement Prize, Zurich
2024 Travel Grant, Schweizer Kulturstiftung Pro Helvetia, Zurich
2024 Winner Youth Empowerment Film & Song Competition, Beirut

2023  Artist in Residence, French Institute Cairo, Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris  
2023  Artist in Residence, Pro Helvetia Swiss Arts Council, Rote Fabrik, Zurich
2022  Prix Lumière Prize 2022, Cinédanse, Montreal

2022  Artist in Residence, Halaqat, Goethe Institute/Bozar/La Bellone, Brussels
2022  Winner Best Film, Flatlands Dance Film Festival, Urbana Illinois

2021  Winner Roznama 8, by Medrar for Contemporary Art, Cairo

2021  Winner Best Film, Bucharest International Dance Film Festival, Bucharest
2021  Winner Best Film, Mexico City Video Dance Festival, Mexico City
2021  Winner Best Director, Zinetika Festival, Pamplona/Bilbao/San Sébastian
2021  Artist in Residence, El Gouna University, El Gouna
2021  Research Grant, Pro Helvetia Cairo, Bern/Basel/Zurich



Teaching, talks
 and juries
2026 Dance Workshop with TAKLÎf, On Marche Festival, Es Saadi, Marrakech
2026 Monthly Dance Workshop Movement Lab of Labor, Tanzhaus Zürich
2026 Dance Workshop, Tanzfest Zürich
2025 Artist talk Fog festival Triennale di Milano
2025 Dance Workshop for Asylum Seekers, KOMPASS Arth-Goldau
2025 Selbstverteidigung, Tanzhaus Zürich
2025 Weekly dance sessions BewegNungsraum Kulturen at the Federal Asylum Center Zurich
2022  Masterclass, Université Côte d'Azur, Mov’in Cannes/Festival de Danse de Cannes
2022  Isiphethu Int. Student Film Festival Jury, Durban Int. Film Festival, Durban
2022  Theaterfestival Basel, «watch & talk», Basel
2021  Contemporary Dance Workshop, Centre Rezodanse, Alexandria

2020  Acting teacher for outreach program, Cairo Conemporary Dance Centre, Cairo

2019  Dance and Film, roundtables, talk, Goethe Institute, Cairo

2018  Dance teacher for kids in Bastet Art Space

2016  Acting and dance teacher in a programme for kids in in Helwan


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Dance film festivals


2023  Moovy Tanzfilmfestival, Cologne

2023  Salem State University International Dance Film Festival, Salem 

2022  InShadow Festival, Lisbon

2022  Cinedans, Tour & Nowness, various places in China

2022 Rencontres Internationales, new cinema and contemporary art, Paris/Berlin

2022  Cinédanse,  Montreal
2022  Dancinema, Vancouver/Washington DC
2022  Cinedans Fest, Amsterdam   
2022  Dance on Screen at Zürich Tanzt, Zurich 
2022  Cinédanse SAPA, Poschiavo/Basel/Lausanne

2022  Flatlands Dance Film Festival, Urbana Illinois

2022  Motif Film Screening Series, Providence 
2021  San Francisco Dance Film Festival, San Francisco
2021  Durban International Film Festival, Durban

2021  Festival du Film Arabe de Fameck, Paris

2021  Mexico City Videodance Festival, Mexiko City


2021  Choreoscope Internationall Dance Film Festival, Barcelona

2021  Ramallah Contemporary Dance Festival, Ramallah
2021  Bucharest International Dance Film Festival, Bucharest
2021  Tipperary International Dance Festival, Ireland, Thurles
2021  Encontro de Cinema Negro Zozimo Bulbul - Brasil, Africa, Caribe
2021  Nice Dance Film Festival, Nice
2021  Zinetika Festival Spain, Pamplona, San Sebastian, Bilbao
2021  Shnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival. Cairo
2021  CinemAfrica Film Festival, Nigeria, Abuja
2021  Roznama 8, exhibition by Medrar for Contemporary Art, Cairo
2020  Screen Dance Festival Stockholm
2019  Festival Lumieresd ́Afrique de Besancon
2019  Moving Images Dance Festival, Cyprus, Nicosia
2019  AegeanDocs International Documentary Film Festival, Athens
2019  Festival du filme Arabe de Fameck, Paris
 

Dance films and dance projects

2022  Smell of  Cement – Solo Eman Hussein, Theatre Marni, Brussels
2021  Belia – concept, choreography, directing, performing, various festivals/places
2021  Tickling the Sundance – soundtrack, for Ongoing Project/Medrar for Contemporary Art, Cairo
2019  A Skewed Conversation – concept, choreography, co-directing, various festivals/places



Participating dance perfromances (selection)
2026 Smell of Cement – Eman Hussein, On Marche Festival, Marrakech, Morocco
2025 Smell of Cement -Eman Hussein Donaufestival, Krems
2025 A Skewed Conversation, Eman Hussein Fog festival Triennale di Milano
2025 LEVITIKUS – Corsin Gaudenz, Tojo Theater, Bern, Switzerland
2025 LEVITIKUS – Corsin Gaudenz, Rote Fabrik, Zurich, Switzerland
2024 Smell of Cement -Eman Hussein Zürcher Theater Spektakel Zurich Switzerland
2024 Smell of Cement -Eman Hussein Festival Theaterformen Hannover, Germany
2024 Smell of Cement -Eman Hussein Les Rencontres à l'échelle- Marseille, France
2024 Smell of Cement -Eman Hussein Passages Transfestival- Metz, France 2024
2024 Turn On – Sorya Leila Emery Inkubator Rote Fabrik Zurich Switzerland
2024 Turn On – Sorya Leila Emer DOGO Residenz Lichtensteig Switzerland
2023 Smell of Cement -Eman Hussein Festival de Danse Cannes-Côte d'Azur, Cannes, France
2023 Smell of Cement -Eman Hussein IDEA - International Dance Encounter, Amman, Jordan
2023 Smell of Cement -Eman Hussein D-CAFCairo, Egypt
2022  Long Play Cairo, Alexandre Roccoli, Cairo/Naples
2021  Retour a Helwan - La Maison d’Estivants, Celine Brunand, Pasquart Photoforum, Biel/Bienne

2021  Belia, Eman Hussein, Cairo 

2019  A Skewed Conversation, Eman Hussein and Ahmed Hamed, Cairo

2019  Herding, Islam El Arabi, El Falaky Theatre, Cairo

2019  Hoop-om-on-ay, Nicholas Cantillon, El Falaky Theatre, Cairo

2018  Contemporary Dance Night Festival, Cairo 

2018  Fluttering, Ibrahim Abdo, Jesuit, Cairo

2018  Shuffle Tussle, Mounir Saeed, El Falaky Theatre and at Contemporary Dance Night, Cairo

2017  Rough Stage, Maher Shawamreh, Institut Francais d'Egypte au Caire

2017  El Zombie Wel Khataya El Ashr, Tarek el Dewery, Arabic Theatre Festival, Algeria, Oran

2016  El Zombie Wel Khataya El Ashr, Tarek el Dewery, El Hanager Theatre, Cairo

2015  Moulin Rouge, Ratan el Ghaba, Cairo Opera House, Cairo




Participating acting performances (selection)
2019  El naesa Farah, Ahmed el Guendy, tv-series, Cairo

2018  Ring and Bracelet, Nasser Abdel Moneim, El Salam Theatre, Cairo

2018  Layaly Eugeny, Hany Khalifa, tv-series, Cairo

2017  Mother Line, Amanda Ledrer and Eliza Simpson, El Falaky Theatre, Cairo

2017  Hesit Plotters, Ash Moniz, short movie, Cairo

2015  Takhreef thonaee, Reham Desouky, Institut Francais d'Egypte au Caire

2014  Mathaf el shame, Hamada Shoush, Jesuites Theatre, Cairo

2014  Elmohkma, Tarek el Dewery, National Theatre and National Theatre Festival, Cairo

2012  El Zobab, Mohamed Mabrouk El Hosapeer Theatre, Cairo





Participating artistic workshops

2020  Dancing on the Edge, Online Masterclass, M. Schumacher, Alleyne Sisters (Netherlands/UK)

2019  Orchestra of the nutrition theatre, Haytham Tantawy (Egypt/Germany)

2019  Acting Workshop, Carlos Diaz (Chile)

2019  Mime Workshop, Radim Vizvary (Czech Republic)


2019  Contemporary Dance Workshop, Nicola Conion (Switzerland)

2019  Dancing Theatre Choreography, Dan Safer (USA)

2018  Contemporary Dance Workshop, Nicola Conion (Switzerland)

2018  Contemporary Dance Workshop, Fray Faust (Germany)


2018  Acting Workshop, Gerald James (USA)

2017  Contemporary Dance Workshop, Maher Shawamreh (Palestine)

2017  Spinning Workshop, Zaya Azazy (Turkey)

2017  Appearing and disappearing in public space, K. Bahkalam/S. Abdelsalam (Germany/Egypt)

2016  Acting workshop, Carlos Diaz Leon (Chile)

2016  Scenography Workshop, Ichak Magudar (India)

2016  Theatre writing workshop, Karen Malbid (USA)

2016  Documentary Theatre workshop, Denis Botkaus (USA)

2016  Contemporary Dance Workshop, Salah El Brogy (Egypt)



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