I am usually not so into opening or interval acts as even if they usually are spectacular or even fun they seldom leave any lasting memory. Last night's Close encounters of a special kind by Ahmad Joudeh and Dez Maarsen is an exception. I loved every minute of it even if I'm not into ballet or modern dance. Maybe it's because of Ahmad's backstory that I knew well thanks to great documentary film Dance Or Die, that everyone should search and watch (For the Finns out there it's here ). This Emmy 2019 award-winning touching documentary tells Syrian born Ahmad's journey into world consciousness. At home in war-torn Damascus, he was threatened with death until the Dutch National Ballet offered him who defied death the opportunity to dance and live, albeit still under many mental and physical pressures. Directed by Dutch Roozbeth Kaboly this short film was released in 2018. Dance or Die depicts him dancing in the ruins of the camp where he had grown up, visiting his f...