Moroccan Father-Daughter Duo Wins €25,000 in Belgian Dance Competition "Come Dance With Me"

25,000 euros, this is the amount pocketed by Sou and Jaouad El Yazidi, who emerged victorious from this exciting competition, according to the opinion of the various candidates. The final took place on Saturday with the participation of the three duos still in the running. These are Sou and Jaouad, Senne and Ilse, and finally Ilvy and Jerry.

The candidates gave the best of themselves in a breathtaking show that left the jury speechless. "You set the stage on fire," enthused judge Jeny Bonsenge after the last dance of 12-year-old Sou El Yazidi and her father Jaouad on Saturday evening. "It’s crazy. A technically and perfectly executed dance by two dancers," declared Jan Kooijman. For his part, James Cooke was also convinced and excited by Sou’s performance. "Little Sou is incredible! Her way of seeing life despite her young age. We are all proud of your little miracle," he said.

Sou and Jaouad scored 29.5 out of 30, thus becoming the winners of the first season of Come Dance With Me. "We didn’t expect to win. A super cool feeling. We’ll never forget," said Sou, who had danced barely two hours a week before the start of this adventure. Her father, Jaouad, 40 years old, had no experience in competitive dancing. He works as a director at InnoEnergy, a subsidiary of the European Commission. "At the first show, I felt like an idiot in this outfit, a dad who doesn’t know how to dance. The goal was to survive that first show, so we weren’t trying to win at all," said Sou’s father.

The recording of the show took place last summer, but was only broadcast on Saturday. The candidates have maintained the suspense with the production on the outcome of this competition. They have also already received the 25,000 euros, the prize for first place. Sou had announced that the money would be used to build a well. "In fact, the well is already installed. There are people who have to walk ten or twenty kilometers barefoot to get water. While we open the tap, and draw as much water as we want. I’ve already given a presentation on this," Sou confides.

Sou wanted to offer a well where the need was greatest. This turned out to be the case in Nepal. "It takes drilling, the most expensive. While the price was not yet received, we, the parents, advanced a little over 1,000 euros. Thanks to the well, an entire village in Nepal is now supplied with water," explains Jaouad, proud of the act accomplished by his daughter.