April 2008 News

Greetings from Amsterdam on my way to Istanbul!

I’m laid up here for 5+ hours on my way to Istanbul for this years marvelous Music and Dance Tour to Turkey.

Immediately following the tour I have been asked to teach a workshop April 6th at the new Fazil Studio NYC in Istanbul. The legendary dance studio has closed in New York…but reopened in Istanbul. Check it out at: http://www.residance.net/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

March is the month of flowers bursting forth in Seattle and it is hard to go…but I am looking forward to a month of interesting work. My students gave a spectacular debut performance to a standing-room only audience in Seattle’s Town Hall…and the audience went wild. Ahmad and Kamand did a wonderful job of creating a community event and Pangeo and the St. Demitrios Dancers as well as Karavan Ensemble helped to create a really wonderful evening. I can’t wait until my students have their upcoming performances at NW Folklife, tour to Nepal and then their 2 evenings of recitals June 13-14th in Seattle. You can order tickets online now at: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/29931

 

March 2008 News

Greetings from Mexico!

I’m here in Mexico City for a performance this Friday and 2 workshops on the weekend.  www.almosharabia.com/matriz/03seminarios.htm 

I arrived a few days to see a little of the city.  Selene and Alex are great hosts…we have had fantastic food and already visited a traditional dance hall “Los Angeles” which is one of the last to still have a big band playing live music…and that on a Tuesday night!  Last night we went to watch a very interesting group of people dance their traditional Aztec dances…for almost 2 hours it was non-stop high energy stamping, jumping and turning…everyone from young kids to middle aged ladies and wizened old guys…I know I wouldn’t have lasted 30 minutes at that pace!

Later this month my Seattle ensemble will be having its first performance debuting a Persian dance at the Noruz celebrations at Town Hall on March 15th.  Pangeo and Kamand will both be performing and I will be dancing with both groups.  Please come down!  www.brownpapertickets.com/event/26005

The Introduction to 9/8 Rhythms workshop I gave in Seattle last month was so much fun that we decided to continue with the theme and do an intensive workshop in Turkish Roman ( also in 9/8 ) on the 28-29th of June this Summer.  Later in August I will be the guest teacher at Tamalyn Dallal’s weeklong Seattle intensive teaching an overview of traditional dance styles from Rajasthan to North Africa.

Four new intensive training programs will be starting this year: 
The project in Worms, Germany just started but it is not too late to join.  
The other projects begin:
April in Zagreb, Croatia
April in Montpelier, Vermont, USA (please note we have changed the town)…people will be coming from all over the East Coast for this.
September in Seattle, Washington, USA

Tickets have already gone on sale for the final recitals of my Seattle training project “Dances under the Crescent Moon” in the Rainier Valley Cultural Center June 13 and 14th.  www.brownpapertickets.com/event/29931

I had so many requests for the new “Nailiyat Source Book” with many, many historical photos and paintings of the Algerian Ouled Nail dancing girls as well as texts, that it sold out almost immediately. I have printed the next round so if you are interested in a copy, please contact me!

Next August I will be in Malaysia…it might still be possible to squeeze in one more gig in the Far East…contact me soon if you are interested. 
Otherwise, my planning for 2008 is now totally full…but it’s NOW the time to plan for 2009…so contact me soon if you would like to reserve a date!