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Workshop in Washington DC

By on May 1, 2017 in 0

Workshops in Washington DC

July 21st 2017

Sponsored by Sahara Dance

Registration Information

For information regarding the registration process & prices for the weekend intensive please visit the registration page!

 Baladi Awad & Tet Baladi

“Baladi” is one of those words that mean so many things; it literally means “my country” but to Egyptian-style dancers it can refer to a specific progression of musical sections. In Cairo “Baladi” is particularly used for dancing and associated with Awalim (the professional dancers) from the famous “Mohamed Ali Street” in Old Cairo. Sahra will first present the cultural history of the Awalem, Mohamed Ali street and of the possible roots of “Baladi” progression. Then we will learn the classic structure of the musical/rhythmic sections in the two basic types Baladi; “Awadi Baladi” and “Tet Baladi” – and learn steps and movement for each section.

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Journey Through Egypt 1 (JtE-1) – Washington, DC

By on March 31, 2017 in 0

JtE – 1 in Washington, DC

November 2nd – 4th

Sponsored by Sahara Dance

Registration Information

For information regarding the registration process & prices for the weekend intensive please visit the registration page!

Information about Journey Through Egypt 1

Journey Through Egypt 1 is an overview on the movement, posture, clothing, history, and cultural diffusion in the different regions of Egypt. Sahra’s unique perspective follows how the dance transforms from the homes of the people to the sparkling stages of Cairo.

While the particulars of every dance, and every bit of culture cannot be conveyed in the 20 hours that make up JtE-1, Sahra strives to present a factual and entertaining overview of the dances of Egypt.

THE DANCES STUDIED INCLUDE

Ghawazee

Cairo

Sa’idi

Nubian

Haggallah

Suez Canal

Fellahin

Bedouin

These dances are put into the context of the local culture and histories. Their transformation from homestyle to the stage is also covered in depth. For several of the dances the students break from lecture to stretch their muscles and learn the movements that can traditionally be found in these dances.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT JOURNEY THROUGH EGYPT 1

Photo provided via Attribution license from Flickr Creative Commons

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Journey Through Egypt 2 (JtE-2) – Washington, DC

By on March 31, 2017 in 0

Journey Through Egypt 2 (JtE-2) – Washington, DC

November 9th – 11th

Sponsored by Sahara Dance

Registration Information

For information regarding the registration process & prices for the weekend intensive please visit the registration page!

Information about Journey Through Egypt 2

Journey Through Egypt 2 is a continuation of the concepts discussed in Journey  Through Egypt 1. In this second 20 hour intensive students will encounter an advanced basic overview, that expands upon the ideas of JtE-1.

We aim to study and understand the movements from each dance zones taught in JtE-1 from a variety of different perspectives

THE PERSPECTIVES USED

  • Authentic non-performance “home-style” dance
  • Local indigenous professional performers
  • Regional government troupes
  • National Government theater-stage troupes: both Reda and Kowmeyya
  • The Dance as represented in Cairo’s Night Club Orientale Dance shows.

In addition to addressing movement and culture, we are introduced to many core Dance Ethnography concepts. During the process of preparation and discovery in JtE-2 we begin to form our personal interests and questions, the base of our future research and specializations and prepare for JtE 3 & 4, which take place in Egypt.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT JOURNEY THROUGH EGYPT 2

Photo provided via Attribution license from Flickr Creative Commons

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Masterclass Workshops – Washington DC

By on September 2, 2015 in 0

Masterclass Workshops – Washington D.C.

June 24th – 26th

Sponsored by Sahara Dance

Registration Information

For information regarding the registration process & prices for the workshops please visit the Sahara Dance Website. You may have to scroll down the page a bit to find it.

Information About this Workshop

Classic Advanced Reda Combinations – June 17th 2:00 – 5:00 pm

Mahmoud Reda is the pioneer in Egyptian Folkloric Theatrical dance, crafting his own repertoire of movement and steps from a variety of international media styles to be compatible with Egyptian indigenous dance.

His style has become a genre in itself, an interesting base for Folkloric movement. Very stylized, often a mental challenge, not based on Orientale Dance but beautifully applied to it, Reda Technique needs to be addressed in today’s Egyptian Dance.

In this Advanced Reda Combinations workshop, we will go farther with Reda combinations than ever before! Final videotaping of each combo allowed.
Workshop is recommended for advanced dancers.

Historic Highlights in Belly Dance – June 17th 6:30 – 9:30 pm

100 years of dancing down memory lane
Travel back in time and dance the pivotal moments in belly dance history!

Learn the key movements and music that shaped Egyptian dance in the past 100 years. With special focus on the turning points in dance styles and their accompanying cultural influences, we’ll explore the historical figures who shaped the dance as we know it today.

Prepare to dance! This workshop will be an embodied learning of dance history. We’ll integrate each concept and historical moment through dance and music.

Enrich your dance repertoire and understanding by moving through history with a different lens.

All levels welcome, some belly dance experience recommended.

Photo provided via Attribution license from Flickr Creative Commons

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Journey Through Egypt 2 (JtE-2) – Washington, DC

By on July 16, 2015 in 0

Journey Through Egypt 2 (JtE-2) – Washington, DC

June 20th – 21st, 2016

Sponsored by Sahara Dance

Registration Information

For information regarding the registration process & prices for the weekend intensive please visit the registration page!

Information about Journey Through Egypt 2

Journey Through Egypt 2 is a continuation of the concepts discussed in Journey  Through Egypt 1. In this second 20 hour intensive students will encounter an advanced basic overview, that expands upon the ideas of JtE-1.

We aim to study and understand the movements from each dance zones taught in JtE-1 from a variety of different perspectives

THE PERSPECTIVES USED

  • Authentic non-performance “home-style” dance
  • Local indigenous professional performers
  • Regional government troupes
  • National Government theater-stage troupes: both Reda and Kowmeyya
  • The Dance as represented in Cairo’s Night Club Orientale Dance shows.

In addition to addressing movement and culture, we are introduced to many core Dance Ethnography concepts. During the process of preparation and discovery in JtE-2 we begin to form our personal interests and questions, the base of our future research and specializations and prepare for JtE 3 & 4, which take place in Egypt.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT JOURNEY THROUGH EGYPT 2

Photo provided via Attribution license from Flickr Creative Commons

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Journey Through Egypt 1 (JtE-1) – Washington, DC

By on July 16, 2015 in 0

JtE – 1 in Washington, DC

June 18th-19th, 2016

Sponsored by Sahara Dance

Registration Information

For information regarding the registration process & prices for the weekend intensive please visit the registration page!

Information about Journey Through Egypt 1

Journey Through Egypt 1 is an overview on the movement, posture, clothing, history, and cultural diffusion in the different regions of Egypt. Sahra’s unique perspective follows how the dance transforms from the homes of the people to the sparkling stages of Cairo.

While the particulars of every dance, and every bit of culture cannot be conveyed in the 20 hours that make up JtE-1, Sahra strives to present a factual and entertaining overview of the dances of Egypt.

THE DANCES STUDIED INCLUDE

Ghawazee

Cairo

Sa’idi

Nubian

Haggallah

Suez Canal

Fellahin

Bedouin

These dances are put into the context of the local culture and histories. Their transformation from homestyle to the stage is also covered in depth. For several of the dances the students break from lecture to stretch their muscles and learn the movements that can traditionally be found in these dances.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT JOURNEY THROUGH EGYPT 1

Photo provided via Attribution license from Flickr Creative Commons

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Master Class Workshops – Washington D.C

By on May 19, 2015 in 0

Masterclass Workshops – Washington D.C.

June 26th – 28th

Sponsored by Sahara Dance

Registration Information

For information regarding the registration process & prices for the workshops please visit the Sahara Dance Website

Information About this Workshop

Sahra will be teaching a workshops on

Belly Dance History

Friday from 6:30 – 8:30pm

The Classic B & W Era

Saturday 1:30 – 3:30

The “Golden Age” Classic Black and White Cinema Era was a special fusion of Egyptian star dancers with an international aesthetic of “glamour” all reinforced by the promise of plenty of work and fame in a Hollywood Film Industry centered in Cairo. The charismatic stars of the era demonstrated refined movements layered on the soft strength of Egyptian dance.

Essential Reda Combinations

Saturday 3:45 pm – 5:45 pm

Mahmoud Reda is the pioneer of theater-stage Egyptian folkloric dance. His artistic vision is still the movement base for the Reda Troupe of Egypt, as well as many Egyptian dance teachers touring the world.  Once these combinations get into your repertoire of movement, it is difficult to choreograph without them.  We start simple and get into some challenging Reda-signature combinations.

Transition Era Dances

Sunday 12pm – 2pm

After the Classic Black and White Cinema Era, Egypt had a new generation of film stars that had started in the end of the Hollywood films. But now that Egypt had taken over their films, story plots changed and dancing no longer followed the musical theater model. Egyptian audiences wanted dancers who danced more like Egyptians. This fascinating Transition Age was highlighted temporarily by a shared vocabulary of steps and movements as Egyptian dancers tried to find themselves in this new world. As the Transition Era matured we see how the star dancers of the time bloomed into the “Modern Egyptian” Era

Modern Egyptian

Sunday 2:15 pm – 4:15 pm

In the Modern Egyptian Era often the stages would be large and dancers could fill them with new traveling steps, exciting audiences and extending the character you wish to convey.  As well as the shared Modern Egyptian style, the different dance stars each had their own signature traveling steps, of which we will learn many, increasing your vocabulary of movement.  Fun, informational, energetic!

Photo provided via Attribution license from Flickr Creative Commons

 

 

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