Folk Feet Workshops: Arab Social Dance

BAC presented two Sundays of dance workshops to cap-off the Arab arts programming presented in our March 2008 Brooklyn Maqam Arab Music Festival.

Featuring: Egyptian sa'idi tahtib

Yasser Darwish Yasser Darwish, a performer and teacher of Egyptian folkloric dance, was born in Alexandria, Egypt. At the age of 18, he became a member of the Alexandria Folk Dance Group. Later he moved to Cairo and danced with the National Folk Dance Company. In 2001, Yasser immigrated to Brooklyn, where he adapted group choreographies to solo shows and learned styles that appeal to his diverse New York City public. He is a popular performer of sa'idi tahtib, a stick dance from Upper Egypt, tannoura - a captivating secular Sufi spinning dance - and other regional dances -- at festivals, theatrical performances and weddings. He directs his own Egyptian Celebration Company. Yasser also teaches dance workshops regularly in the metro area through Brooklyn Arts Council's Folk Feet Dance Workshops. www.egyptiancelebration.com

Palestinian delanona debka Eman Hamad Born and raised in Ramallah, Eman Hamad joined a number of debka troupes when the first Intifada started. In 1989, she was a lead singer and debka performer in the Sharaf Al Tibi troupe in Palestine, which toured around Europe and Palestine and was named the national Palestinian Debka troupe. In the late 1990s, Eman joined the Watan Debka troupe in NY and participated in the Bir-zeit International annual festival in Palestine. Eman currently resides in NJ, and is a practicing physician- when she's not leading debka seminars in the metro area. Eman's dekba classes offer more than basics of social line dance; she breaks down specific song and dance styles such as delanona or zarrifatul, introduces choreographed elements and speaks to the historical and cultural context of debka.

Moroccan qaada dance and Iraqi shoopy Ramzi El-Edlibi With Rachid Halihal (violin) and Najib Bahri (percussion) Ramzi El-Edlibi's dance career began in Lebanon as he studied with the renowned choreographer Wadia Garrar and was a principal dancer with the Caracalla Dance Co. With Carracalla and on his own, Ramzi traveled extensively as a much sought-after performer of Middle Eastern folk dance, performing and teaching master classes throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Not only does Ramzi impress audiences with his virtuosity, passion, and knowledge of Arab-word dances and their cultural context, his repertoire incorporates a range of forms -- from salsa to swing dance. Ramzi is also an accomplished percussion player and teacher of tabla, riq, and frame drum. In addition, he is a respected Arts and Education teacher and leads innovative cultural public programs throughout the East Coast. As a child growing up in Fez, Morocco, Rachid Halihal played the ney and sung, imitating the famous singers of the time. At 14 he entered Dar Aadyil music conservatory, and played with an Andalus orchestra. Rachid went on to perform internationally soloing as an oudist, violinst and vocalist and accompanying well known Arab singers. In 2000 Rachid established his career in the U.S., performing, collaborating with touring musicians, and recording. Rachid is also an accomplished master teacher and presents workshop-demonstrations on North African and Middle Eastern music, dance and culture. www.rachidhalihalmusic.com

Najib Bahri began playing the darbouka age 9 and performing with his family on Tunisian radio and television. He attended the Music Conservatory of Tunis and subsequently moved to Paris at age 16. Throughout his career, he has accompanied various renowned Arab performers. He is one of the few percussionists who plays darbouka and tambourine with natural skin heads which have a more defined and earthy tone compared to synthetic instruments. He currently teaches and performs Middle-Eastern & North African music and dance in the U.S. and Europe. www.n-bahri-rhythms.com

Debka Salaam Debkah Founded at Bay Ridge's Arab American Association in 2001, Salaam Debkah promotes youth development and Arab cultural expressions. Practicing weekly at the Association, Salaam Debkah is now a core component of Sheren Attal's emerging Yallah Youth of Arts organization. The troupe performs social line debka and narrative choreographies (known as folklor) relating to Arab and Arab American social issues. They enliven events throughout Brooklyn, performing at Arab American Association's annual Heritage Week celebration, and have taught debka workshops through BAC's Folk Feet traditional dance project. www.arabamericanny.org

Sudanese dance Tamador Gibreel With Alsarah Originally from Khartoum, Tamador Gibreel is a well-known Sudanese TV, radio and theater actress, producer, dancer and activist. Tamador immigrated to the U.S. in 1991 seeking political asylum due to her performance in a polemic theatre production. After settling in Massachusetts, she founded the troupe Brides of the Nile, which provoked reflection on the brutal Sudanese civil war through its performances of Sudani dance in the U.S. and internationally. Tamador has continued her commitment to the American-Sudanese population in other areas as well; she toured her own one-women show geared to Sudanese audiences throughout the country, and currently works with trauma-affected refugee women. We are grateful to Brides of the Nile troupe member, Alsarah, for helping to arrange Tamador's class as Folk Feet guest-teacher. Alsarah is a singer, songwriter and ethnomusicologist. She is also an active member of Tamador Gibreel's Sudanese dance group, Brides of the Nile. Born in Sudan, Alsarah called many places home before settling in Brooklyn, NY. She graduated from Wesleyan University in 2004 with a BA concentrating in ethnomusicology and began working as a singer specializing in the music of North and East Africa. She is also well-versed in traditional Sudanese women's song, and performed original and traditional repertoire for BAC's Brooklyn Maqam Arab Music Festival. Having released an album of taarab songs from the eastern coast of Africa earlier this year with the Sounds of Taraab (www.soundsoftaarab.com), she is currently putting together an album of her original work. www.alsarah.com

BAC Folk Arts was pleased to cooperate with Arab American Association of NY and Yallah Youth of Arts, participating organizations in New York's city-wide Arab American Heritage Week. Folk Feet dance workshops were held in conjunction with the week's Brooklyn festivals: Bay Ridge Arab American Bazaar and Arab American Heritage Park Festival. 

Folk Art's Brooklyn Maqam introduced audiences to the diverse Arab music traditions, and its opening program Brooklyn Maqam Begins showcased a range of social and ceremonial dances such as Moroccan gnawa and Egyptian sa'id tahtib performed by Brooklyn's Arab communities. Workshop teachers led dances that are part of everyday life in Arab Brooklyn and beyond, and answered questions about cultural context and accompanying music.