Workshops with Amel Tafsout

Study with an internationally recognized North African dance, music, and culture expert! Amel Tafsout, whose name means “Hope of Spring,” was fascinated by dance and music while growing up among the finest traditional dancers and musicians of Algeria.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

11-1:30 MOROCCAN SHIKHAT DANCE:
The Shikhat are female professional dancers and singers sometimes also musicians, who perform as a troupe of 4 to 10 women in cities and villages. They are marginalized in society because they overstep boundaries in performance by publicizing their intimate private lives. They use shoulders shimmies, hip undulations as well as shimmies; some of them dance with scarves, others use finger cymbals. This dance can be done as a solo, as duets or as a group in a circle or in lines interacting with each other. $70

1:30-2:30 Lunch break There will be tables available for a swap sale! Please be sure your items are clearly marked, and take responsibility for your own sales. Table space is first come first served.

2:30-5 PM ‘ABDAOUI DANCE: FERTILITY DANCE OF THE FAMOUS ‘AZRIYAT:
This dance is from the Eastern Algerian Aures mountains where Amel Tafsout comes from. It is performed at various festivities such as the Harvest , weddings and especially during the Bendou festival in the spring, when a dry branch is decorated with the fruit of the season as a symbol of fertility. The dance is mostly performed by the female professional singers and dancer called Azriyat ( transl. “women without men). It is also called CHAOUI. The dance is performed in duets on a 8/8 rhythm with small gliding steps. The dancers cross each other, dance back to back with unexpected foot stamps, then suddenly they separate while holding the sides of their dress, using them as wings and giving the impression of flying birds. This is why they call the dancers H’djilette (little partridges). Please bring a long sari or a long veil for the dance. For costuming and head- dress combinations bring many shawls. $70

Sunday, August 28 11-4:30

Zar-Hadra Sufi Dance: Self-healing through whirling and trance
Experience an ancient healing ceremony similar to those performed by women in Egypt, Sudan, Morocco & Algeria. We’ll start with a warm-up, breathing exercises, body work and sound healing. Amel will then introduce the whirling/spinning. After a short break, Amel will give some background about the trance. It is crucial that if we want to ‘let go’ we need to feel ‘safe’ in the community as only a ‘safe’ environment can help us to release. For this part the students are asked to bring a long shawl, a flower for the meditation, and some candies, chocolate or something sweet for us to share afterward. Full day $130

Special packages:

Weekend package (all classes, Saturday and Sunday), plus your picture taken with Amel $225

Saturday package (both classes) $130