Dance Relevance:
It's time to go beyond Bellydance! With the enormous explosion of dance enthusiasm in the USA, it is often forgotten where the origin of this phenomenon occurred. Many dancers today do not know the ethnic origin, cultural context, social implications or national varieties of the dances they are performing. Often the lyrical content of each song is also unknown by the dancer. Few dancers know the inner workings and systems of the musical compositions they choreograph and perform to. These factors cause a huge homogenization, resulting in the artistic displacement of the art form. This Seminar gives the dancer the tools and knowledge needed to be a more informed presenter, as well as a more skilled performer and teacher. The instructors are either native primary sources, highly schooled professionals who have lived in Arab countries, or both. They will help each dancer unite the soul, brain and body to create the true authentic dance.

Societal Relevance:
Arab culture has always been a fascination for Westerners. The Orientalist painters of the 17 and 18th centuries like Gerome and Delacroix were obsessed with the street market and household scenes of Arab lands. Currently, modern singers like Beyonce, Sting, Jay-Z and Shakira use the melodies and rhythms on their CDs and dance moves in their videos. Every major college and university teaches Arabic language, and has a Middle Eastern Studies department. But this fascination occurs with a simultaneous fear and paranoia. There is an ongoing media pre-occupation with the political and military turmoil in the Arab world. The Arabs have been designated as the antagonists in a proposed "clash of civilizations." There is no Arab in America that does not experience some type of political existence by default (even while simply dancing or singing). And now we are in the ongoing Arab Spring, where many countries are undergoing revolution, uprising, civil war and regime change. It is our belief that the study of dance and music can humanize the study of Arab culture and people. The enjoyment and cultural knowledge gained from the study and practice of human arts can dissolve the fictitious Arab-West dichotomy.



< STUDENT PRAISE:
The Arab Dance Seminar was a fantastic experience. I felt that it caused a quantum leap in my understanding of the dance and the music, and made me a better dancer. There's no substitute for cultural context. This is the real deal!
- Leela Corman, NYC (student Fall 2007)

I attended Karim's Arab Dance Seminar in Nov 2006 in New Haven CT. I flew all the way from San Jose, CA to attend the seminar, and it was definitely worth the trip, the expense and more. I had already studied Egyptian dance with Nourhan Sharif for a few months, and had attended a very brief workshop with Karim in San Francisco, so I had a little background on the subject, but honestly I think I learned more in the 48 hours or so of that workshop than I had in about 8 years of studying "belly dance" in California with various relatively experienced & knowledgeable dance teachers. I found all of the seminar faculty extremely knowledgeable, talented, sincere, and inspiring. In fact I was so inspired by Kay Hardy Campbell's stories of the Saudi women's music ensembles and her own oud playing at the seminar that I came back to CA, found an oud and a local teacher, and have since joined an Arabic music class and ensemble, which I performed with for the first time this summer. I can honestly say my life has taken a whole new direction that it never would have otherwise, because of the contacts I made and the knowledge I gained at that seminar (I always remember the malfouf from Karim's rhythm class!). On top of that, it was great fun, every moment was interesting and mentally & physically challenging. The other students were very nice, interesting and intelligent people and I have stayed in touch with some of them since then. Honestly, I would go again to this year's seminar, but I've already used up all my vacation time for the year. If you are the slightest bit interested in the dance and music of the Arab world, by all means go and take advantage of this fabulous program!
- Suzanne Cuzio, Santa Cruz California (student Fall 2006)

I found it wonderful to be able to spend a weekend with a number of instructors that are so knowledgeable in their areas of teaching. The whole Arab Dance Seminar experience made me more excited about Arab dance and culture than I had ever been before. Its well-organized program allowed me to focus on specific topics which led to a deeper appreciation and knowledge about the art form and culture as well as recognize its great diversity. Most importantly, by being exposed to topics such as musicality, rhythms and language my interest was sparked so that since my Arab Dance Seminar experience I have continued to learn about these topics.
- Megan Kent, Saskatoon Canada (student Fall 2006 and Spring 2007)

I left Refreshed and Re-inspired! a truly unique worthwhile experience to gain knowledge and insight into the music and the dance and the culture behind it from well those that are immersed in it in an intimate setting. The team of instructors are impeccable and fascinating and the musicians wow!
- Yasmine, North Carolina (student Spring 2007)

I went to the Arabic Dance Seminar knowing it was going to be a great experience but it completely exceeded my expectations. It was fantastic to study with people who know and understand the roots of Arabic music and dance and who are able explain the cultural context. It was also an opportunity to study topics that are not commonly taught in other dance events like Maghrebi, Zaar or Beduin dances. Every teacher made an effort to explain not only the steps but the meaning, context and feeling of the dances being taught. It is certainly a unique opportunity to go back to the core of the dance forms we study and love so much.
- Andrea Novoa, Las Vegas (student Fall 2008)



The ARAB DANCE SEMINAR (November 1-3, 2013 session) is the first repeating event of its kind in America. All previous 9 Seminars since November 2005 have sold out with maximum attendance. This is the first time the Seminar is being held in LAS VEGAS. The goal of this intensive weekend of workshops, lectures, performances and dance parties is to give the student a comprehensive Arab cultural dance experience. Going beyond nebulous "Bellydance" or generic "Middle Eastern" categories, the Seminar puts all the skills, techniques and practices back into their cultural contexts. The Arab world, home of over 20 countries in 4 zones (North Africa, Egypt, Near East/Levant, and The Gulf) is the origin and breeding ground for multiple styles and practices with a common language and aesthetic. This Seminar helps clarify and illuminate that tradition.

The Arab Dance Seminar is created for people with a minimum of 2 years dance experience. The faculty seeks to give every student the authentic techniques, choreographies, and comprehension of Arab dance. Every dancer will take every workshop and lecture; there is no layered scheduling that forces the student to choose between classes. The Music classes will be taught using generic language that is understandable to non-musicians. The student will be provided with study sheets and recordings that reflect the curriculum. Every dancer will leave the Seminar with new routines to perform and teach, plus a responsible cultural understanding of the dance and music.

Although there is an academic and ethnographic emphasis, there are neither desks nor computer stations. The student will learn by dancing, moving, singing, clapping and sweating. It is an active seminar where the goal is to physically practice the subjects, and to retain new knowledge for future performances and teaching.



2013 Special focal topic:
STORYTELLING & THEATER :
How dance in the Arab World is used to narrate stories, explain rituals, convey emotions and enchant audiences.
The November 2013 Las Vegas Arab Dance Seminar will focus on Storytelling. In the West the narrative aspect of this dance is predominantly absent from performances. This is due to the language barrier (inability to understand Arabic), the cultural disconnect from the roots, and the focal consumption on entertainment. The dancer often relies on their own subjective emotion and "personal story" rather than trying to communicate the meaning of the words, or the context of the original folkloric ritual that the dance stems from. This Seminar will focus on lyrics, hand gestures, acting, emotional communication, affectation, group formations, characters and role playing. What does each hand gesture mean ? Where do the props come from ? Do the movements resemble actions of daily life ? How do we illustrate a word or phrase ? How do we communicate specific emotions ? How does dance resemble acting in the Arab world and other cultures ? This specific seminar will train how to communicate narratives, mythologies, characters, feelings, and move beyond a simple collection of movements-to-the-beat.




NOVEMBER 1st till 3rd, 2013
FRIDAY 4pm till SUNDAY 4pm
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
LOCATIONs
Boulder Station 4111 Boulder Hwy, Las Vegas NV, USA
Backstage Studio 3425 Backstage Blvd, Las Vegas NV, USA

ENTIRE SEMINAR
(all classes and events, 20 hours) : $280

We only allow 40 registrations, paid in advance, and NO walk-ins.
For all 9 previous Seminars we have SOLD OUT months in advance.

The registration fee does not include lodging nor food, only classes.

We have a discounted room block at Boulder Station Hotel
After you register, you will recieve the hotel discount code.
(You have no obligation, you may lodge wherever you want.)

We will NOT sell any individual classes nor individual days,
we will only sell registrations for the entire full seminar.

For any additional info, please contact KARIM NAGI at arabdanceseminar(at)gmail.com


schedule subject to adjustment
schedule FRIDAY boulder station SATURDAY backstage studio SUNDAY backstage studio
9am - - - - khaliji kay arabic for dance
10am - - - - khaliji kay arab rhythms
11am - - - - khaliji kay teachers' forum
noon - - - - BREAK BREAK
1pm - - - - no. african amel dance concert
2pm - - - - no. african amel dance concert
3pm registration no. african amel zaar & hadara
4pm history all teachers BREAK - - - -
5pm songs all teachers egyptian cassandra - - - -
6pm maqam karim egyptian cassandra - - - -
7pm dabke karim egyptian cassandra - - - -


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KARIM NAGI: Arabic Music, Rhythm, Maqam, Dabka, Seminar Organizer : www.karimnagi.com

Karim Nagi is a native Egyptian drummer, DJ, and folk dancer. He has recorded 10 CDs, 5 DVDs and has performed on 5 continents. He is the creator of Turbo Tabla, and has released three internationally distributed CDs of this unique brand of Arab House/Electronica using acoustic instruments. Karim has authored instructional DVDs for the Tabla/Doumbek, Riqq tambourine, Maqam, Drum Solo, and Arab Folk Dance. He is also well versed in the ultra-traditional styles of music and dance as the leader of the Sharq Arabic Music Ensemble, and the Arab Dance Seminar. Karim performs and teaches Tahteeb Cane Dance, Dabka Line Dance, and Zikr Sufi Dance. He taught at the New England Conservatory of Music for 5 years, and has lectured and presented at Harvard, MIT, Yale, Bowdoin, Princeton, Stanford, William & Mary, and several Community Colleges. He has recorded music for Bellydance Superstars, Bellyqueen, and the Bellytwins, as well as mainstream artists like Alicia Keys, and The Urban Griot Project. His performances boast a dynamic concoction of live drumming and dance, done in unison. Because of his proficiency in both music and dance, his workshops deliver students to a new physical understanding of the connection between these two disciplines. As a dance and drum teacher, Karim has taught in nearly all major bellydance festivals in the United States and Cairo, as well as all major Arab Culture festivals in the USA. Karim Nagi is a true crossover artist, uniting the Cabaret and Tribal, Traditional and the Modern, the Ethnic and the Urban.

*****

AMEL TAFSOUT: North African, Berber, and Bedouin : www.ameltafsout.com

Amel Tafsout will seem to you like a voyager between countries, culture and languages. Having worked and lived all over the world, unsurprisingly, migration has been a constant theme in Tafsout's work. Her name means 'Hope of Spring', and she is among the most charismatic and acclaimed professional world performers and master dance instructors of North African traditional and contemporary Maghreb Dance of our time. With an M.A degree in Sociolinguistics and research in dance anthropology, Tafsout is keenly aware of the impact culture has in the art of dance. Raised in Algeria among the finest traditional dancers and musicians. Tafsout was fascinated by dance and music as a small child. While traveling the globe as an adult, she studied dances of her neighboring countries as well as Middle Eastern, European folk, African and Afro-Cuban dances. In her early twenties Tafsout moved to Germany where she founded the Pan Arabic dance company 'Banat As Sahra'. In the late 80s Tafsout moved to London, U.K. where she taught and performed at various dance and music festivals and founded 'The Tafsoutettes' Dance company. While currently performing and teaching worldwide Amel is living in the U.S.A. Tafsout has lectured, danced, taught, sung and conducted anthropological research in many countries. She also published many articles related to dance and Maghreb women in academic and popular magazines. Her research focuses on the Ritual in Maghreb dances as well as looking at dance as a healing form. She uses her expertise to teach master classes in dance, drumming and singing for students from various countries and backgrounds. Her progressive style of teaching, enhances the spontaneous fusion between dance and music, sound and vision.

*****

CASSANDRA SHORE: Egyptian Dance and Folklore : www.jawaahir.org.com

Cassandra is one of America's leading performers and teachers of Egyptian Raqs Sharqi and Middle Eastern folkloric dance. A distinctively musical dancer, you can hear Arabic music better when Cassandra dances to it. Her choreographies are closely tied to musical nuances. Her style is powerful yet understated. Cassandra Shore focused her dance study and performance on Egyptian Raks Sharqi and Middle Eastern and North African folkloric dance in 1974. Her professional studies began in San Francisco and continue, since 1980, through regular research trips to the Middle East. Cassandra began her dance career as a cabaret performer. Since 1984, she has widened the scope of her artistic expression by presenting Arabic dance on the theater stage. In 1989, Cassandra formed Jawaahir Dance Company, a 501(c)(3) organization in order to present the best of traditional and contemporary Arabic dance and music in an annual concert series, currently staged at the Ritz Theater. In 1992, she was added to the short, prestigious list of the Minneapolis Southern TheaterŐs presented artists. She was honored by teaching at the 2005 Ahlan Wa Sahlan dance festival in Cairo, Egypt. Cassandra is a recipient of the Minnesota Dance Alliance/McKnight Foundation Resident Choreographer's Award, as well as the MDA/Jerome Foundation Sponsor Pool and Dancer Pool Awards. Cassandra teaches and performs world-wide, and has earned an international reputation as Near Eastern dance teacher, researcher, and performer.

*****

KAY HARDY CAMPBELL: Khaligi, Gulf Dance and Music : www.kayhardycampbell.com

Kay has taught Gulf (Khaliji) women's folkloric dances for more than three decades. After earning a BA in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies, Kay lived in Saudi Arabia for several years, learning the dances at women's wedding parties and in the homes of Saudi friends. She also began writing articles about traditional culture and has written extensively about the music and folkdance of the Middle East. She has returned to Saudi Arabia three times on assignment for Saudi Aramco World Magazine. Kay also plays the 'ud and helps direct the Arabic Music Retreat. While she doesn't perform Khaliji as a soloist, Kay choreographs for dance troupes and her students. Known as a "teacher's teacher," Kay aims to share her knowledge of dance, music and culture with generosity, and is delighted when her students experience the joyous aspects of traditional Arabian culture first hand through music and dance.

*****