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Duluth
Middle
Eastern
Dance
& Music
Festival
Saturday
March
6,
2010
in
Duluth,
MN
Featuring
Aliyah Sahar,
Tim O'Keefe, and
Laura Harada
Online
Registration |
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Aliyah Sahar
workshops... |
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For more information about Aliyah
Sahar, go to:
http://www.aliyahsahar.com/ |
10:45 am -
12:15 pm - Dancing to Live
Drum w/
Aliyah Sahar &
Tim O'Keefe
The Dancer and the Drummer – working as a team – a workshop for
dancers and drummers – all levels
Dancing to live music (instead of pre-recorded music) can be the most
amazing experience for the dancer, the musician and the audience. If
the dancer and the musician connect and work together, the outcome is
dynamic.
In this workshop Aliyah and Tim will demonstrate how a dancer and a
drummer can work together to create a show stopping performance.
They will show you how to watch each other, how to cue each other, how
to best place yourselves to maximize your communication ability,
common rhythm combinations and what you can do with them. They will
show you how to start and end an improvisational piece, fun things you
can do with specific drum accents and volume levels, playing with drum
rolls, and call and response, with or without zills and more!!
This workshop will cover how to put together amazing, dynamic, show
stopping drum solos!! |
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1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
- Drum Solo Choreography w/
Aliyah Sahar
Aliyah will teach a fun drum solo choreography that will contain
combinations that you can use for common drum patterns found in many
drum solos. She will also discuss choreography methods for the drum
solo and how to improvise with a drum solo.
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ALIYAH SAHAR...
has been studying and performing dance since the age of three. Aliyah
studied Ballet, Tap and Jazz dance throughout her childhood into her late
teens. As a college student at the University of MN Aliyah continued her
study of dance with her focus on Jazz and Modern Dance. It was during this
time that Aliyah also decided to try Middle Eastern dance. She took her
first class at the Cassandra School in 1990 and immediately fell in love
with this amazing dance form.
She continued to study Middle Eastern dance throughout the 90’s while also
studying other dance and movement disciplines, among them Theatrical Stage
Combat, Martial Arts, Ballroom and Latin Dance.
In 1998 Aliyah decided to focus her dance studies primarily on Middle
Eastern, Greek, Turkish and North African dance forms. It was her love of
performing dance, along with her love of the music from these regions and
its timeless expression through dance that prompted her to start
performing and soon after, to start teaching this powerful and beautiful
dance art. Aliyah began teaching in 2000 and in 2007 started her own
school “The Sahar School of Middle Eastern Dance – Oriental and Fusion”
Aliyah began her studies in Middle Eastern Dance at the Cassandra School
with Cassandra Shore, one of the most sought after and well respected
Middle Eastern Dance instructors and performers in the United States and
abroad. Aliyah also began to travel to Miami to study with another
international master instructor and performer, Tamalyn Dallal. To
supplement her studies Aliyah regularly traveled around the country to
attend workshops by many other accomplished and well-known American
instructors, such as Nourhan Sharif, Helene Eriksen, Fahtiem, Hadia,
Darshan, Habiba, Aisha Ali and Jillina. She also traveled to study with
some of the best Egyptian instructors when they visited the United States,
among them Raqia Hassan, choreographer to Egypt’s top dance stars and
former member of the legendary Reda Group, Cairo, Egypt; Farida Fahmy,
co-founder of the Reda Troupe, as well as Lucy and Dina, top Egyptian
dance stars from Cairo.
Aliyah continued to study and in 2005 and again in 2008 traveled to Egypt
where she worked with many Egyptian master instructors. This list includes
Mahmoud Reda, director of the Reda Group, Cairo, Egypt, and former under
secretary of Culture; Egyptian Dance Stars, Dina, Randa Kamal, and Soraya;
Dr. Mo Geddawi, another founder of the Reda Troupe; Egyptian Dance Star,
Mona El Saaid, and Mona Mustafa, former Reda Toupe Member.
Though now a full-time professional dance performer and instructor, Aliyah
continues to be an avid student of Middle Eastern dance and believes, like
any other artistic discipline, Middle Eastern dance is a lifelong study as
one’s knowledge of an art form continues to grow and evolve with that art
form. She will be returning to Egypt this summer to continue her studies
there.
Although a large part of her studies have been in Egyptian Oriental and
Cabaret styles, Aliyah is known for fusing other styles she has studied
into her performances and teachings such as Turkish, Latin, Jazz and
others. Known for her highly energetic and engaging performances that
incorporate dynamic drum solos, super shimmies and fused styles, Aliyah
performs and teaches around the country. She hopes to pass her passion and
love for this dance on to her students and audiences.
Additional Biographical Notes and Past Performances
Aliyah specializes in Drum Solos, Egyptian Oriental and Cabaret, Arabic
pop choreography, Raks Assaya (cane), Eskandarani (melaya leff), Raks
Shamadan, Sword Dancing, Zills, and Latin Fusion.
She is a featured performer on one of IAMED's (International Academy of
Middle Eastern Dance) recent DVD show releases "Belly Dance-O-Rama 1"
filmed in LA, 2006.
Aliyah is a regular performer at the Mediterranean Cruise, Beirut, and
Santorini restaurants in Minneapolis, MN in addition to performing for
corporate events, cultural events and festivals, weddings and parties.
In addition to performing Aliyah also teaches weekly Middle Eastern dance
classes across the Twin Cities and has been a guest instructor for the
Mid-East Dance Exchange (now Bozenka’s Belly Dance Academy) in Miami, FL.
She offers on-going sessions, workshops and private lessons locally and
nationally.
Aliyah is Co-director of “The Sisters of the Sahara” (SOS) Dance Ensemble.
SOS has performed at many venues including; Arab World Fest 2007 and 2006
in Milwaukee, WI, the MN Renaissance Festival for the 2006-2008 seasons,
the Landmark Center's "Urban Expedition - Morocco", St. Paul, MN. Belly
Dance UW’s 6th and 9th Annual Spring Show (2006 and 2009), Wisconsin
Union Theater, Madison, WI, and “Orientalia” 2006 in Miami, FL for Tamalyn
Dallal’s Mid-East Dance Exchange.
Aliyah was also Co-director of the former Ammala Middle Eastern Dance and
Music Company. Ammala had been a Twin Cities-based performance company
that created group, duet, and solo arrangements inspired by the music and
dances of the Middle East, Greece, Turkey and North Africa from 2001-2007.
Their former work featured original choreography and music arrangements
ranging from folkloric to oriental dance, modern-pop and ethno fusion.
Aliyah’s most notable performances have been:
International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance (IAMED) Fall Show 2006, Los
Angeles, CA
Aliyah Sahar is also a featured dancer in IAMED'S Belly Dance-O-Rama #1
Performance DVD
International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance (IAMED) Fall Show 2006, Los
Angeles, CA
Cassandra’s Cabaret, February 2009, Minneapolis, MN
Cassandra’s Cabaret, May 2007, Minneapolis, MN
Northland Belly Dance Forum Gala Shows - 2008 and 2009, Minneapolis, MN
Northern Lights Dance Festival Show - 2008, Kalahari Resort
Madison Multicultural Dance Center's Yousry Sharif workshop show, Madison
WI, Aug., 2008
Sisters of the Sahara, Landmark Center’s “Urban Expedition –Morocco”, St.
Paul, MN
Sisters of the Sahara performance at The "Art of Sweat" Rhythm Festival,
Patrick's Cabaret, MN, 2007
University of St. Thomas, 18th Annual International Celebration, St. Paul,
MN
Belly Dance UW’s 6th, 7th and 8th Annual Spring Shows (2006-2008),
Wisconsin Union Theater, Madison, WI
Cassandra’s Weeklong Workshop Show “Enchanted Evenings” 2007, MN
Sisters of the Sahara - Main Stage - Arab World Fest 2006 and 2007,
Milwaukee, WI
Ammala Middle Eastern Dance and Music – “Grandmothers Trail”, Ritz
Theater, Minneapolis, MN 2006
“Orientalia 2005” and “Orientalia 2006” in Miami, FL for Tamalyn Dallal’s
Mid-East Dance Exchange
Little Egypt Productions Show for Lucy, 2006, Dallas TX
Little Egypt Productions Show for Dina, 2006 Minneapolis, MN
Little Egypt Production’s “Cairo Nights - 2005”, Dallas, TX
Cassandra’s Weeklong Workshop Show “Enchanted Evenings” 2005, MN
Performed with the Mozayik Arabic Ensemble - Arab World Fest 2005,
Milwaukee, WI
Ammala Middle Eastern Dance and Music – “Traveling in Hip Circles”, Heart
of the Beast Theater, MN Fringe Festival, Minneapolis, MN 2004
Ammala Middle Eastern Dance and Music – “Explorations in Undulation”,
Intermedia Arts, MN Fringe Festival, Minneapolis, MN 2003
Cassandra’s Holiday Cabaret, December 2003, MN
Numerous appearances with the Layalli Sharqe Band in Minneapolis, MN
Numerous appearances with the Mozayik Arabic Ensemble, Minneapolis, MN
University of St. Cloud Arabic Festival, St. Cloud, MN
Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, MN
College of St. Benedict Cultural Festival MN
India Taj Restaurant, San Diego, CA
Aliyah was featured in a KARE 11 news extra on “The Art and Fitness of
Belly Dancing” in the Twin Cities, MN , on KSTP Channel 5's - "Twin
Cities Live" Show and on CNN"s Fit Nation Live Tour 2008 |
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