For the first time in St. Louis! St. Charles Community College and Belly Dance with Nisaa present internationally acclaimed Middle Eastern dance researcher, instructor, and performer Sahra Saeeda for a weekend of workshops and performance!
"Early bird" pricing is available through August 20 (mail-in registration must be postmarked on or before August 20). Boxed lunches are provided with full-day or whole-weekend registration!
Fees:
Individual workshop - $45 "early bird" or $50 after August 20
(full-day registration includes boxed lunch!)
All four workshops - $160 "early bird" or $180 after August 20
Saturday evening performance (dinner and performance) - $22.50
How to register:
Online at www.stchas.edu/learnforlife - Click on "Browse Courses." Workshops listed under the subject headings Events, Dance and Fitness Dance. Performance listed under the subject heading Events. Click on "View Course Series" to register for all four workshops. Registration discounts ("early bird" and whole-weekend) show in the check out screen.
Enjoy an evening of Middle Eastern dance featuring performances by Sahra Saeeda and local professional dancers! A buffet dinner will be served prior to the program. Dinner will be served at 6:30 PM. The performance will begin at 7:30 PM.
Tickets are $7.50 per person for the performance only, and $22.50 for both dinner and performance. Reservations for dinner will only be accepted until September 10.
The dinner and performance will take place in the Daniel J. Conoyer Social Sciences Building Auditorium.
About Sahra
Sahra has performed and taught Egyptian style Orientale and folkloric dance on five continents. Originally from the Los Angeles, California area, Sahra lived, danced, and researched in Egypt from 1989 to 1995. The "Sahra Show" has performed over 1600 shows in Cairo, Egypt alone.
This show's ensemble included Sahra, Egyptian musicians, singers, folkloric dancers and authentic Saidi musicians. The "Sahra Show" can be seen on "Sahra Saeeda" video/DVD, "Ahlan, Ahlan" video and "Sahra - Direct from Cairo" and can be heard on the CDs "Sahra Saeeda," "Music for Egyptian Dance," and "Layali Zaman." She has since been teaching and performing Egyptian and folkloric dance around the world. Sahra has academic degrees in both dance and cultural anthropology along with a Master of Arts in dance ethnology from UCLA.
Sahra has been the artistic director of the Ya Amar! Dance Company since its conception in 1995 and a contributing choreographer to many European dance companies. She is also president of Layali Yasmine Productions ("Nights of Jasmine"), an independent recording and distribution label for Egyptian music, Middle Eastern dance performance and instructional videos. She has given numerous lecture/demonstrations on Egyptian dance, costumes, customs, ritual and folklore to doctorate-level symposiums, university ethnic dance festivals and dance ethnology forums. She has many publication, TV and video credits worldwide.
Workshops
All workshops will take place in the College Center, Room 203.
Session 1: 1940s Golden Age - Saturday 9/18, 10 AM - 12 PM
The 1940s and early 1950s caught a magical moment in Egypt’s dance history on film. Just as Badia Masabni was revolutionizing Egyptian music and dance on stage, Hollywood chose Egypt as their new hub for the Middle Eastern film industry. We will view film clips and study the movement of the classic film stars of Egypt: Tahia Carioka, Samia Gamal and Naima Akef.
After the “Golden Age” of the 1940s was a transition featuring Sohair Zaki, then developing into the style of “Modern Egyptian” which blossomed in 1980 to 2000. We will study the style, basic movements and staging, and some of the signature movements of the stars of this era.
Tet Beledi and Beledi Awad have been a focus of Sahra’s research since 1994. It developed in the neighborhoods of Cairo, with Mohamed Ali street musicians leading the soulful, earthy music that brings out the deep, mysterious quality of the Cairo woman.
A fun and informative class, we view and learn the movement and dance structure of the Banat Mazin of Luxor. First introduced to this lively group through Aisha Ali’s 1970s research films, Sahra has continued with personal classes with Khyriyya Mazin from 1998 to 2010. A visit and lesson with Khyriyya is part of Sahra’s JtE-4 (“Journey through Egypt” Upper Egypt) tour.
Local Accommodations
A limited number of rooms has been reserved at the nearby Drury Inn St. Peters, located at 170 Westfield Drive, St. Peters, MO 63376. These rooms are priced at a special group rate of $79.99 (2 beds for 1 to 4 people). Among other perks, the Drury offers free hot breakfast, free evening snacks, and free wireless Internet.
To book a room, visit the Drury web site here or call 636-397-9700 and reference "St. Charles Community College Middle Eastern Dance Workshop." Please make reservations by August 17 to receive the special group rate. Reservations made after this date will be subject to prevailing rates and availability.
A variety of other hotels are available in the area. For further information about local accommodations, please contact St. Charles Community College Continuing Education at 636-922-8233.
Questions?
For questions about registration, reservations for the Saturday evening performance, special dietary requirements, lodging near the college, or how to locate the college/campus buildings, please contact St. Charles Community College Continuing Education at 636-922-8233.
For all other questions, including questions about workshop content, e-mail or call Nisaa at 314-599-0506.
