If you always wanted to go to Egypt to experience the real deal and learn the dances first hand

but couldn't because of time or money,

Now you can, if you can commit to just one weekend in May.

No visa required - Just our passport to Giza aka Amina's Studio in San Francisco

Our travel guide, world renown Sahra Saeeda,

will be in San Francisco May 9, 10 and 11

to transport us to the many Folkloric Dance Zones of Egypt.

Based on years of research in Egypt, Sahra (Master's Degree in Dance Ethnology, UCLA)

has presented portions of this intensive weekend for graduate level anthropology students, dancers and teachers worldwide.

Now presented in full intensity for the first time, Sahra gives us

an exciting and informative 20 hour weekend intensive course on the

Folkloric Dance Zones of Egypt. 

 The tour includes Nubia, Ghawazee, Saidi, Cairo (Awalem, Hassaballah, Shamadan), Suez, Delta, Bedouin

and pan-Egypt (History, Moulid, Tanura, Melaya Luff, Zar)

$250 for full weekend includes a teaching notebook, a Map of the folkloric Zones, a new
"Journey through Egypt" DVD and a music CD.

YOu will receive a Certificate upon completion of the 20 hours.
Please note: In order to receive the Certificate you must complete all 20 hours.
No exceptions.

Limited Enrollment. Sign up Now!
Register by sending $250 non-refundable, but transferable, check to 
The Aswan Dancers
829 Elizabeth St. 
San Francisco, CA 94114

(You may send  $100 non-refundable deposit now and balance by April 1.) 

Schedule:
Friday, May 9 -  6 pm - 10 pm (doors open at 5:30)

Saturday, May 10 - 10 am - 6:30 pm (doors open 9:30 am - + 1 hour lunch break)Saturday night: 7:30 pm - 9 pm + party follows - 

Sunday, May 11 - 10 am - 6:30 pm (doors open 9:30 am - + 1 hour lunch break)

Sunday, May 11 - 8:30 pm - ? Optional event - Dancers' Showcase and Live
music with the Georges Lammam Ensemble at local restaurant 

Location and Parking:  829 Elizabeth St. San Francisco,  CA 94114.  Parking
is not too bad for San Francisco. Street parking, no meters.

Accommodations:  Let us know if you need to find a hotel and we will do some
research.

Please bring:   Gallabia - you will be wearing it to try out movement, so it
should not be tight.
Two head scarves - soft cotton is best - one should be at least 32" x 32",
the other should be at least 60" x 30"
Additional optional: rectangular or triangle headscarf with beaded edge or
beaded tassels on ends. These are to be worn as
headscarves and not used for a veil for dancing.
Dance shoes - any color or type
Otherwise, wear comfortable clothing in which you can both dance and sit
comfortably.

Remember: This is an all-inclusive course on the Folkloric Dance Zones of
Egypt and is not just a dance class. 

Due to the nature of the workshop there is limited enrollment. 
Don't miss out on this "Cheaper than going to Egypt" workshop. 

******

Have you ever wondered what you were dancing to?

The words - The meaning of the song?

The drums -The phrasing - The instrumental changes

Let two perpetual students of Egyptian Arabic Language, Music and Dance
Share many decades of years of their experiences with you.

For the first time ever!
A special Language & Music workshop for Middle Eastern Dancers

Sunday- 1-4:30 pm - March 30, 2008.
at Amina's Studio 829 Elizabeth St. San Francisco, CA 94114
(there will be a 1/2 hour cultural video break - bring a snack)
Class will start on time - but depending on...may end Arabic time.

photo by Lynette of Gilded Serpent

YANNI EH (What does that mean?)
Debbie Smith will present a new way to hear Egyptian songs and will
introduce the dancer to basic concepts of vocabulary, structure and
grammatical principles of Egyptian Arabic as tools for listening,
understanding and interpreting song.

Amina with drum teacher George Dabai (many years ago)

EH DA (What's that?)
Amina Goodyear will emphasize the importance of instrumentation and
rhythmic changes in creating different moods within a song.

Both the overall structure of the selected songs and their individual rhythmic
and melodic elements will be analyzed in the context of interpretation through movement.

The classic songs Lessa Faker (for Om Kalsoum) and Bitloumouni Leh (for Abdul Halim Hafez)

will be used as a base for learning to listen to the
words, the rhythms, the instruments, the phrasing and more.

The students will receive handouts

- translations, a glossary, drum rhythms writtenout and a CD -

Class materials will be given to preregistered students. Due to the
nature of this cottage industry there is no guarantee that materials
will be available day of workshop. (In that case they would be mailed to
you so if would be best and cost less to register in advance.)

Registration: $30 advance, received before March 25 - $35 at the door.
Checks payable to
The Aswan Dancers, 829 Elizabeth St. San Francisco, CA
94114
For more information call 415 282-7910

******

Amina Goodyear

and

Enheduanna of Orange County

perform with others in honor of Yousry Sharif

(workshop November 10 and 11)

at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz

www.riotheatre.com

7:30 pm Sat. November 10, 2007

tickets $18 and $24 at door

zsuzsii@cruzio.com

Music by

Georges Lammam Ensemble

with special guest AZA Berber music

*****

Carnival of Stars

Centennial Hall

22292 Foothill Blvd. Hayward CA

Belly Dance Show and Workshops

Saturday & Sunday November 10 and 11, 2007

Amina participates in panel discussion Sunday 11 am-12 noon

Amina & The Aswan Dancers perform Sunday at 1:24 pm

*****

Workshop with Astryd

Sunday, August 26, 2007
at Dance Mission 3316 24th St. at Mission in San Francisco

workshop #1 (2 hrs)

Hot off the Press! The best from Cairo...Current movement from the stars of
the Egyptian stage, as well as from the choreographers behind the scenes --
today and min zaman (from the past). Astryd presents modern and classic Egyptian
Oriental dance technique in her poignant style, easily absorbed and thoroughly broken down.

lunch break....Q & A about Cairo life and travel

workshop #2 (2 hrs)

Combinations, Drills and Oriental technique including shimmies and layers
kitir! Hot combos and technique work using Cairo's top pop of 2007! Get into the
Cairo groove with fun combos, gestures and the "why to" of modern Oriental
technique.All of Astryd's workshops include written notes and explanations.

*****

The Giza Academy of Middle Eastern Dance Videos

presented the 10th (tenth) Annual

Giza Academy Awards

Saturday and Sunday, February 17 and 18, 2007

at

The Giza Club

*****

Dahlena

workshop Sunday April 29, 2007, 1-4 pm

Dahlena teaches choreography and/or dance combinations that fit
Nebtedi Menien el Hikaya and Fee Youm we Leila and drum solo combinations.

Dahlena also dances at Penapachamama

*****

Amina hostesses

Dancers' Showcase

Sundays

at PenaPachamama

1630 Powell St.

(between Union & Green, near Columbus in San Francisco)

with the

Georges Lammam Ensemble

Georges Lammam

$10 Cover Charge/Full Bar, Peruvian Tapas

*****

--PAST EVENTS--

WHAT YOU MISSED!

The Aswan Dancers

at

Carnival of the Stars, Nov. 2006

*****

Tatseena's Festival - Sunday July 30, 2006

*****

Amina performs at Shareen el Safy's show

with SHAREEN EL SAFY WITH THE GEORGES LAMMAM ENSEMBLE

Dance Mission Theater
3316 24th St. @ Mission
San Francisco, CA

*****

The Aswan Dancers perform at

S.F. Free Folk Festival - Sunday June 25 at 3:20

Roosevelt Middle School, Geary & Arguello

*****

Amina teaches drum workshop at

Belly Dancer of the Universe Competitions (Feb. 18 and 19)

*****

Ninth Annual Giza Academy Awards

Sunday December 3, 2005

*****

Amina and The Aswan Dancers

performed Summer 2005 at

Giza Cabarets

Zeffas

with Aswat Arabic Choir

Private Parties & Haflas

S.F. Folk Festival

St. Nicholas Festival

Amira and EXCELSIOR

and various schools and hospitals

*****

Jillina and Issam

Drum and Dance Workshop

San Francisco 1-5:30 pm March 26, 2005

at San Francisco Dance Center

**

Issam taught drumming technique and breaking down the rhythms.

How to compose a drum solo.

**

Jillina (accompanied by Issam) taught

floor patterns and combinations to various drum rhythms

and a dynamic drum solo using layered and percussive movements

as well as numerous types of shimmies and strong hip technique.

*****

HOW TO DANCE TO DRUM SOLOS

Special Workshops Series by

AMINA AND SUSU

Some drumming, more dancing!!

Every Fifth Saturday

3:30-5 PM

********

The Eighth Annual

Giza Academy Awards Show

Sunday, Dec. 5 at 7 pm

TropiGala

Show featured

Amina and The Aswan Dancers

Karawaan (Cora)

Debbie Lammam

Ma*Shuqa Mira Murjan

Reception, Awards and Video viewed earlier at The Giza Club

*****

Dance Workshop with Jacques al Asmar

Friday - Nov. 19, 2004 -

*****

Giza Cabaret Party, Friday, Nov. 19, 2004

Halloween Party

sunday, oct. 31, 2004

dancers:

jacques al asmar, amina, zelina, nashwa,

masuma rose,and maya el omry

The Arabian Knights Band with

Susu and Loay, DJ Raffy, Fadi Hanani (vocalist)

*****

Super Super star Hakim

Friday, October 1, 2004

at Scottish Rite Center, Oakland

Super star singer Woroud

Belly Dancer Nashwa of Cairo, Egypt

*****

SUNDAY, AUGUST 29, 2004

WORKSHOP AND SHOW with ASTRYD, recently back from CAIRO, EGYPT and months of extensive studying and dancing with Raqia Hassan and others (including being featured in Raqia's next teaching video) shared her experiences and dance knowledge with us.

*****

Rhea visiting from Athens, Greece

taught a mini workshop at Amina's studio.

Sunday, August 1, 2004

******

Amina and The Aswan Dancers

danced at the

San Francisco Free Folk Festival

Saturday, June 26, 2004

*****

Special Party and Show at TropiGala

Sunday June 27 featuring Shareen el Safy

*****

Jillina

Superstar Jillina taught a workshop at Dance Mission in San Francisco Sunday January 25, 2004

She later performed to a standing room crowd at TropiGala.

Look for reviews in gildedserpent.com and Habibi

Dahlena

Dance workshop in Amina's studio

Sunday, December 8, 2002

 

*****

Sunday, June 9, 2002

Workshop and Brunch with Jacques al Asmar

Jacques taught dynamic entrances and combinations

within an Oriental Dance choreography. He used the music Hazar Fazar from Wash y Wash II.

*****

The show From Veiled to Unveiled was fun for all involved.

Thank you to all the musicians

Georges Lammam, violin and lead vocals; Fouad Marzouk, kanun;Khadr Keileh, keyboard;

Munaf al Safy, guitar; Loay Dahbour, tabla; Sandy Hollister, duf; Amina Goodyear, riq +

Special Guest Jamal Kasab

The solo dancers Jacques al Asmar and Amina with

Carawan

Shara

Terry

and

The Aswan Dancers

Antoinette, Cathy, Shara, Steph, Nabila, Zulya

for such great energy and talent.

Dance star Dahlena returned to the Bay Area and taught twodance workshops. A brunch preceded each workshop with Dahlena telling stories of her long dance career. The March 3 "how to dance to a drum soloworkshop" was a wonderful experience with drummer, Loay Dahbour of The Arabian Knights Band assisting Dahlena. The April 7 workshop featured Dahlena teaching technique to pop songs. Later in the evening there was a show at Tropi Gala featuring Dahlena, Zakiyya, Dahlena's dancers and The Aswan Dancers. The show moved at a great pace and there was lots of variety in the dancing. (Oriental dance solo and troupe, taxim beledy, Khaleegi, Saidi, Cane, Nubian, melaya lef, dervish, Latin fusion, a little fun with Halawa min Masr Gadeeda and of course, the incomparable Dahlena!!)

*****

Nawal and Maya waiting to perform

Halawa min Masr Gadeeda

Steph in Saidi dance

Bashaka!

Giza Cabaret