We're pleased to welcome Amel Tafsout as one of our core instructors for 2016! She will be offering two workshops over the weekend, one of which is a 3 hour intensive.
On Friday: Sacred Dance Workshop on Sufi Healing (3 hours): This dance workshop welcomes everyone who shares an interest in dance as a language of personal and communal spiritual expression. This workshop embraces a rich diversity of dance movements, cultures, spiritual traditions and abilities in order to enable an integration of body, mind and spirit.The workshop includes body and breath work, sound healing and chanting (Zikr), leading to whirling and ending with Zar-Hadra, an ancient healing ceremony in the Middle East and Africa. Awaken your Body. Nurture your Spirit. Come, dance your release and be rebirthed in a non-judgmental space!
The workshops consists of the following:
Part 1. Welcoming and creating the sacred space, Warm up - Body work and movement - isolation and stretching, Breath work: Sufi breathing using the elements, Sound healing, Zikr Sufi chanting, Weaving into each other creating the Oneness
Part 2. Introduction to whirling, Slow whirling in two directions, Whirling in one direction: Clockwise and counter clockwise
Part 3. Introduction to Trance and techniques, Immersion in the world of trance as a healing practice, Zar-Hadra
Part 4. Relaxation, Meditation, Stretching, Celebration of the new energies and Rebirth, Closing ceremony
Please wear comfortable clothing, preferably white and bring a small blanket and a long shawl for the workshop. For the Sunday session, you are invited to bring chocolate/ candies/ nuts or fruit to share and some flowers.Awaken your Body. Nurture your Spirit. Come, dance, release and be rebirthed in a non-judgmental space.
On Sunday: Moroccan Shikhat Dance (90 minutes): Morocco has different traditional dances and musical styles rooted in Arab, Berber and African cultures. Music and dance are an integral part of life. The Moroccan arts reflect the many cultural backgrounds and ethnicity found there. Therefore Moroccan dance varies from one place to another. It’s a way of women sharing and being together. It is joyous, sensual, and energetic, and is performed mainly at weddings, parties and ritual ceremonies. At these gatherings the women wear beautiful dresses when they dance; long, flowing and colorful, with belts around their waists. Many of the movements in the dances have symbolic meanings.
Dance of the Shikhat - Shikhat is the name given in Morocco to the female performers of this type of dance. The meaning of this term comes from the Arabic (Sheykha which means “wise woman”) this name is due to the fact that shikhat are considered ‘women of the world’, professional female performers who perform in rituals and celebrations in Morocco. However, in Moroccan Darija dialect, Schikkat are singers/performers/entertainers who sing about life, love, sadness, and nostalgia all aspects of life. Shikat are essential in
traditional Moroccan wedding celebrations and other festivities.
The role of the shikha - The best shikhat have recorded their performances on video, which has raised their profile as it has helped highlight the artistic and cultural value of their dance. This has resulted in improving their financial situations and also in making the government aware of the role of shikhat as part of Moroccan cultural heritage. Nowadays, while the attitude towards shikhat is still
ambivalent, they are also seen as embodiments of Moroccan culture and their dance is often displayed at cultural events and for tourists.
Dance movements - There are different styles of Shikhat dance, according to the different regions of Morocco. However, this dance genre is generally characterized by fast and energetic hip movements, belly drops, shimmies and rotations of the head that let the dancers’ long hair flow freely. Shikhat usually perform in groups of six or four and they are accompanied by a singer (male or female, but often the shikhat herself sings) and musicians (often male) who play Moroccan traditional instruments, including drums and violins (kamanjeh). Some shikhat play finger cymbals, called mooukas, while dancing, or a small drum shaped like a derbouka called taarija.
The dancers dance together or alternate each other in solo performances. In the solo part, the dance starts slowly but it then increases in intensity, with isolated movements of the hips that go faster and faster and bouncy little steps. Dancers dance also on their footballs, or on flat feet with rather shuffling steps. At some point the dancer will start spinning on herself at times and also rotating her head, in order to let her long hair move freely. These hair moves are done to enhance the trance mood because all Moroccan dance styles are trance dances. There is some floor work involved as the dancer kneels on the ground, while still moving her head up and down
and side to side. Their hip movements are rooted in African dance tradition.
Costumes - Shikhat usually wear long caftans, with long bell shaped sleeves and embroidery and a belt around their waist. The styles change across Morocco, but this is the basic feature. Also, dancers wear a hip belt around their hips. A thick but not wide belt usually made of threaded wool with incorporated sequins. Also, dancers wear jewelry, which can be more or less elaborated. Amel Tafsout will give an introduction on the Shikhat while focusing on various techniques of the Shikhat from different regions. She also will teach some combinations used by the Shikhat.
About Amel: The legendary Amel Tafsout, meaning ‘Hopes of Spring’, is an inspirational first source master dance artist, choreographer, instructor, frame drummer, singer, energy worker and one of the finest exponents of North African traditional and contemporary Maghreb Dance of our time. With a research in dance anthropology, and a long training in various healing practices, Tafsout’s knowledge of her culture and her experience in many dance styles and music make her very unique.
Raised in Algeria among the finest traditional dancers and musicians, Tafsout was fascinated by dance and music since childhood. In her early twenties, Tafsout moved to Germany where she founded the Pan Arabic dance company 'Banat As Sahra'. In the late 80s, she moved to London, U.K. where she taught and performed at various dance and music festivals and founded 'The Tafsoutettes' Dance Company. While currently living in the U.S.A. she is still performing and teaching worldwide.
Tafsout is like a voyager between countries, culture and languages. Having worked and lived all over the world, unsurprisingly, migration has been a constant theme in her work. Fluent in 5 languages, she is always aware of the impact that cultures have in art and how that can be expressed in dance.
Amel has lectured, danced, taught, sung and conducted anthropological research in many countries. She has been featured in various TV programs in Europe and North Africa. 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 explores the rich tapestry of movement and rhythm that has woven over time between Spain and the Maghreb, Africa and the Middle East, the Mediterranean Sea and Europe.
Tafsout developed, reconstructed and stylised the Maghreb dances through her dance experience, her research, her teaching and performances. She had mesmerized audiences around the world with the earthy fluidity of her dance, her stunning stage presence and great spirituality.
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