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Friday Workshops

Larry Southall, Donna Mejia and Khadijah

Hip-hop proper with Larry Southall

Friday, 9am-12pm

The traditional dance that people originally did at Hip-hop parties.

 

LUNCH LECTURE with DONNA MEJIA First Steps: Understanding the Hidden Privileges in our Practices

Friday, 12:30pm-2pm

When trying to understand cultural appropriation, there are some very elegant and profound questions that serve as insightful first steps.  Learning to situate ourselves within our dance practice inevitably requires we dialog with the attached history of Orientalist projections, caricature, gender norms and standards of attractiveness.  Or perhaps these issues have been thrust upon you by others? In this facilitated discussion Donna invites participants to investigate and share thoughts about what hidden values and messages are perpetuated by our dance industry.  Hidden biases may surprise you, as we are all afflicted with them. In addition to learning about the agency we have in artmaking, we will also investigate strategies to interrupt questionable practices and construct new possibilities for ourselves.  Tough questions will lead us to courageous conversations…please come share your thoughts!

Saidi Sass with Khadijah

Friday, 2pm-3:30pm

Saidi Sass, a very popular Upper Egyptian folk style, can be performed with or without “assaya” a cane or with Sagat “zills”  !  Learn sassy and modern yet traditionally grounded saidi technique. Saidi technique and combinations will be taught and then strung together to create a longer full choreography. Background and historical information will be gone over in order to give each dancer a frame of reference for current and past Saidi trends.

Silvestre Technique with Donna Mejia

Friday, 3:30-5pm

Silvestre Technique is a contemporary modern dance training system rooted in the symbology and gestures of Brazilian dance and movement culture.  It is astonishing to watch and a revelation for dancers who have studied it. It is a strongly technical system, whereby dancers grow to possess strength, versatility, speed, elasticity, precision, and elegant expression in their bodies.  The Silvestre Technique is not only a system for training of the physical form, it also provides a paradigm for how humans relate to, receive and manage subtle energies/life force from the universe as they are embodied through the elements of nature: earth, air, water and fire.

Saturday Workshops

Donna Mejia, Larry Southall and Khadijah

Loaded Soul-Twisted Funk AKA “I Eat Beats for Breakfast" with Donna Mejia

Saturday, 9am-12pm

Some would define power as the ability to produce large and dramatic movements of virtuosic prowess.  I define power as the ability to channel tremendous force but not be removed from one’s center; the strength to metaphorically “swallow the hurricane.” This requires steadiness in one’s core, nuance, a grounded way of moving through space, and, above all, courage to face forces stronger than one’s self. In this class, we are going to take the thickest, hardest, crunchiest beats I could locate and translate them into our dancing bodies.  Some big moves are on the menu, but I aim to also build intricacy and rhythmic clarity in our movement through remixed hip work. With music and hardcore beats as a guide, drill practice is about to get juicy. Please note that this workshop will utilize music with adult lyrics and themes. (This is the “R” rated version of Donna Mejia). Come ready to play hard.

LUNCH LECTURE with LARRY SOUTHALL

Saturday, 12:30pm-2pm

The history and development of hip hop culture and its transformation into the global entity it is now.

Raqs al Baladi/Shaabi with Khadijah

Saturday, 2pm-3:30pm

Raqs al Baladi / Shaabi refers to an Egyptian dance style that evolved in the early part of the 20th century. Come from the word Al-Balad “the country”. "Baladi" means "my country" or "from my country", and in the context of this dance, refers to its folkloric or country origins. The evolution of raqs al baladi coincided with waves of migration of rural people to the larger Egyptian towns and cities. They brought with them their traditional instruments, music and dance. Many cities in Egypt were influenced by  western music (in particular jazz and blues) and instruments (in particular accordion, saxophone, clarinet and trumpet). This merger of traditional Egyptian and modern western music gave birth to the distinctive baladi sound. It is often referred to as "urbanised folk" music. 

House with Larry Southall

Saturday, 3:30-5pm

House, a style that originated in Chicago and New York. People originally danced this style at clubs.

Sunday Workshops

Khadija, Nadira & Donna Mejia

Khaleeji dance 101 with Khadijah

Sunday, 9am-12pm

True culture and tradition:“Khaleeji” to refer to the style of dance,culture and music from the Persian Gulf or Arabian Gulf region, the “Khaleej,” including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The dance is largely improvisational, performed by pairs or groups of women for their own entertainment at special celebrations, such as weddings. As this dance represents many countries of the Gulf region, Khadijah will instruct proper costuming, musicality, posture, history and background and much more!

LUNCH LECTURE w/NADIRA: Marketing and Branding

Sunday, 12:30-2pm

Marketing & Branding is often the artistic entrepreneurs least favorite part of what they do. It can make you feel unfulfilled & even worse, inauthentic to your art. Have no fear, all you need are these easy instructions and clear steps to help you understand who you are as an entrepreneur, why you want to reach others & most importantly how to reach your target audience.

Swelling to the Surface: Breath and Body with Donna Mejia

2-3:30pm

I have a deep love for fantastical theatricality and great dance production.  Alternatively, I have a profound respect for the inherent intelligence of the body when it is freed from the bounds of showmanship.  This workshop steps away from the focus on performance and skill acquisition to engage the domain of bodily truth. We will begin with breath-work, and proceed gently towards a movement session rooted in fusion vocabulary, but unconcerned with counts, phrasing, sequencing and structure. I will offer theoretical highlights from my 25 years of study in sacred and transcendental dance traditions (North Africa, Central and West Africa, Caribbean Islands, Brazil, Louisiana).  We will also discuss current understandings of why our brains and neurological systems respond to movement in such specific ways. Deliberate breath work wil serve as the barometer for integration and the touchstone of expanding the senses. I offer my pledge of a thoughtful, conscientious and carefully guided passage…an invitation to let dance move through you and bring you to a broader sense of self. This will not be a workshop about any specific beliefs or dogma.  Rather, it will serve as an intentional laboratory for one aspect of dance celebrated by over half of the world’s cultures…dance as a technology for expanded consciousness.  Comfortable clothing will be for important for your best experience. All experience levels, body types and gender expressions will be embraced and welcomed.

Package Details & Registration

Join us for a weekend of intensive training focused on helping us find the Real Artist Within!!!
Our featured headliners for 2018 are Khadijah, Donna Mejia and Larry Southhall!

 

EVENTBRITE REGISTRATION HERE

RAW Epiphany: $350 opens Friday August 31, 2017 11:30p to Wednesday July 4, 2018 11:30p

CRAYSIAN, Early Bird and RAW Epiphany levels include performance opportunity with written feedback and 27 hours of workshops/lectures by Donna Mejia, Karim Nagi and Larry Southhall and one semi-private hour with Donna, or Karim or Larry. (performances either on Friday or Saturday) Semi-Private hour sessions are a first come/first serve basis - maximum is 10 each teacher after which a waitlist will be started.

First 20 registrants will receive written performance feedback from Donna, Karim and Larry: second 20 will receive written performance feedback from Aaliyah Jenny. A waitlist will be started after first 40 spots are filled up. Limited number of scholarships will be available for 2018: TBA

Space permitting: Daily passes $150 opens Friday June 1, 2018 to Wednesday July 4, 2018 11:30p only includes workshops/lecture for that day (1 hour semi-private, performance with feedback and scholarship opportunities are NOT included)

We are a non-for-profit event and our goal is to donate proceeds after expenses as a community to a non-for-profit charity.

*Registration for all packages are nonrefundable BUT transferable. Performance spots are not guaranteed for transfers made after 6/26/2017. It is the responsibility of the registrant to sell their package if they cannot attend. Pls sent both parties name, email, cell, package purchased to dance18@frontiernet.net subject headline: RAW 2018 transfer of package.

**Paypment Plans are nonrefundable AND nontransferable. This option was made available for our fellow dancers in financial need. Please read descriptions carefully and be willing to commit to on time payment by 26th @ 11:30pm MT of each consecutive month or your funds will be forfeit. Any abuse of this option will result in the removal of the option for a payment plan from registration. Thank you for your understanding.

***REMINDER: Music and themes used in performance at the all-ages shows must be 'family friendly'; i.e. mostly free of expletives and entirely free of reference to violent or illegal activities, explicit sex, racial or any type of slur, any of the 'isms' or 'phobias', (racism, sexism, transphobia, islamophobia, etc) and any other extremely disturbing or controversial material.

 

  • Exceptions to this rule must be agreed upon in writing by Aaliyah Jenny at least two weeks prior to the show, and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. With proper warning to the audience, certain extreme material may be approved.

  • Themes involving social, political or religious commentary are generally welcome, but must be approved in writing. We need to be prepared to present the material properly to the audience. 

  • Acts using inappropriate themes/music without prior notice will be stopped mid-performance, and for egregious violations, performers may be banned from future performance opportunities.

  • Feel free to push the envelope in topics and audience comfort, but don't be an edgelord and always check first!

  • Don't spring this stuff on folks at an all-ages show without warning/producer approval, come on now.

Organizers reserve the right to refuse, registration, enrollment or participation to anyone at any time

 

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