Mohamed Kazafy

[NandaDncer]

After a weekend of workshop heaven and catapulted to my top 3 workshops of all time...

Mohamed Kazafy!

I simply have to rave about this man. What a fabulous teacher! Not just the material he presented but How he presented it. Great breakdown, excellent class structure. While technique focussed, he taught a semi choreo to demonstrate stagecraft ie: positioning, lighting, mood, attitude and the difference between troupe vs soloist skills... absolutely wonderful! exclamation mark exclamation mark

Wonderful to work with (I was stage manager of the show he was performing in), so professional, clearly articulated what he wanted despite the language barrier and was a great team player... no diva attitude here. What a relief... the pure bliss of working with someone who is fabulous but not full of themselves... aaahhhhh :-)

So if you don't know the story of Kazafy, well, this is one for the movies. An Egyptian Billy Elliot no less... sneaking out to dance classes with Reda and Farida as a teen while his parents thought was studying. The Reda troupe initiated beginners classes because of this 12 year old with no training that was so desperate to be a Reda troupe dancer... he saw them on tv when he was 7 and knew that was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life! And 20+ yrs later he is the surrogate son of both Reda and Farida, not to mention achieving principal dancer status in the Reda troupe. Wow.

My new "must study with" person. Did I mention that he was also sweet and funny and loves children and animals... *sigh*

[joanneraks]

does he have a website, or any other spot where his workshop schedule is posted? I love the romantic story, and the class sounds ideal.

[joanneraks]

answered my own question:

Mohamed Khazafy dancer and choreographer

[laura 2]

I didn't get a chance to workshop with him at the IBDC. but he assisted on Aida's Meleya workshop and was wonderful. Plus, he and Aida did an on the spot duet at the end of the workshop that nearly brought tears to my eyes. He's a beautiful dancer.

[NandaDncer]

He is a lovely dancer, very precise but powerful. Aida has always been one of my favourite teachers and it's interesting to see the different take on the same training they have received via reda.

He had some dance mannerisms, stylistic nuances, that I thought were classic aida but he just said that that's how they are trained. I was planning on doing most of my study with aida on my next trip to cairo but now I might work with kazafy instead, he teaches out of her studio anyway so I may still get some 'aida time'. But he is just such a good teacher, and with a technique focus, that I think I will get more from him.

[NandaDncer]

does he have a website, or any other spot where his workshop schedule is posted? I love the romantic story, and the class sounds ideal.

He tours with the Farha Tour and is a regular Nile Group teacher. I think he has a myspace page, though he said he doesn't have anything to do with his tech promotion stuff... he has assistants that do that, he just dances.

[cbarros]

Ah, i took one of his workshops in Las Vegas last year, then another one while in Cairo in April . . . got the DVD and some music still sitting around waiting to be played . . . I am sooooooooooooo far behind.

He is an excellent teacher I would highly recommend him. His style is a bit too balletic for me but it looks fabulous on him. You can definitely tell that he sprung from the Reda roots, but he brings much of himself to his performances..

I took the first workshop with him after seeing his performances on the Farha tour DVDs . . . and he is one of the dancers on Yasmina's "Journey of Desire" . . . one of the baladi/garage boys, lol, and he did a very nice duet with Yasmina.

[starglow]

sounds great Amanda **sigh** maybe I'll get to see him in Sydney then.

[heinakuu]

He is definitely developing to be a great teacher and performer. We used to call him a "group dancer" who is at his best as such but now he seems to bring more of his personality to the picture - very promising. For me, being trained this style too, going to his workshops is like falling into something very familiar technically but he is modernizing it (is there such a word?) and makes it more interesting.

His best performance which I have seen is an andalusian together with Aida
and he has also publishes a couple of teaching DVD's. I can recommend them, they are well made.

I think he is also jumping in the list of my favourite teachers because I took a really high level veil choreography workshop with him in Stockholm. And also it was fine in that sense that he is not yet that extremely popular teacher that we were so few at the class that we were able to use the veil at least in the beginning before it turned out to be too difficult for us...

[ellariaal]

Yes i'm a fan of his too - I took a workshop with him at Egyptian Moonlight earlier this year and although his directional changes in the choreography he taught us made my pregnancy mush brain ache there was clear logic and it all looked beautiful ( when done properly).

[Michala]

After taking the Stellar Advantage workshops with him in Orlando just this past weekend, I have to second NandaDncer's enthusiasm for him! I thought for sure this would be way too intense for me and I would be desperately grasping for whatever tidbits I could catch. But he proved to be a patient and thorough instructor, able to challenge the entire class without leaving anyone behind! Can't wait for more!!

[ginaraks]

He was fantastic this weekend. I got so much really wonderful material from him; I love his choreography. It feels right on my body. I got to talk to him a little in the staff break area; he has a lovely personality as well. What a great experience!!

[MariaAya]

He is just fantastic !!!
and a lovely person also !!!

[AthenaNajat]

HUGE FAN! I have nothing more to say! I love this dancer/teacher....the epidemy of elegance!

[Maryam]

Count me in :shades:! This man has "elastic legs"; he was dancing and jumping so lightly at Stockholm Belly Dance Festival evening galas in May. Kazafy was a fantastic and also an amusing performer and it was a great pleasure to watch his performances!!!

I have not attended his workshops (for the time being... definitely in the future!) but my friends, who took his Andalusian dance workshop at SBDF this year, told me that Kazafy was also a friendly and wonderful teacher!