Thread: TONIGHT IN DC - Leila Haddad In the Trail of the Ghawazee - DC & US TOUR

REMINDER TONIGHT IN DC - LEILA HADDAD - SOME TICKET STILL AVAILABLE!

Leila Haddad Gypsy dances from Rajasthan to the Nile

Sponsored by World Music Institute
https://worldmusicinstitute.org/event.php?id=465

March 2008
CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

Thursday, March 6, 2008: NEW YORK, NY
Friday, March 7, 2008: NEW YORK, NY
Saturday, March 8, 2008: NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ
Wednesday, March 12, 2008: ANN ARBOR, MI
Saturday, March 15, 2008: SEATTLE, WA
Wednesday, March 19, 2008: WASHINGTON, DC
Saturday, March 22, 2008: LOS ANGELES, CA

Leila Haddad is recognized as one of the world's premier oriental dancers, performing Raqs el Sharki, commonly referred to as belly dance. Born in Tunisia to a Berber family, and now living in France, Leila has studied many of the Arab world's dance forms by traveling from village to village.

The dance performance Leila will be touring in the US, In The Steps Of The Ghawazee, is a beautifully staged event with exquisite handmade costumes, nuanced lighting and sophisticated technical direction. In this new work Leila creates a dialogue between two ancient dance traditions - the Ghawazee (Gypsy) dances of Upper Egypt and those of the Kabelyas of Rajasthan, India. She is joined on stage by the renowned Ghawazee musicians of Luxor, Upper Egypt who play a variety of instruments including the rababa (two string fiddle), arghul (double reed clarinet), mizmar (oboe) and tabla (goblet drum). These instruments are remarkably similar to those played by the Langas, Kabelyas and Manghanyars of Rajasthan, the original home of the Gypsies.

Leila long fought for, and has won, the recognition of oriental “belly dance” as a noble art form and has successfully freed it from the degrading connotations of its past where it was associated with male-only night clubs and cabaret acts. Her exploration of village folk dances builds bridges between past and present and Middle Eastern and modern. She wanders the Rom (Gypsy) paths from India to Egypt with stops in the Mediterranean and beyond: Turkey, Greece, Iran, Lebanon, Bulgaria, Spain and North Africa. While the main route of the Rom people was through the Balkans into Eastern Europe and finally to Spain, a branch found its way through the Arabian peninsula to Upper Egypt. Here the dances drew deeply on the mythical Nile as a source before moving on to nourish the roots of all the world’s secular dance forms – including modern dance.

The acclaimed In the Steps of the Ghawzaee is challenge between dance and trance. While the musicians reach the ecstatic trance state known as tarab, Leila follows the music’s twists and turns with choreography that shifts like the spirit of the moment.

Oh, man, this sounds wonderful. Too bad none of her dates are near enough for me to consider going. But you lucky NYCers!

Leila presented 4 shows in Hong Kong for a sold out audience. The show was awesome. She is an amazing dancer. I had an opportunity to hang out with her few times and she is an amazing, intersting and very strong person/personality. Boy oh boy, the costumes are out of this world!!!!

Does anyone know what the DC venue will be or who WMI is working with locally? The website doesn't identify the theater and I haven't been able to track down any additional info. Thanks in advance for any clues!

I just emailed Leila to ask....

Fab. Thanks, Latifa!

Just an update... Leila is trying to find out the name of the theater and will let me know. She sends us all big kisses.

Latifa

Bintbeled,

Any word from Leila on the venue in DC?

No!! I emailed her and she said she would try to find out and let me know. I've scouted around and looked at some performing venues like the Warner, Constitution Hall, the Kennedy Center but haven't see this on the schedule. Not at George Mason, either. Or Strathmore in Rockville. I'll post here and elsewhere if I find out anything, and I hope DC area Bhuzzers will do the same!

Oooh! Wait! Found it!!

Francophonie: Washington, D.C.

Fantastic!!! Thank you!!

In LA she is coming to UCLA's Royce Hall. I can't wait!

Where is the green with envy icon?

Leila (and Fifi) are my dance idols. Plus, I just love the fact that Leila puts on a full-blown, choreographed, orchestrated stage show around a singular theme. I was considered flying to Chicago to see the show, but haven't seen that a Chicago date is confirmed. Sigh.

So fly to DC!! ..l;,

Originally Posted by bintbeled

So fly to DC!! ..l;,

Ya know, don't tempt me.

Truth is, just got back from Paris two days ago where I was able to squeeze in just one class with Lalla Leila - I am just crazy about her and her style and her overall philosphy around the dance.

However, one must see one's family and one's boss from time to time, no?,r:;

Originally Posted by CFerhat

Ya know, don't tempt me.

Truth is, just got back from Paris two days ago where I was able to squeeze in just one class with Lalla Leila - I am just crazy about her and her style and her overall philosphy around the dance.

However, one must see one's family and one's boss from time to time, no?,r:;

I adore Leila too! She called last night, but I was teaching, so my hubby got to talk to her. I was jealous! ..l;, I have a dance crush on her for sure, which luckily seems to be reciprocated. I'm sad that she won't be at Rakkasah West this year...

Reminder - Tonight In Dc - Leila Haddad! Some Tickets Still Available!!