Oriental dance in a cube I.

Dear ladies, we would like to introduce a new project, one of a kind, organized by Studio Mafra Bratislava (www.studiomafra.sk). This project aims at women and girls, who would like to intensify their study of oriental dance not limited to the level of common classes or performance rehearsals. The program starts in January 2012 and ends in June 2012, it takes place during one weekend every month. The location of the venue is in Bratislava, Slovak republic. Currently we have opened two groups – one has classes on Saturday, the other on Sunday. The theme of the classes is the same during one weekend. One day of classes consists of two 1hr-long seminars and four hours of active dance (one or two choreographies are thought). The themes that we will be covering are (for detailed information please go to Class schedule): the history of oriental dance, musical theory and practice, megeance, tarab, drum solo, how to build your performance routine, preparing for a performance, make-up tutorial, fusion – silk fan veils, folklore – saidi, arabic rhythms, finger cymbals, improvisation and builing your choreography, aso.. A performance in front of a live audience is a part of the project, together with feedback on the performance between the lecturers and the dancer. The project will end with an exam – practical and theoretical and certification – stating that the dancer completed the course with a certain grade. The exam will be held also in front of a guest lecturer from outside the Studio. The exam will take place in August with an optional date in September for those who will be absent in August. In case of interest we will continue the programe with a sequal Oriental dance in a cube II in January of 2013. We would like to draw your attention to the fact that this is not a teachers’ course for obtaining a licence for teaching, this project is aiming at elevating the level of quality in Slovak oriental dancers. Your lecturers throughout the project will be: Ranya Malovičová and Daniela Zaghareet Tóthová, with the support of Marta Augustínová – owner of and lecturer at Studio Mafra Bratislava

A few words concerning the lecturers:

Ranya Malovičová:

Ranya has started to study oriental dance in her native Slovakia but spent most of her dance career between France and Egypt.

In 2008-2009 Ranya spent 12 months in Cairo, Egypt, where she extensively studied various forms of the dance – from classical raks sharki to different folkloric dances – with renown teachers and choreographers such as Mahmoud Reda, Leila Farid, Camelia, Tito, Jillina, Lubna Emam, Yael Zarca but also Ahmed Fekry and Osama Emam to whom she owns a lot in regard to dance training and career. During her time in Cairo, she not only attended the Nile Group festivals, but also had the chance to study for six months with the state-owned Mahmoud Reda Folkloric Troupe in the Balloon Theatre in Cairo.

She then became a soloist with the Reda Yassin Folkloric Troupe dancing at such venues as the Semiramis, Grand Hyatt or Dream Park in 6th October City. The same management was also representing Ranya as an oriental dancer, which allowed her to perform at various weddings, engagement parties or other occasions in the best hotels and clubs in Cairo. In 2011 Ranya took part in the Berlin Summer Festival (B. a H. Cifuentes) contest and won 3rd place in the category Raqs sharki professional. She also took part in the Egyptian fever festival competition organized by the polish dancer Surayia, where she ended up as the winner in the categories Baladi and Golden Era.

Ranya currently lives and works in Paris, France, but returns every year to Cairo to work and study and further develop her dance skills.

Daniela Zaghareet Tóthová:

Zaghareet teaches regular dance classes at Studio Mafra inBratislava(Slovakia). She attended a short two-year ballet basics class as a child. She played the piano for eight years, which, together with musical theory, broadened her musicality. Her first encounter with oriental dance was back in 2002 while attending regular classes. She started dancing intensively in the year 2005 and this is when she started teaching regular classes at Studio Mafra. Her favorite is the classical egyptian oriental style, raqs sharki and egyptian folkloric dances. Besides these she also focuses on more modern forms of oriental dance, various fusion styles, but also on folkloric dances outside of the egyptian region – e.g.Saudi Arabia,SyriaandLebanon.

Zaghareet has marked attending the prestigeous festival of oriental dance Nile group festival inCairoin 2008 as a milestone in her dance education. Here she had the opportunity to study with renowned teachers dancing in Egypt and abroad like – Mahmoud Reda, Farida Fahmy, Youssry Sharif, Hassan Khalil, Ahmed Fekry, Asmahan of Cairo, Khaled Mahmoud, Freiz, Nour aso. Another very important milestone was attending a course for techers of oriental dance with the famous czech dancer and teacher Líza Vegrová and private tutoring with the wonderful czech dancer and teacher Shereen.

Zaghareet still continues to study with domestic and forieign teachers, she attends various festivals and workshops with top lecturers. Among some of the most well known are: Tito Seif, Sadie Marquadt, Jillina Carlano, Nour, Khaled Mahmoud, Katka Krejčová, Alexej Riaboshapka, Wael Mansour, Raqia Hassan, Azziza of Cairo, Randa Kamal, Mercedes Nieto, Ehab Gadala, Shereen, Eglal, Lulu Sabongi, Azad Kaan, Nelly, Tereza Sheyla Klementová, Daila …

She decided to start competing in 2010 – her first success came at the 10th international Raqs sharki festival in Budapest (Hungary) where she won first place in the Raqs sharki advanced solo category and third place in Folkloric profi category. In 2011 she attended the prestigeous dance festival Let’s dance in Prague(Czech republic) where she won first place in the Raqs sharki professional solo category. She continues to teach regular courses at Studio Mafra, workshops all over the Slovak republic, she creates choreographies, performs and competes.

Her repertoir holds various forms and styles of oriental dance – classical raqs sharki, tarab, pop, shaaby, saidi, beledi, khaleegy, melaya leff, mambouti – spoon dance, shamadan – dance with candelabra, with cane, double cane dance, with finger cimbals, veil, wings of Isis, silk fanveils, silk veil, bollywood, orio flamenco fusion, tabla solo aso. While teaching dance classes she uses her education and experience in the field of medicine.

Class Schedule:

1. 21st January 2012 Sat, Sun History of oriental dance, musical theory and practice – musical instruments, maqams, the evovement of musical arrangements, how to interpret instruments through dance

2. 18th February 2012 Sat, Sun Megeance, arabic rhythms – What is Megeance? How do we use it? What parts does it consist of? Megeance choreo. Arabic rythms (most common) and their interpretation through dance

3. 17th March 2012 Sat, Sun Drum solo, Tarab – ethymology and usage of the word tarab, its meaning the dancer‘s dictionary, songs, singers, choreo. A detailed indight into percussive instruments, technique of shimmy and isolations.

4. 14th April 2012 Sat, Sun Egyptian Golden era, Fusion and show bellydance – Golden era – important figures in the field of dance, movie industry, theater, music, typical style of dance of each dancer (Samia, Naima, Taheya, Souheir, Fifi). Fusion and show – where are the origins of some fusin dance figures? Silk fan veils – choreo.

5. 26th May 2012 Sat, Sun Egyptian folklore, saidi, how to work with a live audience – survey of folkloric dances according to geographical region, more closely: saidi – assaya, tahteeb, choreo with cane. How to make your performance appropriate for every occasion (large stage, restaurant, celebrations, competitions), make-up tutorial.

6. 23rd June 2012 Sat, Sun Improvisation and choreography, practice – the art of improvisation, how to choreograph your dance, theory of working with space (Laban), performance – students will perform in front of a live audience, feedback and break-down of their performance.

7. 25th August 2012 Sat, Sun Exam – theoretical and practical

8. September 2012: Sat, Sun Exam for dancers absent in August and make-up exams – particular date after mutual agreement

Day schedule: 10AM-11AM theoretical seminar, 11AM-1PM dance practice, 1PM-2PM lunch break, 2PM-3PM theoretical seminar, 3PM-5PM dance practice

Location of the venue: Štúdio Mafra, Škultétyho no. 1 /Dom Techniky, 1st floor to the right/, Bratislava, Slovak republic

More information and registration: up to 15th Januray 2012 at mafra@studiomafra.sk, or by phone 02/43427627, 0902 550 758