JAMRA
February 9-12, 2012, Fleck Dance Theatre, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, Canada.
Harbourfront Centre and Arabesque in association with Small World Music present JAMRA, a joyful, colourful production inspired by the raw and passionate dance forms of the nomadic and gypsy (Rom) peoples of Egypt, Turkey, North Africa, Iran and Lebanon. JAMRA premieres at the Fleck Dance Theatre on Thursday, February 9, 2012 and runs until Sunday, February 12, 2012 as part of Harbourfront Centre’s NextSteps 11/12 series. JAMRA, an Arabic word for “embers”, is a vibrant exploration of some of the Middle East’s rich dance forms performed by seventeen dancers, as led by Arabesque’s Artistic Director and Choreographer, Yasmina Ramzy, alongside a live 11-piece Arabian orchestra, with vocals by Arabesque’s Musical Director, Bassam Bishara. Alongside Choreographers Ferda Bayazit (Turkey), Sashar Zarif (Canadian, Iranian/Azerbaijian), and Khairiiyya Mazen (Luxor, Egypt) – the last remaining practicing Ghawazi dancer – Ramzy and Bishara have collaborated to distill the force of spirit and honest heart they discovered in the unrefined and unembellished dance and music styles of the Middle East. With Ramzy, a pioneer in the interpretive expression of authentic Middle Eastern dance, at the helm, JAMRA is brought to life with the artistry of celebrated Composer, Vocalist, and Oudist, Bassam Bishara; Costume Designer Deborah Shaw; and Lighting Designer Arun Srinivasan.
CAST & CREW
Artistic Director / Choreographer: Yasmina Ramzy
Musical Director / Composer / Arranger: Bassam Bishara
Assistant Musical Director: Walid Najjar
Percussion Director / Composer: Suleiman Warwar
Guest Choreographers: Ferda Bayazit, Kranti
Choreography Consultants: Robert Desrosiers, Sashar Zarif
Lighting Design: Arun Srinivasan
Costume Design & Construction Manager: Deborah Shaw
Stage & Production Manager: Kalina Janik
Dance Artists: Yasmina Ramzy, Kranti, Karima, Mary Cabral, Tim Spronk,
Melissa Gamal, Yzza Akhatar, Claudia Rios, Katrina Kukurs, Tatiana Kaptchinskaia, Shadia Saad, Shari, Amy Leung, Ian Huggins, Camille, Iana Komarnyts’ka
Note: All company dancers participated in the choreographic process.
Musicians:
Bassam Bishara: Oude, Lead Vocals
Walid Najjar: Keyboard
Eddy Sulaiman: Violin
Suleiman Warwar: Lead Dumbek
James Freeman: Riqq
Mohamed Srouji: Qatim
Pedro Bonato: Daholla
Salah Allaham: Tabal, Daholla, Mazhar
Translation: Dr. George Sawa
Props: Linda Crites
Costume Construction Assistants: Rachelle Allen, Linda Crites, Marika Latorcai, Jagoda Spronk, Cindy Rusnak-Martin, Amy Kirk, Suzanne Karima, Melody Bogin, Pashtana Hakimzadah
Archival Research: Robyn Winklareth
Wardrobe Mistresses: Deborah Shaw, Rachelle Allen, Marika Latorcai
Assistant Stage Managers: Deborah Shaw, Rachelle Allen
Rehearsal Coaches: Nikki Gentles, Voula Zisis
Assistant to Director: Linda Crites
Production Staff: Yasmina Ramzy, Suleiman Warwar, Melody Bogin, Suzanne Karima, Kalina Janik, Deborah Shaw, Linda Crites
Administration: Melody Bogin, Suzanne Karima
Publicity: Michelle McTeague, Flip Publicity
Graphic Design: Melody Bogin, James Robinson
Videography: Anastasia Tritimova, Chris Sherry
Photography: Samira Hafezi, Paul Devisser, Nomad, Peter Lear, Sussi Dorrell
JAMRA
ACT ONE
Fajr (Dawn)
Improvisation by dancers
Dancers: Melissa Gamal, Yzza Akhatar, Mary Cabral
Tuta
Composed by Farid el Atrache
Shorouq (Sunrise)
Composition: Bassam Bishara
Choreography: Yasmina Ramzy
Dancers: Karima, Mary Cabral, Melissa Gamal, Claudia, Yzza Akhatar, Katrina Kukurs, Tatiana Kaptchinskaia, Shadia Saad, Shari, Amy Leung, Camille, Iana Komarnyts’ka
Taqsim – Oude
Oude Improvisation: Bassam Bishara
Ah Ya Lalali – Saiidi with Tahtiib sticks, Upper Egypt
Choreography: Yasmina Ramzy
Dancers: Tim Spronk, Melissa Gamal, Yzza Akhatar, Ian Huggins
Mabyesalsh Alya (You Never Ask About Me)
Originally sung by: Mohamed Abdel Muttalib
Lead Vocal: Bassam Bishara
Dabki Montage (remount, Noor 2011, Lebanese, stomping dirt down flat)
Solo Dancer: Kranti
Choreography: Kranti adapted by Yasmina Ramzy
Dancers: Karima, Mary Cabral, Tim Spronk, Melissa Gamal, Claudia, Yzza Akhatar, Katrina Kukurs, Tatiana Kaptchinskaia, Shadia Saad, Shari, Amy Leung, Ian Huggins, Camille
Drum Mania #5
Dumbek Improvisation: Suleiman Warwar
Ali Loz (remount, In Search of the Almeh 1999, Mohamed Ali St., Cairo)
Choreography: Yasmina Ramzy inspired by Mohamed Khalil
Dancers: Mary Cabral, Melissa Gamal, Claudia Rios, Yzza Akhatar, Shadia Saad, Amy Leung, Camille
Intermission
ACT TWO
JAMRA
A force of spirit inspired by three different styles of dance from three very different regions of the Middle East.
Bandari (South Iran)
Inspired by a workshop with Sashar Zarif
Dancers: Tim Spronk, Melissa Gamal, Claudia Rios, Yzza Akhatar, Katrina
Kukurs, Tatiana Kaptchinskaia, Shadia Saad, Amy Leung, Ian Huggins,
Iana Komarnyts’ka
Ghawazi (Luxor, Egypt)
Inspired by a workshop with Khairiyya Mazen
Choreography: Yasmina Ramzy
Dancers: Mary Cabral, Karima, Shari
Turkish Roma (Istanbul, Turkey)
Inspired by a workshop and choreography with Ferda Bayazit
Dancers: Mary Cabral, Melissa Gamal, Claudia, Yzza Akhatar, Katrina
Kukurs, Tatiana Kaptchinskaia, Shadia Saad, Shari, Amy Leung, Camille,
Iana Komarnyts’ka
Ana Fi Entizarak (I’m Waiting for You)
Originally sung by Oum Kalthoum
Dance Improvisation: Yasmina Ramzy
Mawal Improvisation: Bassam Bishara
Walaaha (Fire it Up)
Composition: Suleiman Warwar
Choreography: Yasmina Ramzy
Dancers: Karima, Mary Cabral, Melissa Gamal, Claudia, Yzza Akhatar, Katrina Kukurs, Tatiana Kaptchinskaia, Shadia Saad,
Shari, Amy Leung, Camille, Iana Komarnyts’ka
Finale (Shorouq - full company with Yasmina Ramzy)
REMOUNTED in Jamra 2012
Director's Notes – Yasmina Ramzy
Since the production of Asala in 2006, Arabesque's main focus has been interpreting some famous lengthy and lofty classical Arab pieces of music; songs whose melodies and poetic words reveal the spiritual passion of boundless love. The company was now eager to explore new themes and flavours such as the passion to come more from the gut than the heart. Thus the name JAMRA meaning “embers” or “hot coals”. It felt right for us at this juncture to make a 180 degree turn and look to the raw, unembellished expression of some of the unrefined Middle Eastern music and dance forms as well as look outside the Arabic speaking countries, to places such as South Iran and Turkey.
I am deeply inspired by Khairiyya Mazen. At 45 years of age, she is the youngest Banaat Mazen family member, the most famous Ghawazi (Gypsy) entertainers of Upper Egypt. I was very lucky to have the chance to meet and study with her in 2009 in Luxor. Khairiyya lives in a small village outside of Luxor and is the last remaining practicing Ghawazi performer. All of her sisters and contemporaries have taken to wearing the higab (veil) and have renounced music and dance especially in public performance. I found her in a crowd of people and knew instantly it was her. Even now, I get goosebumps thinking of that first meeting. It seemed as if history radiated from her. Everything about Khairiyya; her posture, gaze, smile, her demeanor and subtle gestures spoke of an ancient "Bellydancer". She embodies the essence of the original "Bellydancer" I had always felt was behind the glitz and glamour we see depicted today. In her honour, we have tried to capture her spirit in a small part in Act Two. We will also have the pleasure of hosting her here in Toronto in May 2012 at the International Bellydance Conference of Canada. It will be her first time outside of Egypt. I feel it is important to introduce her to the world before she may also renounce dance and then the Ghawazi lineage and tradition will have come to an end.
At this same conference in 2007, we were introduced to a dynamic performer from Turkey named Ferda Bayazit. She stole the show with her raw depiction of Turkish Roma dance. Ferda was unknown to most of us but after her 5 minutes on stage, we received many requests to have her back. So the following year, we invited her to teach workshops. All of the Arabesque dancers fell in love with her and were eager to try Turkish Roma style of dance. In the Fall of 2010, we invited her to Toronto to spend an intensive period of time with the Arabesque dancers. She created a choreography for us based on the Roma flower sellers in the markets of Istanbul and spent most of the time here playing and improvising with the dancers so they could absorb the feeling and bold character of the dance from her.
Chroeographer Sashar Zarif (Canada, Iran, Azerbaijan) is an artist whom I greatly admire and my best friend. When we were younger with a little more energy, we used to spend many a night out at Iranian night clubs dancing up a storm. My favourite time was when the DJ or band played Bandari music and I would follow Sashar in this joyous dance. It was wild with an infectious rhythm that made you want to dance into a trance. In August of 2010 Sashar worked with Arabesque dancers in the Bandari style which comes from the fishermen of South Iran. Then he went away to Uzbekistan as an honoured artist at the National Choreography Institute. When he came back first thing this year, he finished a choreography for us and infected us with the wild Bandari craze.
We have chosen three other choreographies that also embody the Jamra spirit; remounts of Ali Loz and Dabki and a new Tahtiib piece because I always love the proud and free spirit of the Saiidi people of Upper Egypt. The Bandari, Turkish Roma and Ghawazi styles were our most adventurous challenges this year both dance wise and of course musically. New rhythms and chords, new dance steps and expression were tackled in the making of Jamra. Bassam in his genius created a gorgeous opening piece called Shorouq that captures the diverse flavours of the cultures depicted in Jamra. Suleiman created a new Drum Solo that came with his own input for choreography. We have all been working together for so long that it has enabled dancers, musicians, composers and choreographers to have input into each other's business. The musicians are offering new dance ideas and the dancers have musical suggestions. This evolution has inspired the theme for next year's production which is harmony. The making of Jamra has given us much joy in the studio and we hope it rubs off on you.
- Yasmina