Dancers from Chicago to Seoul to Mumbai are packing their bags this summer for the New York Theatrical Bellydance Conference, an event that will combine three days of intensive instruction with three curated stage productions at the Dance New Amsterdam (DNA) theater, all happening in lower Manhattan July 8-11. The conference is co-directed by Ranya Renee and Anasma Vuong, both professional bellydance teachers and performers. Large stage productions at DNA will take place Thursday July 8th, Friday the 9th and Saturday the 10th.
The event also includes dance performance in two local bellydance hotspots: the eclectic Je'bon Noodle House and the famous Lafayette Grill, featuring live bands from New York's vibrant local Middle Eastern music scene. Each night will showcase a different live musical group: the Turkish-inspirEd Scott Wilson and Efendi, the funky Beatbox Guitar and the Armenian and Arabic jazz sounds of Souren Baronian. Shows at Jebon will be Friday July 9th and Saturday the 10th; the weekend will culminate in a party-style dinner show at the Lafayette Grill on Sunday the 11th.
A description of all instructional workshops and full conference schedule is available here.
"A growing number of shows in the bellydance community present the dance as a theater art, and our conference seeks to highlight this movement," notes Ranya. Adds Anasma, "Ranya and I share the belief that theater techniques facilitate dancers' capacity to be connected to themselves and to their audience."
In addition to the co-directors, the conference's dance instructor and pro performer lineup includes Aszmara, Lotus Niraja, Hanan, Fahtiem, Angelika Nemeth, Sarah Johansson Locke, Kaeshi Chai, Samara, Roula Said, Jeniviva, Aepril Shaile, Blanca, and Elisheva. For more information on instructors and other featured performers, please visit the conference's bios page.
Ranya has been a fixture on the New York bellydance scene for seventeen years. Her style is characterized by musicality, cultural integrity and humor in interpreting traditional and modern Egyptian music. Anasma, based in New York and Paris, is known for her innovative fusion of bellydance with theater, mime, hip hop, salsa, martial arts and other dance arts. Whether channeling emotion through movement to honor a lost loved one in Anasma's "Tribute to My Father," or playfully fantasizing about reading the 1,001 Nights in a library in Ranya's "Alf Layla Wa Layla Library," the two artists have demonstrated their skills in bringing this folk art to the Modern Stage throughout their careers. Anasma and Ranya have both taught and performed extensively in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
For more information, to purchase show tickets or register for workshops, please visit http://theatricalbellydance.com/register/.
