phone: (416) 920-5593
fax: (416) 703-5593
e-mail: [email protected]
website: www.arabesquedance.ca
Dance Performer, Choreographer, Instructor, Producer, Presenter
Training | Middle Eastern Dance | Arabesque Dance Company
Grupo Amazon | Instructor | Producer/Presenter | Grants and Awards | Other Positions
| 2003 | Studied Egyptian dance with Magdy El Leisy |
| 2001 | Studied Akido with Master Kimeda of Aikido Yoshinkai Canada |
| 2000 | Studied voice with Paul Cooper |
| 2000 | Studied Capoeira with "Master Bola" Marinaldo daSilva |
| 1999 | Studied Azerbaijani dance with Sashar Zarif |
| 1999 | Studied Abinaya of Indian Classical dance with Gunushalen |
| 1998 | Studied Arabic drumming and singing with Dr. George Sawa |
| 1998 | Studied Pilates with Anne-Marie Hood |
| 1997 | Studied with Amani, renowned Lebanon's dancer |
| 1997 | Studying with Patrick Parsons of Ballet Creole |
| 1992 | Studied with Mohamed Khalil & National Folkloric Troupe of Egypt, Cairo |
| 1989 | Studied with Mayada, Middle Eastern dance, Damascus |
| 1988 | Studied Middle Eastern dance with Ibrahim Farrah, New York |
| 1987 | Studied with Mohamed Khalil & National Folkloric Troupe of Egypt, Cairo |
| 1981 | Studied with Ida Nour, Middle Eastern dance, Cairo |
| 1980 | Studied with Star Bell, Middle Eastern dance, Toronto |
| 1971-1974 | National Ballet School of Canada, Toronto |
| Sep 2003 | Performance in Grand Rapids, MI |
| Jun 2003 | Performance in Atlanta, GA |
| Jun 2003 | Performance in Sarnia, ON |
| Feb 2003 | Performance at Red Top Inn, Sault Ste. Marie |
| Nov 2002 | Dancers for Peace, Circle of the Sacred, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto |
| Oct 2002 | Performance at Rakassah East, New Jersey |
| Oct 2002 | Performance at Winnipeg Casino, Winnipeg, MB |
| July 2002 | Silk Road Festival, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto |
| Jun 2002 | Performance in Sarnia, ON |
| Apr 2002 | Performance in Atlanta, GA |
| 2002 | Radio Interviews: CIUT, CKLN, CBC (twice) |
| Jan 2002 | Television Interviews: CBC Culture Shock, Sex TV |
| Dec 2001 | Dancers for Peace, Circle of the Sacred, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto |
| Nov 2001 | Performance in Miami, FL |
| Jun 2001 | Performance in Sarnia, ON |
| Jan 2001 | Arab Heritage Awards Gala, Toronto |
| 1997-present | Performances with Arabesque Dance Company include a solo performance. Also various performances at Arabic community events approx. one per month |
| 1981 - 1996 | Three to ten performances a week of approximately 30 to 40 minutes each, usually to a live orchestra. Venues include nightclubs, theatres, banquet and convention halls across Canada and the United States, in England, Mexico, Syria, Egypt, Greece, Lebanon and Jordan including special engagements and weddings for royalty and heads of state in Jordan, Mexico and Syria including large public events on behalf of the Syrian government. |
| Jun. 1993 | Das Rheingold, Theatre Centre, Toronto, directed by Steven Seabrook |
| Aug. 1995 | Interview and performance in the Bellydance Documentary, Belly You Say?, Produced by Marie Ashworth |
| 1992 | Solo dance performance in Punjabi movie, Dupke Samundron |
| Sep 2003 | Toronto Show |
| Aug 2003 | Emerald A Go-Go event, Bambu By The Lake, Toronto |
| Aug 2003 | Caribana, Toronto |
| Jul 2003 | Celebrate Toronto Street Festival, Toronto |
| Jul 2003 | Afrofest, Toronto |
| May 2003 |
Descent of Ishtar and other traditional repertoire with full orchestra peformed on tour:
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| Mar 2003 | Performance in Guelph, ON |
| Jan 2003 | Dance Ontario Dance Weekend, Premiere Dance Theatre, Toronto |
| Nov 2002 | Dancers for Peace, Circle of the Sacred, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto |
| Oct 2002 | Arab Heritage Weekend, Toronto |
| Aug 2002 | Kick Up Your Heels Festival, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto |
| Aug 2002 | fringe Festival of Independent Dance Artists, Toronto |
| July 2002 | Silk Road Festival, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto |
| Mar 2002 | Isis, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto |
| Jan 2002 | Dance Ontario Dance Weekend, Premiere Dance Theatre, Toronto |
| Dec 2001 | Dancers for Peace, Circle of the Sacred, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto |
| Oct 2001 | The Grand Theatre, Kingston |
| Aug. 2001 | fringe Festival of Independent Dance Artists (fFIDA), Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, Toronto |
| July 2001 | Aisha Ali and Morroco Concert - Betty Oliphant Theatre, Toronto |
| Jul. 2001 | Discover Dance Documentary USA, Betty Oliphant Theatre, Toronto |
| Jul. 2001 | Celebrate Toronto Street Festival, Toronto |
| May 2001 | 2nd International Middle Eastern Dance Conference, Los Angeles, California |
| Feb. 2001 | danceImmersion, DuMaurier Theatre, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto |
| Jan. 2001 | Dance Ontario Dance Weekend, Premiere Dance Theatre, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto |
| Jan. 2001 | Arab Heritage Awards Gala, Toronto |
| Nov. 2000 | Egyptian Canadian Club, Toronto |
| Nov. 2000 | Silk Road Festival, Scarborough Civic Centre, Scarborough |
| Oct. 2000 | The Grand Theatre, Kingston |
| Sep. 2000 | Madison Square Garden Theatre, New York |
| Aug. 2000 | Canadian National Exhibition, International Pavilion, Toronto |
| Aug. 2000 | Rhythms of the World Festival, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto |
| Aug. 2000 | fringe Festival of Independent Dance Artists, Toronto |
| Jul. 2000 | Kick Up Your Heels Festival, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto |
| Jul. 2000 | Celebrate Toronto Street Festival, Toronto |
| Jun. 2000 | Niagara Folk Arts Festival, St. Catherines |
| Jan. 2000 | Dance Ontario Dance Weekend, Premiere Dance Theatre, Toronto |
| Nov. 1999 | Ontario Contact, John Basset Theatre, Toronto |
| Oct. 1999 | The Legend of Ibrahim Farrah, Hart House Theatre, Toronto |
| Oct. 1999 | James Cowan Theatre, Vancouver, BC |
| Oct. 1999 | Orpheus Theatre, Calgary, AB |
| Sep. 1999 | International Stage, Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto |
| Aug. 1999 | Anne Tindall Stage, Hot & Spicy Festival, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto |
| Aug. 1999 | fFIDA - Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Toronto |
| Jul. 1999 | Toronto Street Festival |
| Jul. 1999 | Dusk Dances, Toronto |
| Apr. 1999 | In Search of the Almeh, Studio Theatre, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto |
| Feb. 1999 | Dancemakers, Toronto |
| Jan. 1999 | Series 8:08, YMCA, Toronto |
| Jan. 1999 | Residance, Toronto |
| Jan. 1999 | Dance Ontario, Dance Weekend, Premiere Dance Theatre |
| Aug. 1998 | Alabina and Bijan Mortazavi in Concert, Hummingbird Centre, Toronto |
| Aug. 1998 | fFIDA - Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, Toronto |
| Aug. 1998 | Anne Tindall Stage, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto |
| Jun. 1998 | Caravan - Cairo Pavilion |
| May 1998 | St. Anne's Theatre, Victoria, BC |
| May 1998 | Casa Loma, corporate show for Air France |
| Apr. 1998 | Descent of Ishtar, Studio Theatre, Hourbourfront, Toronto; Six 90 minute performances with 15 dancers, 9 musicians and originally composed music |
| Mar. 1998 | Series 8:08, YMCA Toronto |
| Aug. 1997 | fFIDA, Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, Toronto |
| Jul. 1997 | Theatre Fringe Festival, Toronto |
| Jun. 1997 | Caravan - Cairo Pavilion |
| Mar. 1997 | Series 8:08, YMCA, Toronto |
| Nov. 1996 | Call of the Nile, Studio Theatre, Harbourfront, Toronto; four 90 minute performances with 17 dancers and 10 musicians |
| Oct. 1996 | Shaharazad Gala Show, George Ignatieff Theatre, Toronto |
| Aug. 1996 | fFIDA, Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, Toronto |
| Aug. 1996 | Lester B. Pearson Theatre, Toronto |
| Jul. 1996 | Theatre Fringe Festival, Toronto |
| May 1996 | The Field /Series 8:08, Toronto |
| Jan. 1996 | Homeworks, Toronto |
| Nov. 1995 | Evening of Enchantment, Easter Seals Benefit, Toronto |
| Sep.1995 | Yousri Sherriff Gala Show, St. Michael's Theatre, University of Toronto |
| Jul. 1995 | GYPSY, Estonia House, Toronto |
| May 1995 | Language of Dance, YMCA, Toronto |
| Sep. 1994 - Feb. 1995 | Ali-Baba Night Club, Athens Greece and many special engagements in Lebanon with Walid Tawfik. |
| Aug. 1994 | Feature Country, Egypt, Pyramid Stage, C.N.E., Toronto. |
| Aug. 1993 | fFIDA, Winchester Theatre, Toronto. |
| Jun. 1993 | Caravan, Istanbul Pavilion, nine shows. |
| Nov. 1992 | Robert Gill Theatre, Toronto; four 90 minute performances with 12 dancers |
| Mar. & Jan. 1992 | GYPSY, Toronto. |
| Oct. & Nov. 1989 | Marriott Hotel, Amman, Jordan and Vendome Hotel, Damascus, Syria. |
| Nov.1988 | Robert Gill and George Ignatieff Theatres, Toronto; four 90 minute performances with 14 dancers. |
| 1995 - 1999 | Various private functions, i.e. weddings, corporate events |
| Aug. 1998 | Latin American Folklore Show, Nathan Phillip Square, Toronto |
| Jul. 1998 | Sunfest, Mel Lastman Square |
| Jan. 1997 | Dance Weekend, Queen's Quay Atrium, Harbourfront, Toronto. |
| Oct. 1996 | Dancenet, multicultural dance performance |
| Aug. 1996 | Multiculural Fest '96, Lester B. Pearson Theatre, Toronto. |
| Jul. 1996 | Hispanic Festival, Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto. |
| Jul. 1996 | Liberal Party Event, Joe Foti's BBQ. |
| Jul. 1996 | The Diabetes Foundation, Benefit, Toronto. |
| May 1996 | The Continental Ballroom Club, Brazilian Night, Toronto. |
| Dec. 1995 | OMOA Association, Annual Conference, Toronto. |
| Sep.1995 | Nathan Phillips Square, Hispanic Festival, Toronto. |
| Aug. 1995 | Carabram, Hispanic Pavilion, 4 shows, Brampton. |
| Jul. 1995 | GYPSY, Variety Dance Show, Estonia House, Toronto |
| Jun. 1995 | Caravan, Rio De Janeiro Pavilion, 36 shows, Toronto. |
| May 1995 | Language of Dance, YMCA, Toronto. |
| Jan.1995 | Rainbow Palace Resort, Beirut. |
| Dec.1994 | Ali Baba Night Club, Athens |
| Oct 2003 | Workshop in Winnipeg, MB |
| Sep 2003 | Workshop in Grand Rapids, MI |
| June 2003 | Workshop in Sarnia, ON |
| May 2003 | Workshops during Descent of Ishtar tour in cities across Ontario: Sudbury, Windsor, Ottawa, and St. Catherines |
| Nov. 2002 | Workshop at Branksome Hall, Toronto |
| Oct. 2002 | Two-day workshop and performance in Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| Apr. 2002 | Two-day workshop and performance in Atlanta, GA |
| Feb. 2002 | Two-day workshop and performance in Sarnia, ON |
| Nov. 2001 | Two-day workshop Miami, FL |
| Oct. 2001 | Two-day workshop in Moncton, NB |
| May 2001 | Re-organized Arabesque Academy to an exclusively Middle Eastern dance, music and history shool, offering up to 30 classes a week |
| Mar. 2001 | Workshop in Barrie, ON |
| Feb. 2001 | Workshop at University of Guelph, Guelph, ON |
| Feb. 2001 | Workshop at Branksome Hall, Toronto, ON |
| 1995 - 2000 | Reopened Arabesque Academy, a multi-ethnic dance school specializing in Middle Eastern, Latin and Brazilian dance; owner, manager, teacher, agent, teaching sixteen Middle Eastern dance classes weekly. |
| Dec. 2000 | Workshop at Earl Haig Secondary School for the Arts, Toronto, ON |
| Dec. 2000 | Workshop at Womyn's Forum in Windsor, ON |
| Oct. 2000 | Workshop in Kingston, ON |
| Jul. 2000 | Workshop at Kick Up Your Heels Festival, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto |
| Jun. 2000 | Present monthly workshops in Sarnia, ON |
| Jan. 2000 | Women's Self Esteem workshop at Oakwood Public Library, Toronto, ON |
| Jan. 2000 | Women's Self Esteem workshop for Women's Health Issues, Toronto Convention Centre |
| Nov. 1999 | Drum Solo workshop with percussionist Amer Matri in Toronto, ON |
| Nov. 1999 | Workshop in Barrie, ON |
| Oct. 1999 | Two day workshop for MEDA in Vancouver, BC |
| Oct. 1999 | Two day workshop in Calgary, AB |
| Aug. 1999 | Workshop at Water's Edge Cafe, Hot n' Spicy Festival, Harbourfront Centre |
| Jul. 1999 | Workshop with Dr. George Sawa at Centauri Summer Arts Camp |
| May 1999 | Workshop in London, ON |
| Jan. 1999 | Workshop to the East York Woman's Group |
| Aug. 1998 | Workshop at Water's Edge Cafe, Hot n' Spicy Festival, Harbourfront Centre |
| Oct. 1998 | Workshop in Guelph, ON |
| Jul. 1998 | Workshop - Drum & Dance Marathon for COBA and OMO |
| May 1998 | Three-day workshop in Victoria, B.C |
| Mar. 1998 | Workshop for Harbourfront Community Centre |
| Feb. 1998 | Workshop for the Centre For well-being |
| Jan. 1998 | Workshop For the Gay & Lesbian Committee, York University |
| May 1997 | Workshop sponsored by Dance Umbrella of Ontario at the Walter Carsen Centre for the National Ballet of Canada |
| Sept 1997 | workshop for Canadian Managers of Proctor & Gamble with Carmen Romero |
| Feb.1997 | Weekly class in Hamilton, Ontario, Donna's Friends in Fitness |
| Feb.1997 | Seminar for Graduate Dance Program at York University |
| 1991 - 1994 | Average of three Middle Eastern Dance classes and workshops a week in Canada, United States, Mexico, Syria and Jordan |
| 1987 - 1990 | Arabesque Academy - owner, manager, teacher, administrator, promoter |
| 1984 - 1986 | Average two Middle Eastern Dance classes a week out of the home |
| Halfa | December 2001, August 2002, September 2002
Lesson in bellydance, performance, and music in Toronto, ON |
| Student Gala | Student gala twice a year (spring and fall) in Toronto, ON |
| GYPSY | Multi-cultural music, dance, food and handicraft event. Each occasion included five ethnic bands and five ethnic dance groups. Attendance averaged 800 people.
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| Dancenet |
Two-hour dance-show on the last Sunday of every month that presents eight different styles of dance. The wide variety of artists changes every month. Sixty-two performances over six years. Attendance averaged 175 people.
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| Workshop Series | A variety of dance workshops every week with guest teachers in all forms of dance. Instructors who have taught workshops and who have all performed at Dancenet at the Arabesque Academy, from October 1995 to present: Jazz (Bhangra), Maan Lababneh (Debke), Gary Dafoe (American Swing, Tango, Latin, Hustle, Lindy Hop), Faranak (Classical and Modern Persian Dance), Dr. George Sawa (Understanding Arab Music for the Middle Eastern Dancer, Zar and Sufi Dance), Elena Quah (Chinese Folk Dance), GoGo Mahashi (Indian Film Dance), Elaine Abolicao (Afro-Brazilian Dance), Cheryl Findley (Afro-Caribbean Dance), Max Ni-Noi (Hip Hop), Loretta Faveri (Zebekiko), Saeid Shanbehzadeh (Bandari and Other Dances from the Persian Gulf), Tanya Bakala (Flamenco), Andrew Kennedy (Country & Western), Lisa Sandlos (Comparative Modern), Pam Johnson (Contact Modern), Bindu Shah (Odissi & Indian Folk Dance), Maya DaSilva (Samba), Carmen Romero (Flamenco), Sandra Rocha & Ruben Bustamente (Argentinean Tango), Denise Mireau (Creative Movement), Bageshree Vaze (Bharatha Natyam), Jahanara (Kathak), Valerie Scannura (Flamenco), Tom Callwell & Myra Hirschberg (Cajun), Newton Moraes (Afro-Brazilian/Modern), Sarah Gagnon (Latin-Jazz) etc. |
| Egypt Tour - 1989 | Organized educational tour of Egypt including dance classes with famous choreographers for ten of my students. |
| Sponsor | Sponsored out-of-town guest teachers:
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| Recording Producer |
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| Video Producer |
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| Canada Council for the Arts |
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| Ontario Arts Council |
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| Toronto Arts Council |
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| Laidlaw Foundation |
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| Municipality of Metro Toronto | For Nedaa El Nil, Studio Theatre, Harbourfront Centre |
| Human Resources Development Canada | For employment of production, administrative and costume labour |
| Dance Umbrella of Ontario | Sponsorship for Women's Self-Esteem Project |
| 2001 | Arab Heritage Award |
| 1997 - present | Serving on the Board of Directors of Dance Ontario |
| 1997 - present | Member of the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists |