ANAR DANA West Coast Recital “Dances Under the Crescent Moon”

Immerse yourself in a celebration of dance and culture curated and choreographed by the distinguished dance ethnologist, Helene Eriksen. With enduring dedication to preserving and sharing the world’s diverse dance heritage, her expertise spans a multitude of traditional dance forms, from the vibrant rhythms of the Maghreb to the intricate movements of the Indian subcontinent. Her journeys have led her to explore the rich cultures of Anatolia, the Balkans, the Caucasus Mountains, Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.

ANAR DANA, with chapters spanning across the US, Germany, and Argentina, offers a deep immersive learning experience. Each season a new cohort of passionate dancers comes together to embark on a transformative journey through the world of dance and heritage. This season’s ANAR DANA West Coast project brings together women from Seattle and the Bay Area, collaborating in a labor of love aimed at showcasing the rich diversity of traditional culture through singing, costume, dance, and insightful presentations by program participants. You are invited on a journey of discovery and appreciation, which is the rich and diverse recital “Dances  Under the Crescent Moon.”

This season’s spectacular repertoire includes:

-Dances of the Raissat, professional entertainers of the Chleuh Amazigh (“Berbers”) from southern Morocco

-Dances of the Nubian People (Egypt and Sudan)

-Multi ethnic dances of the Dobrudža region of NE Bulgaria

-Henna evening dances from Elazığ in eastern Turkey

-Wedding dances from Circassia in the northwest Caucasus

-Dances of the Qashqa’i Turkic pastoral nomadic tribe of southern Iran

-“Lyazgi” dance from the Khorezm region of western Uzbekistan

 In addition project director Helene Eriksen will present dances from Uzbekistan in the West Sahara.  Former ANAR DANA project member Monica Berini will join the concert in the Bay Area and the multi instrumentalist Izumi Fairbanks will perform in the Seattle concerts.