DanceWeekend is 5 days away and our last dance company we are featuring is Arabesque/Yasmina Ramzy Arts. They are performing Sunday January 27th at 5:10pm.

Can you tell us little bit about your company/collective/school?

Founded in 1992 by Yasmina Ramzy, Arabesque Canada, home to Yasmina Ramzy Arts (formerly Arabesque Dance Company & Orchestra) is Canada’s leading Middle Eastern dance and music ensemble. Unique in the world. Its artistic vision embodies contemporary sensibilities steeped in ancient Arabian tradition. Arabesque Dance Company & Orchestra is currently changing its name to Yasmina Ramzy Arts (YRA), which will remain under the umbrella of Arabesque Canada. The most recent production called “SAWAH” that the company presented included 45 dance artists, musicians and actors at the Fleck Dance Theatre for 6 presentations, some to almost full houses. This was the ninth successful production presented at Fleck Dance Theatre. As the only Canadian Middle Eastern touring dance company, YRA has had unique opportunities to be the only company to present productions in many Canadian cities and Los Angeles and New York. YRA began creating full length productions in 1996. Between 1999 and 2013, YRA was the only Mid East dance company to be presented at Dance Ontario Dance Weekend, attracting some of the largest audiences of the event. YRA were the only Canadian artists to perform at the International Conference on Middle Eastern Dance in Los Angeles in 2001. One of the company’s highlights was to perform with Alabina and Bijan Mortazavi in Toronto on the Sony Centre stage. Arabesque YouTube clips have been watched over 1700,000 times. Because YRA is unique in the world, with a reputation for artistic excellence and integrity, people travel from far to attend the productions and artists move to Toronto to join the company from all over the world. Besides exploring new ways to express dance, one of the company’s main mandates is to share the rich and emotional dance arts of the Middle East in order to foster greater understanding of its culture/people.

What are showing at DanceWeekend’19?

Arabesque Canada is the home to 5 dance ensembles, four of which Yasmina Ramzy creates the choreography for. All four companies will be presented this year. Yasmina Ramzy Arts is the company that is debuting a piece from upcoming production called “Joy”.
Below is details of each company and what they will present:
  1. Arabesque Dream Company is a ensemble of dancers living in several different cities from Michigan, Quebec and Ontario. Rehearsals are online. Performing a remount of “Habaytak Bisayf” of Arabesque Dance Company 2014. Music by Arabesque Orchestra.
  2. Arabesque Earthshakers was created as a reaction to predominant false media narratives of body health and beauty. Earthshakers perform to the inspiring spoken words of Maya Angelou in her poem ” Phenomenal Woman”. 
  3. Arabesque Folklore Troupe perform a style of dance called Raqs Al Ballas (Dance of the Pot). It is from the Falahi (farmer) people of Lower Egypt or the Nile Delta depicting daily activities of collecting water from the Nile. Music supplied by Mohamed Salah (Reda Troupe, Egypt).
  4. Yasmina Ramzy Arts is a newly formed ensemble that will go forward into the future with a project in Fall of 2019 called “Joy”. YRA continues the artistic and internal journey of Arabesque while Arabesque Dance Co. now becomes a more commercial ensemble for community events. This first choreography of YRArts called “Oyoun” is currently a WIP. Music by Arabesque Orchestra.

Who are the performers/collaborators in this piece(s)?

Performing are the dance artists of the company. Choreography is by Yasmina Ramzy. Also debuting is the Arabesque Dream Company whose members hail from Windsor, Montreal, NYC, Grand Rapids MI, Thunder Bay and Toronto. Rehearsals are online.

Can you talk about your creative process? What inspires you?

Middle Eastern music and dance both modern and historical as well as the many styles are what inspire the choreographer. The inherent joy, deep emotion and spirituality have a deep pull on the choreographers heart for over 38 years even though she was born and raised in Toronto.

Please share your experience performing in a previous DanceWeekend and/or tell us what you are looking forward to at DanceWeekend’19?

With Arabesque, Yasmina Ramzy has been presenting at Dance Ontario Dance Weekend for 19 years and thrilled every year to share the stage with the amazing and diverse talent and dance styles from all over Ontario. Love the chance every year to catch up with old dance friends and share many great memories of how Culture Specific dance has grown over the years.

What is one surprising or interesting fact about your company/collective/school?

The company has been referred to as the United Nations of dance companies because of the diverse ethnic backgrounds of the members.

Do you have any up-coming performances/events you would like to share?

Dates not confirmed yet but may be soon.