‘The dance of joy,’ ‘the body smiling,’ and ‘the power to heal’; are the ways “Raqs Sharqi” is described by those who witness and those who perform the ancient dance form. “Raqs Sharqi,” known in the West as ”Bellydance,” has withstood relentless persecution and oppression. Its innate beauty and organic expression of joy can never be extinguished.
Yasmina Ramzy Arts (formerly Arabesque), established in 1987, attracts students from around the world. They are drawn because of witnessing a YRA company performance or meeting director, Yasmina Ramzy, teaching in their home country. In both cases, students are attracted to the high quality of artistry and YRA’s contagious joyful spirit. Yasmina Ramzy began her Raqs Sharqi career performing for royalty and heads of state in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt. She teaches as she learned in the Middle East, full of soul and free of Western constructs.
YRA Company has toured to United States, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Greece, and extensively across Canada. The company has presented productions with as many as 45 musicians and dancers in one production, created films and is funded by all three levels of government arts councils. Performance highlights include Int’l Conference on Middle Eastern Dance, Cirque du Soleil. the Rolling Stones, Alabina, Rageb Alema, Bijan Mortezavi and more. Since 2020, YRA has created several dance films presented in international film festivals..
Director Yasmina Ramzy has taught and performed in over 70 cities around the world and commissioned to create choreography for 25 other dance companies in Canada and the USA. Since 1981, while studying and performing dance in Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria, Yasmina Ramzy became mesmerized by the beauty, spirituality and profound emotion of Arab art. She found it difficult to comprehend why it wasn’t sharing the stage with ballet and the symphony. For over 40 years it has been her foremost goal to recreate for Western audiences, the joy and inspiration she found in the Middle East.
The mission of YRA is to promote awareness of and further the artistry of Middle Eastern dance and music arts as well as explore its connection to mystical philosophy from the area. Through this endeavour, it also strives to shed light and understanding on a culture often misrepresented.
The company’s international reputation for artistic excellence and integrity has attracted highly talented dance artists from England, France, Brazil, Mexico and across United States and Canada to move to Toronto in order to join the company. Because YRA is unique in the world, audience members travel every year to attend its newest production at Fleck Dance Theatre from as far away as Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Windsor, Kingston, London, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, New York City, Oregon, Michigan, Massachusetts, Los Angeles and much more.
“Arresting imagery…intelligent and innovative choreography…seduces completely” The Globe and Mail
