The aims of this course include discovering and developing natural grace, learning to express yourself freely in movement and enjoying dancing to the subtle rhythms and melodies of traditional Persian music. Sepideh will work on basic technique, musicality, choreographed sequences and improvisation in order to guide you progressively through Persian dance. Discussions on the different styles of Iranian dance, customs and types of musical instruments will enable you to learn more about this universe that is rich in rhythms and colours.
Dance in Iran
Dance has an ancient history in Iran. From 2000BC sacred dances accompanied the cult of Mithras, an Indo-Iranian divinity. Then dance came into contact with traditional music and classical Persian poetry in the courts of kings who ruled over a great part of the Middle East. Over the course of the country's history, music and dance have both flourished and been threatened with decline. While traditional music and poetry have maintained mystical, artistic and popular dimensions up until today, dance has been reduced, limited and sometimes forbidden. Subsequently, classical Persian dance has been the victim of religious prejudice and lost parts of its identity. Today, only very abstract dances are authorized in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Forbidden or not, dance, just like poetry, has always played an important part in the social life of the majority of Iranians.
A Middle Eastern Context
Gifted with a strong and separate cultural identity, Iranian folk dance and music, especially in the border areas of the country, reflect the diverse perfumes and colours of the Middle East. Iran's rich diversity can be understood through its proximity to various countries. However, Iran is not an Arab country. Its language, Persian, is a language of Indo-European origin. Despite reciprocal influences and the Persian stamp on Islamic art, Persian dance and music remain distinct.
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Courses
Initiation - Beginner I: 5:30-6:45 pm
This course is designed for people who would like to learn about dance, and Persian dance in particular. Through in-depth work and playful exercises set to traditional Iranian music (Reng, Tasnif, Chaharmehzrab, etc.), the course helps you strengthen your muscles, become more flexible, improve your posture, become more aware of your body and space, and improve your coordination. At the same time, the course introduces the basic techniques of Persian dance and moves progressively towards the learning of small sequences to be danced in a group.
Beginner I - Beginner II: 18h45-20h
This class is designed for those who would like to get started in Persian dance, or who would like to work in depth on the basic techniques of this dance. After a thorough warm-up, the various movements and postures will be worked on in detail. Through playful exercises and short sequences set to traditional Iranian music, the class gradually moves towards learning a short choreography.
Intermediate class: 8-9.15pm
After a thorough and complete warm-up, different patterns and sequences will be worked on to traditional Iranian music. Emphasis will be placed on spatial awareness, fluidity of movement, transitions between accelerations and suspensions in the dance, mastery of turns and listening to the music. The aim is to consolidate technique, while remaining true to Persian dance aesthetics, so that you can take flight and enjoy the freedom of dance. One or two choreographies over the course of the year will form the common thread running through the course.
Middle Eastern dance : Beginner II- Intermediate: Tuesdays 12.15pm - 1.30pm
A colorful dance with its roots in Egypt, but enriched by other techniques (Iranian dance, contemporary Indian dance). After a thorough and complete warm-up, different patterns and sequences will be worked on to evolve into choreography or improvisation. There's a wide choice of music (percussion, classical, pop and oriental jazz).
Born in Iran where she lived until adolescence, Sepideh was taken with poetry, music and dance from childhood. However, it was not until much later in Switzerland, during the course of her university studies that she discovered her true passion and talent for dance. Isabel Alama introduced her to Oriental dance. After completing further training, she became interested in other forms of Arabian music and dance. She explored a diverse universe : classical Persian dance, traditional Iranian dance, Indian classical dance (Kathak) and an intensive study of contemporary dance, which allowed her to obtain technique and develop her own dance. She also tried the Gypsy dance of Rajasthan (Kalbelyia), Afghanistan dance, Tadjik and Rom dance from Turkey and the Balkans.
Enriched by these experiences, Sepideh returned to the dance and music of her home country with a deeper understanding. Fascinated by classical Persian music, she studied the rhythms and modes from this music which allowed her to dance to an authentic and ancestral musical repertoire. She refined her knowledge through trips to Iran and following workshops with specialists dispersed around the globe.
Shahrokh Moshkin Ghalam, Hossein Fayazpour, Shahrzad Khorsandi, Etienne Frey, Surya Hilal, Melisjane Sezer, Leila Haddad and Ravi S. Mishra are among the dancers who have taught her.
Sepideh has taught Persian and Oriental dance for five years and has performed in diverse productions. Within the framework of an association she founded, she taught and participated in cultural events at the University of Geneva. In 2010, she produced her first original piece, A Window To See, in collaboration with 5 musicians. It brought together poetry, dance and music from two distinct cultures with strong identities, Persian and Arab, playing on their differences and similarities.
Through her rigorous artistic work, Sepideh has developed another aspect of Persian dane, while preserving its roots and authentic spirit. For Sepideh, the dance remains a tool of expression that allows her body and mind to get away from it all. In this sense, emotion occupies the central place in all of her creations, and she does not hesitate to push the limits when necessary, because dancing, is after all, about feeling free.
PLACE:
ADEM Maraîchers - 44, rue des Maraîchers - 1205 Geneva
TIMETABLE:
Tuesday:
Private classes 11am - 12pm
Middle Eastern dance classes beginner II - intermediate: 12:15 - 1:30 pm
Wednesday :
Persian dance initiation - beginner I: 17h30 - 18h45
Persian dance beginner I - beginner II: 18h45 - 20h
Persian dance class beginner II - intermediate: 20h - 21h15
Monday via Zoom: beginners 6.30pm - 7.30pm / intermediate 7.30pm - 8.45pm
FEES:
to see with the teacher
Registration : Paiement by month or quarter on this accompt :
Association AFTAB - 6, Ch. Trolliet - 1209 GE
CCP: 10-244676-6
IBAN: CH5009000000102446766
CONTACT:
Association AFTAB +41 79 432 47 04
Email : assoc.aftab@gmail.com
Namrata Dentan
Dhrupad is the oldest surviving classical musical tradition in North India. The accuracy of the voice of sound frequencies and micro-tones are the essence of Dhrupad.
Regular Workshops
Clotilde Rullaud
These regular workshops are a chance to try out the Martina A. Catella method and its Sing the World application, in order to ‘discover the voice, the world, its cultures and languages through song’. This original approach brings together technique, games and repertoires borrowed from traditional societies the world over for their learning values and beauty.