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New York Performing Artist Company presents:

 

 
Caravan to Cairo was presented as part of the New York     
 International Fringe Festival in Manhattan during August 2003.     
To read the Village Voice review, please click here.      

 

From the exotic lands of the Arabian Nights, Caravan To Cairo features the traditional folkloric and contemporary dances of the lands which stretch from the Magreb (the North African countries of Morocco and Tunisia) across the vastness of the Sahara (Egypt, Algeria) touching the richness of the Mediterranean coast (Lebanon, Jordan) to the Muscat (the Arabian Gulf of Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq).  

Designed to bring cultural awareness of the dances and the music of North Africa and the Middle East to school and family audiences, Caravan to Cario offers a diversity of styles, rhythms, costumes and interactive dance workshops.  It is choreographed and directed by Samara, one of today's finest international performers of Middle Eastern dance, and is performed by 4 professional Middle Eastern dancers. In addition to the dance pieces, Caravan To Cairo features a story-theater adaptation of a charming Arabic folktale. Interactive workshops and artist in residence programs are also available to schools.  

          Moulid
 

Samara

(Choreographer)
Samara Samara began dancing professionally in her teens, and has become one of the most celebrated and sought after Arabic dancers of today. A protégé of the late master Ibrahim Farrah, she performed with his internationally acclaimed Near East Dance Group at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, New York’s Town Hall, and the Spoleto Festival. In addition, she has performed with some of the most famous singing stars of the Middle East. Samara was a 1998 inductee into the American Academy of Middle Eastern Dance Hall of Fame. She is engaged regularly as a soloist in Middle Eastern nightclubs and special events in New York City and throughout the US, and is a popular seminar leader, conducting dance workshops across the US and abroad. As special guest artist, she has performed in Mexico, the Caribbean, Paris, London, China, West Africa, Jordan, Greece, Turkey, Russia, and throughout the Middle East. 

Morgiana

 
MorgianaMorgiana has performed in New York City, at regional and stock theaters throughout the US, in roles of all types of theater ranging from classical drama to musical comedy. She has worked as production assistant for several Broadway productions and as artistic consultant for film star Anthony Quinn. As a storyteller, she tours her one-person show of classical mythology, Ovid's Metmorphoses, and has taken it to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. Her acclaimed story theater presentation of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves has been presented by Lincoln Center Institute in New York City, other major art institutes in the US, and is currently presented by Arts Horizon for school tours throughout the NY/NJ/CT tri-state area. A long time student of Samara's, Morgiana dances at clubs and special events in the NY/NJ/PA area. Her dance background also includes training in Polynesian, tap and jazz. Additionally she has studied mime and the Laban movement style. She has trained extensively in the Shotokan style of karate with Master Sensei Masataka Mori.

Andrea

 
  AndreaAndrea performs a unique interpretation of Middle Eastern dance, grounded strongly in the Arabic, Turkish and North African traditions, and has been seen stateside at cabarets, clubs and cultural events in New York City, Boston, Providence, and Buffalo, and internationally in Germany, Sweden and Puerto Rico. Andrea’s choreography, into which she infuses her studies of butoh, flamenco, ballet, yoga and Odissi classical Indian dance, has most recently been presented at New York's Town Hall, New York's Gene Frankel Theatre, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and Buffalo's Pfeiffer Theatre. She has taught weekly dance classes since 1993, and has performed Middle Eastern dance as a soloist and company member with Elena Lentini's Caravanserai, Anahid Sofian & Dancers, Jehan Kamal’s Ballet Exotiqa, Judy Myers' Davka!, Ghassan Fadlallah, the Yousry Sharif Dance Ensemble, and Gamila el Masri's Benat Nessma. Andrea has been making dance related films and videos since 1987. She holds a BA in Studio Art and Art History from Georgetown University and an MA in Painting from New York University.  
 

Nina

   

Nina has an extensive background in dance, studying tap, Korean folkdance and Tae Kwan Do from childhood. She was awarded a two-year full time dance scholarship from Clark Center for Performing Arts where she trained intensively in Ballet, Jazz, Modern and Dunham (African) dance. She also studied acting and performed in Equity musical stage productions such as the King and I and appeared in several videos. Additionally, she has studied Polynesian dance for many years, touring professionally with three companies to Atlantic City casinos, museums and colleges as well as at corporate functions for PepsiCo, Colgate Palmolive, Bristol Meyers and People Magazine. Nina continues her studies in Hawaiian dance and recently participated in master classes in Hawaii. Nina studies Middle Eastern dance with Samara, and has performed at special events, in theatrical productions and Middle Eastern restaurants in the New York area.

 

New York Performing Artist Company
  Glen Ridge, New Jersey
nypaco@att.net

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