Alia Thabit School Program Menu
These programs aim to awaken people to the beauty of popular dance and music of the Middle East, an area most Americans regard with fear and suspicion. Our goal is to give participants something to like and appreciate about the Middle East–and to bring the pleasure of movement into their lives. Costuming for school programs is bright and entrancing to students, yet modest and completely covered. All programs are gender-neutral.
For fee information, please see our rates and availability.
Lec-Dem
A performance of regional Middle Eastern dance styles accompanied by explanations of the dances and their origins, accompanied by a question and answer session. Suitable for larger audiences, assemblies. All grade levels.
In-Class Workshop
A hands-on sharing includes art books featuring photographs of Middle Eastern life, art objects, architecture etc, musical instruments and articles of clothing from Alia’s collection. Students hear the sounds of indigenous instruments and learn some folkloric social dance. Suitable for smaller groups / single classes. All grade levels.
Dance Classes
Students learn folkloric social dance and music interpretation. Suitable for smaller groups. Middle School through adult.
We can build a residency that works for your school, from an hour to a week or more.
Just ask. More ideas are listed below.
Preschool: Bring music and dress-up clothes (sparkly rather than traditional). Dance with children answer questions. Emphasize free expression to the music rather than teaching dance.
After-School: Hands-on-Workshops (see below).
Senior Centers: Classic performance or Middle Eastern (oriental) dance. Q&A and mini-lessons for the residents.
Community Events:
1. Teach Arab rhythms to local drummers/musicians. Teach dance moves to local dancers. Combine and have a party.
2. Make Middle Eastern food together and have a community supper, then have the party.
3. Duet performance, featuring Alia & dance partner, Stewart Hoyt. A high-energy tour of Middle Eastern dance, from folkloric to fantasy and fusion.
4. Evening performance: Full-company performance of concert-length dance-theater suite grounded in the dance, music, and costuming of the Middle East. This flight of ensemble creation soars from gilded folklore to flamboyant fantasy, from Bedouin to belly dance, from snappy precision to full-company improvisation, a joyous celebration of Oriental dance. Mini- lessons and an informal question and answer period with the artists will follow the show.
5. Middle Eastern participatory dance parties–for fun and learning. Dance with recorded music.
Lecture-Demonstrations:
1. Lecture on dance in cultural context. Performance, Q&A, and mini lessons
2. Lecture on dance in a social context, with demonstrations of different dances, Q&A, mini lessons.
3. Music related—lecture on Arab music systems (modes, heterophony and heterorhythms, improvisation within the modal system). Drum demo, with musical recordings to illustrate other concepts.
Hands-on Workshops (School & Community)
1. Middle Eastern social dance. Focus on contemporary Arab pop music to provide a cultural bridge for Western students. Emphasize moves they can reinterpret to American music.
2. Debke! Debke is the line dance of the Levant & Palestine. It can be done as a group or a solo performance dance. Teach both standard line debke and high-energy Palestinian debke.
3. Writing across the curriculum. As students discover new ways of moving and relating to their bodies, they will use reflective writing to further explore their discoveries. Art could also be incorporated—drawing and writing about their experiences. Student creations to be displayed at a show or community event.
Master Classes
1. For experienced dancers and dance teachers: Emphasize new movement and new ways to work with music.
2. For PE teachers: Introduce M.E music and give a foundation of how to move to the music— basic moves, bodyline, etc.
3. Work more closely with local dancers to develop a piece to include in the evening public performance.
These programs aim to awaken people to the beauty of popular dance and music of the Middle East, an area most Americans regard with fear and suspicion. Our goal is to give participants something to like and appreciate about the Middle East–and to bring the pleasure of movement into their lives. Costuming for school programs is bright and entrancing to students, yet modest and completely covered. All programs are gender-
For fee information, please see our rates and availability.
Lec-
A performance of regional Middle Eastern dance styles accompanied by explanations of the dances and their origins, accompanied by a question and answer session. Suitable for larger audiences, assemblies. All grade levels.
In-
A hands-
Dance Classes
Students learn folkloric social dance and music interpretation. Suitable for smaller groups. Middle School through adult.
We can build a residency that works for your school, from an hour to a week or more.
Just ask. More ideas are listed below.
Preschool: Bring music and dress-
After-
Senior Centers: Classic performance or Middle Eastern (oriental) dance. Q&A and mini-
Community Events:
1. Teach Arab rhythms to local drummers/musicians. Teach dance moves to local dancers. Combine and have a party.
2. Make Middle Eastern food together and have a community supper, then have the party.
3. Duet performance, featuring Alia & dance partner, Stewart Hoyt. A high-
4. Evening performance: Full-
5. Middle Eastern participatory dance parties–for fun and learning. Dance with recorded music.
Lecture-
1. Lecture on dance in cultural context. Performance, Q&A, and mini lessons
2. Lecture on dance in a social context, with demonstrations of different dances, Q&A, mini lessons.
3. Music related—lecture on Arab music systems (modes, heterophony and heterorhythms, improvisation within the modal system). Drum demo, with musical recordings to illustrate other concepts.
Hands-
1. Middle Eastern social dance. Focus on contemporary Arab pop music to provide a cultural bridge for Western students. Emphasize moves they can reinterpret to American music.
2. Debke! Debke is the line dance of the Levant & Palestine. It can be done as a group or a solo performance dance. Teach both standard line debke and high-
3. Writing across the curriculum. As students discover new ways of moving and relating to their bodies, they will use reflective writing to further explore their discoveries. Art could also be incorporated—drawing and writing about their experiences. Student creations to be displayed at a show or community event.
Master Classes
1. For experienced dancers and dance teachers: Emphasize new movement and new ways to work with music.
2. For PE teachers: Introduce M.E music and give a foundation of how to move to the music— basic moves, bodyline, etc.
3. Work more closely with local dancers to develop a piece to include in the evening public performance.
