Hoda Ibrahim is a choreographer and trainer of oriental and Egyptian folklore dance. She has taught in many dance schools and festivals all over the world for more than 40 years. Hoda Ibrahim and Dr. Tamer Aziz have established online dance courses they currently teach. Hoda has been teaching at the Ahlan Wa Sahlan dance festival since 2010 and is now teaching at The Cairo Mirage festival and shares her knowledge of all types of Egyptian folkloric and oriental dances. At festivals, she also judges locally and internationally. In 1990, she established “Al Manar dance studio” an oriental and Egyptian folklore dance studio in Hurghada at the Red Sea, which has been open for 18 years and many dancers from all over the world have visited and studied there. Hoda Ibrahim is a lead partner and one of the founders of “Al Manar” dance troupe that has presented many theatricalized folk dance performances for 18 years in Hurghada. She was one of the lead dancers in the Hassan Afifi Troupe, performing in most of Cairo's theaters in the eighties. Hoda Ibrahim has studied theatricalized folk dances and performed them with the famous Reda Troupe.
Zahra Mujunen was born in Morocco, and has been living in Finland for 30 years. She graduated from the University of Agadir and majored in geography. When she moved to Finland to continue her studies, she also opened a dancing school for oriental dance and Moroccan folklore. Zahra is known for her very strong Moroccan dance styles. She also organizes dancing trips to Morocco. Zahra specializes in Moroccan Sahraoui and Berber since her roots are from the south of Morocco. Zahra teaches Zoom courses about Moroccan culture, beauty secrets, and dances. Zahra Mujunen will perform and teach traditional dances from Morocco at Raqs Without Borders' sixth edition.
A Tunisian dancer and choreographer, Rochdi Belgasmi is a figure of Traditional Tunisian dance who does not go unnoticed on stage. He knew how to break the myth of popular dancing often reserved for women, and rather limited to folkloric dance spectacles. Dynamic, vibrant, and provocative, Rochdi Belgasmi makes of dance a weapon to fight prejudice, a way of imposing oneself as a dancer, and, above all, a way of imposing oneself as a free yet committed man in a society that calls itself “progressive” but that remains overwhelmed with archaic ideas. He has worked as a choreographer with various stage directors, musicians, and composers. Rochdi Belgasmi places his pelvis at the centre of his contemporary work, he created his first solo in 2011: “Trance, haunted body,” then “Zoufri” in 2013, a creation played at the Institute of the Arab World, Institut du Monde Arabe, in Paris, at the BOZAR - Palais des Beaux-Arts - Brussels Museums, at the Museum of Modern Art « Palais de Tokyo » in Paris, at the Museum of History and Immigration « Palais de la porte dorée » in Paris, at the National Choreographic Center « L’échangeur « in Château-Thierry », at the Museum of Carthage in Tunis, at the Choreographic Center James Carlés in Toulouse, at the National Scene « TAP » in Poitiers, at the Colosseum Archaeological Park in ROME, at the Artistic Factory « Friche La Belle de Mai » in Marseille and at the Artistic Facoty « Fabbrica del Vapore » in Milan, as well as other few places in the world, then, in 2015, “And if you disobey” (Wa Idha Aassaytom), in 2016 “Ouled Jellaba” laureate of the Rambourg Foundation International Award for Art and Culture, and the Audience Award at the Tunis Dance Festival, Tunis Capitale de la Dance. In 2017, he created “Arous Oueslet” for Dream City and in 2018, he creates « Lamboubet » in the context of a the artistic residency of l’Art Rue, and in 2019, «Al kobbania ». In 2022, he created « Chghol », supported by the Literary and Artistic Creation Encouragement Fund of the Tunisian Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the Kamel Lazaar
Foundation.
Foundation.
Dr. Tamer Yehia Aziz holds a Ph.D., M.A., and Diploma in Oriental and folk dance from The Cairo Academy of Arts, where he is an Oriental and Folkloric dance expert. Dr. Aziz also serves as a lecturer at the Higher Institute of Folk Art and several specialized folk dance institutes. As a researcher in oriental and folk dance, Dr. Aziz has. been published locally and internationally in specialized scientific journals. He has held many conferences discussing folk dance. Dr. Aziz has served as a lecturer, choreographer of oriental and folk dance and instructor at many local and international dance conferences, the Ahlan Wa Sahlan Dance Festival since 2011 and The Cairo Mirage. He has established online dance courses with Mrs. Hoda Ibrahim, teaching online now. Dr. Aziz has been invited as a special guest in a program about Egyptian oriental and folk dance, presented monthly on live broadcasts on Egyptian TV. In 1990, he established the “Al Manar dance studio” presenting oriental and Egyptian folklore in Hurghada at the Red Sea, which has been open for 18 years, and many dancers from all over the world have visited and studied there. He is the lead partner ,and one of the founders of “Al Manar” dance troupe that has performed many theatricalized folk dances for 18 years in Hurghada. He judges locally and internationally in many folk and oriental dance festivals. Dr. Aziz has been studying theatricalized folk dance with professional choreographers and has danced in many Egyptian and Arab films and plays. He was one of the main dancers in The Hassan Afifi Troupe, performing in most of Cairo's theaters in the eighties. Dr. Aziz has studied theatricalized folk dance and has performed with the legendary Reda Troupe.
Raqs Without Borders 2022 is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
Raqs Without Borders in cultural diplomacy: a MENA dance festival in NYC is made possible in part with public funds from Creative Engagement, supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by LMCC.
Raqs Without Borders in cultural diplomacy: a MENA dance festival in NYC is made possible in part with public funds from Restart NY supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by LMCC.
New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA)
LMCC serves, connects, and makes space for artists and community.
Raqs Without Borders in cultural diplomacy: a MENA dance festival in NYC is made possible in part with public funds from Restart NY supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by LMCC.
New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA)
LMCC serves, connects, and makes space for artists and community.