Virtual and in-person arts and cultural series of Middle Eastern and North African dance and Arabic language classes.
This online project is a cultural series of weekly Egyptian dance classes, Arabic language classes, and a dance show, known in Arabic as "hafla" with certificates of completion on Zoom. The series will introduce dance students to Middle Eastern culture through the ethnic dances of Egypt and a language program of the Arab world, taught by multi award-winning Raqs Sharqi dance instructor, Torkom Movsesiyan. A cultural dance show will provide a collaborative platform for dance students and guest dance artists to perform and show to the public what they have learned from classes. Each class will break down the movement vocabulary during a warm-up, which will be integrated into various dance styles. Bring your hip scarves and comfortable dancewear. The series will also offer an Arabic language class for beginners, teaching grammar, reading, writing, listening and speaking of Modern Standard Arabic, known in Arabic as Fusha. Language materials and handouts are included in the price. Students who attend regularly all classes from beginning to end will receive certificates of completion. Join, and dance your heart out!
"THIS PROGRAM IS SUPPORTED, IN PART, BY PUBLIC FUNDS FROM THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.”
All classes will take place on Zoom.
Middle Eastern dance classes will take place on Tuesdays from 5-6pm.
Modern Standard Arabic language classes will take place on Fridays from 5-6pm.
Each hour-long class is $15 or you may register for two weekly classes (a dance class and an Arabic language class) and pay only $10 for each one (you save $10). If interested, kindly email the instructor, Torkom Movsesiyan, at [email protected] to RSVP, therefore, send payments through PayPal. Once you register and pay for your classes, you will receive the Zoom link.
Be sure to read this cultural program's policy and guidelines below prior to registration!
Make-up policy:
In the event that the student misses a class, it is the student's responsibility to request an optional make-up class with the instructor which is a private class, whether a dance class or an Arabic language class. Make-up sessions are not covered by the NYCDLA grant project; therefore, each make-up class is available at a higher hourly rate. The student may contact the instructor/organizer to request/schedule a make-up session by emailing [email protected]
Please note that Zoom recordings during this program are not allowed for students to view after the class!
Policy (Please be sure to read carefully below):
Once you pay and register for all or any individual classes (dance or Arabic language) or the entire series program, there are no exchanges, refunds, and or cancellations of any kind. There are no EXCEPTIONS!
Instructor's Bio:
Torkom Movsesiyan is a multi-award winning dance artist, a cultural ambassador of the arts, and the founder of Torkomada, Torkom envisions Middle Eastern dance as an important but neglected diplomatic tool in cultural diplomacy versus more conventional methods that have failed. He has taught Arabic language classes at CUNY, Fluent City, and ABC Languages in addition to Spanish, Italian, Russian, Bulgarian, French, German, Hebrew and English. His dance project, Raqs Revolution 2018, was awarded the UMEZ Grant. His annual Middle Eastern Dance Festival, Raqs Without Borders, awarded the National Endowment for the Arts grant is an original contribution to the world of art and diplomacy, and a five-time recipient of the Creative Engagement grant. In 2018, Brooklyn Arts Council awarded his dance project, "Arabic Nights in Brooklyn," the BAF grant. The CUNY Dance Initiative awarded him a residency to create lecture-demos about Middle Eastern dance at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center. Torkom Movsesiyan was listed as one of the world's most renown Armenian dancers in Artsvi Bakhchinyan's book, "The Armenians in the International Dance Scene." The New York Foundation for the Arts named him "a Renaissance artist with extraordinary abilities." His work has been featured in the Jon Stewart Show, HBO, Everyday with Rachael Ray, the Discovery Channel, Law and Order, CUNY, UNESCO, Lincoln Center, TimeOut NY, and the Daily News.
"THIS PROGRAM IS SUPPORTED, IN PART, BY PUBLIC FUNDS FROM THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.”
All classes will take place on Zoom.
Middle Eastern dance classes will take place on Tuesdays from 5-6pm.
Modern Standard Arabic language classes will take place on Fridays from 5-6pm.
Each hour-long class is $15 or you may register for two weekly classes (a dance class and an Arabic language class) and pay only $10 for each one (you save $10). If interested, kindly email the instructor, Torkom Movsesiyan, at [email protected] to RSVP, therefore, send payments through PayPal. Once you register and pay for your classes, you will receive the Zoom link.
Be sure to read this cultural program's policy and guidelines below prior to registration!
Make-up policy:
In the event that the student misses a class, it is the student's responsibility to request an optional make-up class with the instructor which is a private class, whether a dance class or an Arabic language class. Make-up sessions are not covered by the NYCDLA grant project; therefore, each make-up class is available at a higher hourly rate. The student may contact the instructor/organizer to request/schedule a make-up session by emailing [email protected]
Please note that Zoom recordings during this program are not allowed for students to view after the class!
Policy (Please be sure to read carefully below):
Once you pay and register for all or any individual classes (dance or Arabic language) or the entire series program, there are no exchanges, refunds, and or cancellations of any kind. There are no EXCEPTIONS!
Instructor's Bio:
Torkom Movsesiyan is a multi-award winning dance artist, a cultural ambassador of the arts, and the founder of Torkomada, Torkom envisions Middle Eastern dance as an important but neglected diplomatic tool in cultural diplomacy versus more conventional methods that have failed. He has taught Arabic language classes at CUNY, Fluent City, and ABC Languages in addition to Spanish, Italian, Russian, Bulgarian, French, German, Hebrew and English. His dance project, Raqs Revolution 2018, was awarded the UMEZ Grant. His annual Middle Eastern Dance Festival, Raqs Without Borders, awarded the National Endowment for the Arts grant is an original contribution to the world of art and diplomacy, and a five-time recipient of the Creative Engagement grant. In 2018, Brooklyn Arts Council awarded his dance project, "Arabic Nights in Brooklyn," the BAF grant. The CUNY Dance Initiative awarded him a residency to create lecture-demos about Middle Eastern dance at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center. Torkom Movsesiyan was listed as one of the world's most renown Armenian dancers in Artsvi Bakhchinyan's book, "The Armenians in the International Dance Scene." The New York Foundation for the Arts named him "a Renaissance artist with extraordinary abilities." His work has been featured in the Jon Stewart Show, HBO, Everyday with Rachael Ray, the Discovery Channel, Law and Order, CUNY, UNESCO, Lincoln Center, TimeOut NY, and the Daily News.