Note: Zada and members of Raghsidad have taught/are teaching classes and demonstrations in Lawrence & Kansas City areas for information on who and where, email gaziyeh@aol.com

Teaching Experience:

• City of Tonganoxie, winter-spring 2007, new beginner class for the recreation department
• City of Lawrence Parks & Recreation 1986 to Present
• Thru 2002, principal dance instructor, for tap, ballet, jazz for ages 4 - adult. Began teaching Middle Eastern Classes in 1989 - Current focus on ME Dance Instruction.
• "Drop In" Ghawazee Class for Siham Ali, October, 2007
• Baldwin City Recreation 1996 -98
• Tap instructor for semi-private and adult classes
• Dances of the Middle East, Kansas City, MO 1988
• 1 ½ hour class of combinations with finger cymbal patterns using three different rhythms with live drumming
• Middle Eastern Dance Collective, Kansas City, MO 1993
• Three class series on middle eastern rhythms, and three minute routine accenting dynamics and use of finger cymbals
• Artists of the Dance, Columbus, OH 1993
• 1/2 day class focusing on 6/8 and masmoudi rhythms, featuring three minute entrance choreography with live drumming
• Sands of Egypt Productions, Youngstown, OH 1994
• 1/2 day class including across the floor work, hip isolations and shimmy technique, and 5 minute drum solo choreography for troupe
• Des Moines, IA 1994
• 2 1/2 hour drum/percussion class for Caravan troupe
• Aalim Dance Academy/St, Louis. MO 1995
• 2 1/2 hour workshop in ethnic styling for multi-level dance group, including walking steps, arm and hand movements, and techniques specific to Saiidi and Ghawazee styles.
• Schehera’s Fabulous Festival/Dayton, OH 1996
• 1 1/2 hour class in rhythm and dumbek for multi-level group. Overview of 10 rhythms, their origin and use with notes provided, and practice drilling of each..
• Kahraman Studios/Iowa City, IA 1996
• 2 hour rhythm and drumming workshop for dancers and musicians. Overview of 15 rhythms, as above, including translation to zills, notes provided
• Judy’s Creative Costuming/ Sedalia, MO 1997
• 1/2 day class in folkloric styling, featuring traditional Ghawazee and Saidi steps
• "Belly Jam" / Cincinnati, OH 1997, 1999, 2000
• 1 1/2 hour clasess in: Ghawazee and Saidi styles, and techniques to translate known movements to folkloric styling; "Don’t be afraid of Kashlimar" (dancing to the 9/8 rhythm); Using other dance forms in ME Dance
• Fall Mini-Class / Chandara Gamal/St. Louis, MO 1998
• 2 1/2 hour class – taught choreography with zills for live drumming and 1 hour percussion class
• Spring Mini – Workshop / Soraya Al Musri/Oklahoma City, OK 1999
• Full day - featuring the use of finger cymbals with movement. Morning Session - routine of simple steps with basic zill patterns to be performed with any beledi recording or live percussion; Afternoon Session – 3.1/2 minute choreography with zills to "Bedouin Wedding" and 1 hour percussion class
• Private Workshop / Arleah / St Louis, MO 2002
• 4 hour class, Cane technique and Raks Al Assaya choreography created for Desert Moon Dance Company
• Spring Mini-workshop / Ziva Saphira / Birmingham, AL 2002
• Full day of Class, Morning concentration across the floor and combinations, plus a short choreography with simple zill patterns; Afternoon, understanding and creating zill patterns other than basic Middle Eastern Rhythms and Bedouin Wedding choreography. Private Troupe Classes for Ziva Saphira, with 3.5 minute Gypsy style Kashlimar choreography including staging
• Mini-workshop / Soraya Al Musri / Oklahoma City 2004
• Full day - exploring ways to play finger cymbals. Morning session - playing with the rhythm, matching patterns to your steps, and using the music as inspiration; Afternoon session - a short choreography for two or more to the Sultans' Habibi Y'Aini
• Class for Siham Ali event - 90 minutes of safe warm ups and Ghawazee stylings, KCMO 2007

 

 Performance Highlights:

Festivals

• Kansas City Renaissance Festival, Kansas City, MO 1983 to Present
• Six years as contracted stage act, "The Ghawazee Dancers"; Ten years as sponsor of special event/performance "Raghs Ruz"; Coordinator Middle Eastern theme weekend - two days of performances by Raghsidad. & Wazan Wa Zamir (1995-2007); Full time stage act Casbah Raks 1999
• Taste of Cultures, Lawrence, KS 1994-6
• Celebration of Cultures, Lawrence, KS 1994-6
• Kansas City Ethnic Enrichment Festival 1988, 1995-6
• KU International Students Week Performances 1998, 1999, 2002-4
• Kansas City Fringe Festival 2006

 

Fund Raisers

• River City Review, Lawrence, KS 1988, 1995-2000
• FROTH fund raiser, Lawrence, KS 1994, 1998
• Bizarre Bazaar (for the Lawrence Arts Center) 2002-7
• Foundation Follies, Lawrence, KS, 2002, 2004

 

Stage Concerts

• Siham Ali Annual Concert, Kansas City, MO (annual) 1985-present
• City in Motion New Directions Dance Concert Series 1998-9, 2001, 2002
• Lawrence Area Choreographer's Showcase, Lawrence, KS 1995-2007
• "Cairo on the Kaw", Lawrence, KS 1995-2007
• City in Motion "Spotlight on Culture" concert series premiere 1999
• "Dance in the Park", Kansas City, MO 2002-3, 2005-6
• "Summerfest", a citywide celebration in Dwight, KS 2002

 

Restaurants & Clubs

• Nourhan Sharif Gala Concert, New York City, NY 2007
• Ibrahim Farrah Gala Concert, New York City, NY 1994
• Full Moon Cafe, Lawrence, KS 1993 to 1996
• Nouvelle Tasty Shoppe, Lawrence, KS 1996-7
• Jerusalem Cafe, Lawrence, KS 1997
• Jester’s, Lawrence, KS 1998
• Aladdin Café, Lawrence, KS 2000-present

 

Special Performance: Alhambra Room, Cairo Sheraton, Cairo, Egypt June 2000 - presentation of "American Ghawazee", a historic recreation of dancing from Luxor/Aswan region

 

 

Educational Demonstrations:

• Broken Arrow School, Lawrence, KS
• Presentation of rhythms, use of hand percussion, simple movement for 1st grade classes
• Presentation of Middle Eastern Folktales through written, oral, visual, musical and movement for 3rd and 4th grades
• Pinckney School, Lawrence, KS
• Presentation on Ancient Egyptian dance and music, consultation for student pageant, featuring ancient and traditional Egyptian movement w/rhythm accompaniment
• Lecture Demo table for Geography Fair
• South Junior High School
• Lecture demonstration in support of Geography unit on the Middle East, including , video clips, clothing and instruments, and discussion of religious and political issues of the day
• University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
• Lecture demonstration with musicians on history of movement and music of the Middle East for western civilization classes
• Oak Park High School, N. Kansas City, MO
• Presentation for high school orientation diversity program
• Clardy Elementary School, N. Kansas City, MO
• Performance for cultural diversity festival
• Shawnee Mission High Schools Geography Night
• Performance and Demonstration w/ Q&A
• Ottawa University Extension Classes, Mission, KS (1997-9, 2001, 2003-4)
• Performance and Demonstration w/ Q&A - Cultural Diversity through Music & Dance
• Shawnee Mission High School, Mission, KS (1999-2002)
• Guest Instructor for dance classes – focus on basic movements in Middle Eastern Dance
• Independence, Inc. (2002)
• Lecture-demonstration on ME culture
• Nelson Atkins Museum, Kansas City, MO (2002)
• Lecture-demonstration of instruments and Middle Eastern musical theory, with dance illustration
• University of Kansas International Students Diversity Week (2004)
• Special open dance class for basics and a few traditional folks dances for anyone and everyone
• Lawrence Public Library (2005)
• Lecture Demonstration on the history of ME music
• KC Area Epilepsy Camp at Tall Oak Camp in Linwood, KS (2007)
• Demo and class, providing a fun break for volunteer workers and parents of campers

 

Master Class Series:

Sponsor of master classes with nationally recognized instructors* for area teachers and professionals, focused on particular style of dance or method of teaching - Guest Instructors include: Alexandra King, Zeina (Memphis), Shakira, Maleeha (2x), Leila Gamal, Princess Farhana (2x)

 

Dancers' Toolkit Series:

Sponsor of local seminars with nationally ranked instructors to cover basic skillsets for all dancers, regardless of style:  Cassandra, 2011, Elena Lentini, 2012

 

Professional Training - Zada:

• (Ongoing personal training with National and International Instructors through attendance at weekend dance seminars throughout the year)
• B.F.A Theatre, University of Connecticut 1972
• Jamila Salimpour, San Francisco, CA 1978
• Ibrahim Farrah week long Teacher 's Seminar, New York, NY 1996
• Mahmoud Reda Master Classes 1979-1992-1997-1998 Wichita, KS-Memphis, TN, Dallas, TX, Kansas City. MO
• Raqia Hassan, Minneapolis, MN 1995, 1996, NY 2000, Cairo 2000, NY 2011
• Ahlan Wa Salan 2000 - Cairo, Egypt - Ibrahim Akef, Farida Fahmy, Soheir Zeki, Dina, Yousry Sharif, Nabil Mabrouk and others during week long conference
• Hassan Afifi - Luxor Egypt, 2008
• Yousry Sharif - multiple study opportunities1995 to present - (latest July 07 / NYC)
• Elena Lentini - first encounter in Minneapolis in 2000, Class work at Fazil's  in NYC, NYC April 2011
• Cassandra Shore - At least eight seminars including a weeklong since 1990

 

Seminar and Master Classes 1987 to Present:

• Attend an average of 5 seminars with nationally and internationally known instructors each year. Complete list available on request.
• International Middle Eastern Dance Symposium 1997
• Delivered white paper on the organization of the International Middle Eastern Dance Community in the 21st Century using Quality Principles

 

Associations:

• Middle Eastern Dance Collective, Kansas City, MO 1993-1998
• Board of Directors, founding member/secretary (1993-5)
• Celebration of Cultures, Lawrence, KS 1994-1998
• Board member, performance coordinator - Celebration of Cultures Festival, 1994-6 , Taste of Cultures 1995-6, President 1995-6 term.
• The Ghawazee Dancers 1983-1989
• Managing member-professional dance group featuring live music
• Raghsidad 1988 to Present
• Artistic director-professional dance company
• Wazzan Wa Zamir 1993 to 2005Musician group featuring traditional and improvisational music in Middle Eastern style (known as Raghsidad musicians 2005 to present)
• Gaziyeh Enterprises, Inc. 1995 to Present
• Organized as a not for profit corporation in the state of Kansas, purpose: to preserve, promote and present the cultures of the Middle East through the study and performance of its music and dance. IRS 501C3 
• Staff Writer for Crescent Moon Magazine 1995-1998
• Publication for those interested in Middle Eastern Dance, produced in Paducah, KY, with circulation throughout the continental US.
• Online publications at bellydance.net 2005

References available upon request