Farasha

Performer, teacher and choreographer from New Jersey, Farasha began her dance career in Harrisburg, PA in the early 1980's as a member of Troupe Kismet, appearing in the Harrisburg Arts Festival and Musicfest in Bethlehem. In New Jersey, she performed with the Moon & Star Dance troupe. She emcees - and has performed in - the annual East Brunswick Community Fair. She teaches privately and in the community, and has conducted dance lecture/seminars for various educational and community groups, including the Girl Scouts, Rutgers University, Hillsborough and Jackson public libraries, and the College of New Jersey. She also co-sponsors and co-teaches workshops in the Northeast with Su'ad, including Master teacher seminars. Farasha is featured in the book Belly Laughs and is producer of the late Ibrahim Farrah's final concert video, A Journey. As a member of Morocco's Casbah Dance Experience, she performed at Lincoln Center, NYC and in Cairo, Egypt. Farasha was a regular performer at Cleopatra's Restaurant in Brooklyn, NY, and can be seen at the Lafayette Grill in Manhattan, and the Cornerstone Café in Rutherford, NJ. Visit her website at: www.farasha.com.

Su'ad

Since 1981, Su'ad has been a continuous student and practitioner of Near and Middle Eastern Dance. She teaches at all levels, and specializes in both oriental and folkloric styles of dance. She works on body mechanics, musical interpretation and dance expression, as well as the study of the origins of this art (both regional and historical). She has coined the concepts " Dancing with the Brain and Soul " and "Dance Dynamics". Since 1991, Su'ad has been Artistic Director of Desert Moon Dancers. She also co-sponsors and co-teaches workshops in the Northeast with Farasha of New Jersey, including Master teacher seminars. Su'ad is also a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), where she specializes in teaching historical interpretations of ethnic dance. She & Farasha have both received the SCA's highest award for teaching and dancing. Su'ad was co-organizer of a unique dance event for 2006 - the first New England based Symposium on Near and Middle Eastern Dance. Unlike the usual dance workshop, the Symposium focused on both movement classes with master teachers and researchers and academic classes.